#kurbik

I actually googled, because I can’t think of many movies that I’d say are about science. Of course it is a major plot device for science-fiction, but most are more often science-fantasy or science isn’t even that important. Then there is a myriad of biopics, some which are close to the scientific reserch, but more often focussed on the personal struggles of the scientists.

So I found this list, which has some really great movies, that talks about science. http://www.onlinedegreeprograms.com/blog/2009/50-great-movies-every-science-geek-needs-to-see/

Gattace, 2001, Wall-E, Metropolis and some others are on my list of all-time favourites.

I really like Sunshine for the way it portrays scientists. Young people, some a bit weird, some more interested to research inter-personal relationships, quite diverse backgrounds and interests. There’s still this stereotype of old guys in lab coats, but the majority of scientists that are in research are in their twenties and thirties (doing their PhD and afterwards they never see a lab again). While the experiments run they’ll talk about their weekend plans and love and sex life. Or, yes, they discuss weird ideas and turn them into something that might be a major breakthrough. The movie isn’t as accurate as it claims to be, but I like it for the reasons stated. :)

If it is about science itself though, I really like an old tv show for children: “Once upon a time... Life” (the others are brilliant as well). It is funny, smart, highly accurate, and most important it isn’t afraid to teach little children, that are maybe 8 or 10, the newest scientific research that you could read in Science or Nature. Even when I watch it now, 20 years later, as a person who has a master’s degree in that topic. I’m in awe. There are new things I notice that are very important details. Some have been proven wrong by now (but they were true back then).

When I see the antropomorphic enzymes though and they get their armor made from Iron and the have a little trademark on their chest that says P450, my heart jumps. And then these little enzymes e.g. fight little tanks made from many little hexagones that are supposed to be waste you breathed in. They deconstruct them by destryoing those rings. It’s maybe a minute, but it is more than you’ll find in many chemistry books for highschool children.

As a scientist I can tell you that this is deep-level biochemistry. The cytochrome P450, is an enzyme family that has iron in it’s reactive center and that among many other functions helps destryoing polycyclic aromatic carbohydrates by oxygenating them in the bay region. Those carbohydrates are often found in smoke from cigarettes or fumes. We know now that it is a bit different than shown, but it was made 30 years ago, when this was the newest of the newest research.

Stuff that usually teachers think is that complicated that you will only learn about it in university, is in a show for primary school children. This show is one of the main reasons why I wanted to become a scientist. It made me want to learn more about how everything functions. :)