SAM: Storytelling Across Media! Science in Storytelling Panel Recap!

“Getting to talk with the Storytellers can infuse the scientists and the actual story.” – Clifford Johnson

Science fiction often walks a fine line between imagination and reality. But when does scientific accuracy actually matter—and when is it okay to just say “timey-wimey wibbly-wobbly?”

Physicist Clifford Johnson (science advisor for Palm Springs and multiple Marvel Cinematic Universe projects) and paleontologist Gabriel-Philip Santos (co-founder of Cosplay for Science and cohost of PBS Eons) held a very interesting panel at the Comic Con Museum.

Personally, in my writing I love including science or what is considered real science in my scripts, so this was so interesting to me. From Marvel, to Star Trek to Star Wars, science has infused so many of our pop culture moments.

How would a scientist act in this situation? What would the devise look like that saves the world? What does the machinery look like? Science can be so many things, which is why it’s such an interesting onion to pull back.

“I’ve been doing thing kind of thing, for several years. Somewhat sarcastically, there’s very much a feeling, that writers and filmmakers don’t want to bother scientists doing ‘important’ work. That makes it hard to get involved in helping filmmakers gets their ideas across.” Said Johnson, “You’re reaching way more people (in film). Telling stories is the way we communicate and science needs to be a part of that.”

“There’s a lot of science in the DNA of Marvel.” Continued Johnson, “Marvel was super smart, they realized they have all these characters who need this science expertise.” It’s interesting to think that characters like Thanos, Ronan, etc.. all have a genesis is factual science, or in the case of Star Trek, the devices and characters are based in a reality and a broad effort of scientists to bring things like that in reality.

“For most of us, the way we most learn is from playing.” Said Santos, “I took Star Wars action figures and acted out scenes. It’s how we learn to ask questions, develop understanding, etc.. It’s an education we sometimes forget as we get older. For science it’s so important. When we put ourselves in that role, we see that potential and can solve major issues.”

We’re born with innate creativity, “we start with an idea. Does this work as an idea? The creativity and science are one in the same. Even science has play” Santos added. “Our earliest myths and legends have their science as their genesis.”

Santos was one of the co-founder of Cosplay for Science and one of the things they do, is use cosplay and established characters to teach kids and more than likely many adults to different aspects of science. It’s always interesting to see pop culture infusing with actual science and teaching the next generation. It’s something fun and a thing they love, but based in actual things affecting us in the real world today.

Imagine someone going to SDCC and buying a bunch of exclusives and inadvertently learning about climate change. That’s extremely cool and a unique aspect of what SDCC and conventions can do.