Hello, since I'm a new member I thought I'de start off the new year 2007
by suggesting ways to help make new Sci Fi Movies to better educate the
public on today's science issues I see as an engineer in many areas. [
I'm an old Tucson native, who used to hang out in Yavapai dorm (:wink:
) and a BIG Star Trek Fan ]

*Issues I See With Today's Sci Fi Movies/Games and Educating Kids*:

Am I the only one who sees these issues?
1) Reliance on too much special effects and not enough story line. Good
stories need more thought before brought to the big screen even though
production wants to rush ahead and make $$ and just "get it out" the
door. Historical stories can illustrate how past science was done and
ways today's youth can draw strength and courage from.

2) I see so many good movies attempt to do this, but fail to deliver a
story with a positive message that inspires science investigation in
tomorrows youth. Special effects (good or bad) have now become the
substitute for the 'actual scientific inspiration' I used to feel as a
young boy watching the Apollo launches and doing hands-on science later
in school/work. Doesn't this seem backwards? Most kids would never
notice this ..except big kids like me perhaps :)

3) How are we to inspire more youth to enter the sciences if this trend
continues and its too easy to just pop in a DVD or play video games
than study, investigate and explore science. How can they be better
inspired? [ I know this from my own boys and how difficult it is to
educate with today's games as distractions from doing real science
related activities]

*Possible Movie Ideas that Teach History and Scientific Methods*:
These are not sci-fi, but could help to inspire a new generation of
sci-fi movies perhaps by drawing on past history as a way to educate.

*Movie Title*: "The Inspired Life", Director: Ron Howard
Stars: Julie Roberts (Marie Curie), Russell Crowe (Pierre Curie)
1) *The Life Story of Marie Curie* ..want drama Mel Gibson? or Russell
Crowe? Here's one for you- Marie's life story would be a great one for
the big screen..it would have everything block buster movies have
today, while educating on how real science is done often with struggles
after many years. She toiled with her husband Pierre to extract one gram
of Radium after sifting through over 10 tons of discarded Uranium
Pitchblende by hand, spoonfool by spoonfool(true) while carefully
weighing each on a sensitive device Pierre constructed. Folks later
went wild over Radium and put it in everything from their pockets to
ingesting it !! A literal frenzy that Marie did not expect to happen as
the world went crazy over her discovery of radioactivity. She also had
her love life torn between a deep friendship with Paul Langevin (who
faught a duel over her with pistols). He was also a famous physicist
and friend of Einstein. Sadly, her husband Pierre growing sick with
radiation sickness was later run over by a horse drawn carriage after
an argument she had with him one morning and he headed out for walk in
the rain to his lab (Radiation sickness ..unknown at the time and she
and Pierre were the first two humans to suffer from it). However, she
also faught in the front lines in a European war to help develop X-rays
to aid in diagnostics of wounded soldiers in an effort to make a
positive impact on the world for health uses of X-rays. For her efforts
over the years she was awarded 2 Nobel prizes, and her daughter went on
to win a Nobel in radiochemisty later on.

I think Julie Roberts would make a great Marie Curie? what do you
think?

2) T*he Wright Brothers Life Story* : Favorite Actors?
3) *The Life Story of Michael Faraday* ..he died a poor man in London
after changing experimental science forever ..we owe a debt of
gratitude to him. .. Actors?
4) *The Life Story of Tesla* .. Actors?
5) *The Life Story of Thomas Edison* ..imagine what a modern remake
could be like...suggested Actors?

.I hope you see the point of this posting and this helps with an idea
or two for scientific and cinematic inspiration !
/ Mr-Fusion :cool: