Title

Fact or Fiction: Using Science Fiction Movies As An Instructional Tool

Abstract

Science fiction movies have used an amalgamation of science fact and fiction to accomplish their plots. This talk is to describe how several of these movies have been used as an instructional tool to examine various concepts in physics. Millions of dollars are spent to create special effects that look realistic and are quite exciting to watch. But these special effects often present the behavior of nature incorrectly and can reinforce misconceptions if not examined critically. Short segments of selected movies are presented in class and analyzed. Gravity, Newton's laws of motion, rotational dynamics, lasers, relativity, and energy conservation are some of the concepts that can be investigated. The movies 2001 and 2010 are relatively good at presenting a realistic depiction of nature. Some other movies that will be discussed include Aliens, Star Wars, and Star Trek.

Slide 1

Slide 2

Slide 3

Slide 4

Slide 5

Slide 6