The document discusses the intersection of science and entertainment, highlighting how films like Jurassic Park have shaped public understanding of complex scientific concepts and the rise of technology in storytelling. It explores the impact of the internet on media, the influence of medical accuracy in television on public health perceptions, and provides career advice for scientists seeking to engage with the entertainment industry. The author emphasizes the importance of effective communication and collaboration between scientists and writers to enhance the representation of science in media.

1. Science in Entertainment Jovana J. Grbić, PhD Career Committee Seminar Emory University, Atlanta, GA December 06, 2010 ©ScriptPhD.com, all rights reserved

2. Seminar Overview • A Brief History of Science in Entertainment • ScriptPhD Concept: L.A.B. • Career Planning Advice and Ideas For Scientists

3. Jurassic Park: Before + After Assumed audience knew or would understand cloning – complex science Written by a medical doctor (Michael Crichton) Thematic Elements: Reprecussions of bioengineering and technology revolution Game changer for future film and television content Jurassic Park – 1993 Universal pictures $900 million gross – still in top ten Dolly the Sheep cloned in 1996

4. The Dawn of the Internet Internet visualization map for routes of information exchange Number of internet users: 1995-2010 The internet is exploding and there ’s nothing to stop it! Nasdaq Hosts Sites The market might go up and down, but the Internet grows forever • Late 1994: Mosaic released, WWW is born • 1996: The word ‘Internet’ is common

5. Science is EVERYWHERE Academic, government and industry labs have websites Most newspapers/magazines have a science + technology section The birth of the blog Twitter, Facebook, other social media – news travels fast 2008: At least 2,000 science blogs written by PhD scientists (Technorati)

6. Science + Technology in Entertainment post-Internet More science/sci-fi/technology/medical content on television (and movies) Better (more) informed audience More sophisticated content The Internet # of Zombie movies (io9)

7. ‘ The CSI Effect’ The belief that juries demand more physical evidence Police collecting more physical evidence, in turn inundating crime labs More forensic programs in colleges and universities Jurors wanting DNA tests performed more frequently The problem? About 40% of the forensic science on CSI doesn’t actually exist! CSI premieres

8. Medical Shows Affect Your Health Epidemiological studies conducted by the Kaiser Foundation Presence of blogs amplifies this effect Study in journal Resucitation : Med students copy bad intubations from TV Purposefully embedded a health message in an episode then tested select group of viewers Health on Prime Time Television 947 episodes 33 series 2204-2006

9. Jovana J. Grbić, PhD Undergrad: BA in physical chemistry from Northwestern University Cancer research fellowship: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Graduate: PhD in oncogenomics from The Scripps Research Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship: infectious diseases, UCLA School of Public Health Current: ScriptPhD.com director + independent writer

10. My Goals as a Science Advisor YES NO

11. L.A.B.: The ScriptPhD Concept “ People bring ideas to life” Media+Entertainment Science The Public Building Relationships Exchanging Information

12. L.A.B.: L earn Scientists Watch movies and TV!!! Know how your material is being represented Make yourself visible! Give and write feedback Keep it simple: small bites are easier to swallow for non-scientists Communicate effectively Writers Seek out advice Ask SPECIFIC questions and involve the scientist Attend a lecture/seminar Shadow a scientist or doctor Read blogs + tech publications Communicate effectively

13. L.A.B.: A dvise Start a Blog For Your Area of Expertise • Start with short, simple posts • Guest post for other bloggers • Invite colleagues to post on your site • Reach out, interview people, start discussion topics, instigate… Increase Your Web Presence • Let out an occasional Tweet • Set up a site for your lab/research • Write the occasional supplement to scholarly articles Work For a Science Movie/TV Show • V and Castle ; freelance work • Fringe: Neurobiologist Ricardo Gil da Costa • BSG and Eureka : Physicist Kevin R. Grazier • CSI: Engineer Naren Shankar • Grey ’s Anatomy : Dr. Zoanne Clack • ER : Dr. Neal Baer Write Your Own! Michael Chricton Arthur C. Clarke

14. L.A.B.: B log… Sample Topics Covered Recently in ScriptPhD.com: “ Splice”: cast + crew video interview “ Selling Science Smartly”: science in advertising + media series World Science Festival coverage Guest posts: Brain Training, Creativity, Genius “ Breaking Bad”: Executive Producer Interview In-Depth Means: Interviews (Leading science experts, screenwriters, producers) Panels + Roundtables Original pieces The science behind your favorite shows, films and media

15. Recognition & Achievements Worked with: Warner Brothers, Disney, Fox, Universal, The Science Channel, The Discovery Channel, SyFy, academic institutions Recent clients: UCLA School of Film, Tribeca Sloan Founcation (NYC), screenwriters and authors, ABC Television ( V and Castle ) Profiled in the science section of The Charlotte Observer

16. Screenwriters ’ Resources in L.A. Great starting blocks for information and connections: Writers’ Guild of America http://wga.org Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences http://www.oscars.org/index.html Science and Entertainment Exchange http://scienceandentertainment.org Hollywood, Health and Society http://learcenter.org/html/projects/?cm=hhs The Science Network http://sciencenetwork.org ScriptPhD.com Here to help you write creative science!

17. Acknowledgements Hosts: Emory University Career Committee, Katie Vance, Monica Taylor, Kevin Grazier Fellow Collaborators/Idea Generators: • Media + Entertainment subsidies (present and future) • Bloggers (ScriptPhD.com “sites we like” blogroll is a great resource!) • Scientists, Engineers, Innovators, Techologists, Geeks, and Nerds YOU! Engage and collaborate with ScriptPhD.com to expand the conversation about science and technology in entertainment, media and pop culture: • Twitter: @ScriptPhD •Vimeo: ScriptPhD • Facebook: ScriptPhD •SlideShare.net: ScriptPhD • LinkedIn: Jovana Grbić • Email: [email_address] Presentation and content ©2010 ScriptPhD.com. All Rights Reserved.