February 24, 2010
Hollywood Urged to Obey the Laws of Science
Activist professor would limit movies to one broken law of physics
per film.
Hollywood Urged to Obey the Laws of Science
Activist professor would limit movies to one broken law of physics
per film.
SUMMARY: A professor of physics at Emory U. in Atlanta wants to improve
the science in movies by limiting any science fiction film to only one major
transgression of the laws of physics. Sidney Perkowitz's set of guidelines for
Hollywood has won the backing of some of his peers. The proposals are
intended to curb the film industry's worst abuses.
Perkowitz said he liked Starship Troopers but criticized its giant insects, saying
in real life such large bugs would collapse under their own weight. He said he
hated The Core in which scientists travel to the center of the earth to detonate
a nuclear device to start the planet's core spinning again. The Core did not
make money, he said, because people did not appreciate the science.
The professor is a member of the Science and Entertainment Exchange, an
advisory body run by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. This group is
supported by people such as actor Dustin Hoffman and Lawrence Kasdan,
who wrote the screen plays for The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the
Lost Ark. Perkowitz said: "The hope is that it will get better science into films
while still making them interesting." The exchange has recently offered advice
on the Watchman movie and a TV series, Heroes.
Ron Howard's production of Angels and Demons also was criticized because
Tom Hank's character had to protect the Vatican from being destroyed by an
antimatter bomb. "The amount of antimatter they had was more than we will
make in a million years of running a high-energy particle collider," said
Perkowitz.
To read the entire article, click on this link to THE GUARDIAN.
COMMENT: Poor Hollywood seems to be getting it from all directions. If it
isn't Christians who are offended at the sleaze in most movies these days, now
it's the science community disgusted by the poor science in science fiction
films.
Realism in movies though hasn't been a trademark of Hollywood for years.
In my opinion, most people do not behave as badly in real life as movies
often portray them. And I think people would start behaving better if they
weren't so tempted by the lack of inhibitions as portrayed on the big screen.
People who watch a lot more movies than I do may wish to correct me on this
impression, but I note that according to the movie pages in the newspapers,
the overwhelming majority of current movies seem to be rated "R."
On the other hand, mainstream science should not be complaining so much
about Hollywood and should start taking a closer look at itself. This community
makes so much of a theory based on something evolving out of nothing and
life evolving out of non-life, two clearly nonscientific ideas, it really should first
clean up its own act.
If the Science and Entertainment Exchange had its way, I suppose we could
never expect to see any more movies about the miracles of Jesus or Old
Testament stories like the Exodus. However, God, who is responsible for the
laws of science, surely has the power to suspend them whenever He feels
like it.
A great nonscientific event awaits us all, the raising of all people from the dead
on the Last Day. For the answer to what will happen to us then, science has
no answer and we must turn to the Bible. There we are clearly told that
believers in Jesus as their Savior from sin will then make an unscientific trip to
an unscientific place called heaven. It may not be science, but it's all true.
****************************************************************************************************
Want to be automatically notified each time there is a new post? Just e-mail
your request to [admin@lutheranscience.org].
****************************************************************************************************
QUESTION OF THE DAY
How common is osteoporosis in men?
the science in movies by limiting any science fiction film to only one major
transgression of the laws of physics. Sidney Perkowitz's set of guidelines for
Hollywood has won the backing of some of his peers. The proposals are
intended to curb the film industry's worst abuses.
Perkowitz said he liked Starship Troopers but criticized its giant insects, saying
in real life such large bugs would collapse under their own weight. He said he
hated The Core in which scientists travel to the center of the earth to detonate
a nuclear device to start the planet's core spinning again. The Core did not
make money, he said, because people did not appreciate the science.
The professor is a member of the Science and Entertainment Exchange, an
advisory body run by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. This group is
supported by people such as actor Dustin Hoffman and Lawrence Kasdan,
who wrote the screen plays for The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the
Lost Ark. Perkowitz said: "The hope is that it will get better science into films
while still making them interesting." The exchange has recently offered advice
on the Watchman movie and a TV series, Heroes.
Ron Howard's production of Angels and Demons also was criticized because
Tom Hank's character had to protect the Vatican from being destroyed by an
antimatter bomb. "The amount of antimatter they had was more than we will
make in a million years of running a high-energy particle collider," said
Perkowitz.
To read the entire article, click on this link to THE GUARDIAN.
COMMENT: Poor Hollywood seems to be getting it from all directions. If it
isn't Christians who are offended at the sleaze in most movies these days, now
it's the science community disgusted by the poor science in science fiction
films.
Realism in movies though hasn't been a trademark of Hollywood for years.
In my opinion, most people do not behave as badly in real life as movies
often portray them. And I think people would start behaving better if they
weren't so tempted by the lack of inhibitions as portrayed on the big screen.
People who watch a lot more movies than I do may wish to correct me on this
impression, but I note that according to the movie pages in the newspapers,
the overwhelming majority of current movies seem to be rated "R."
On the other hand, mainstream science should not be complaining so much
about Hollywood and should start taking a closer look at itself. This community
makes so much of a theory based on something evolving out of nothing and
life evolving out of non-life, two clearly nonscientific ideas, it really should first
clean up its own act.
If the Science and Entertainment Exchange had its way, I suppose we could
never expect to see any more movies about the miracles of Jesus or Old
Testament stories like the Exodus. However, God, who is responsible for the
laws of science, surely has the power to suspend them whenever He feels
like it.
A great nonscientific event awaits us all, the raising of all people from the dead
on the Last Day. For the answer to what will happen to us then, science has
no answer and we must turn to the Bible. There we are clearly told that
believers in Jesus as their Savior from sin will then make an unscientific trip to
an unscientific place called heaven. It may not be science, but it's all true.
****************************************************************************************************
Want to be automatically notified each time there is a new post? Just e-mail
your request to [admin@lutheranscience.org].
****************************************************************************************************
QUESTION OF THE DAY
How common is osteoporosis in men?
****************************************************************************************************
1 Comment
Dr. Bruce Holman wrote: Limiting movies to one broken law of physics per film will
never happen. Transporters and warp drive are two "laws of physics" broken every
episode of Star Trek. But you are right on, Warren, for noting the irony of wanting to
control others expression while not policing your own turf, and the irony of not wanting
to control the ungodliness of the movies. The reason is that they don't recognize a
creator God. They will not make an appeal for restraint on the basis of violations of
God's moral laws, but violations of his physical laws they will not tolerate!
1 Comment
Dr. Bruce Holman wrote: Limiting movies to one broken law of physics per film will
never happen. Transporters and warp drive are two "laws of physics" broken every
episode of Star Trek. But you are right on, Warren, for noting the irony of wanting to
control others expression while not policing your own turf, and the irony of not wanting
to control the ungodliness of the movies. The reason is that they don't recognize a
creator God. They will not make an appeal for restraint on the basis of violations of
God's moral laws, but violations of his physical laws they will not tolerate!
| LSI stands for the Lutheran Science Institute, an organization of WELS and ELS Lutherans interested in science and health issues with a special emphasis on the creation and evolution controversy. This blog's purpose is to search the Internet to find articles of interest to Christians. Views expressed are those of the author (Warren Krug) and are not necessarily those of the Lutheran Science Institute, Inc. |
At least 2 million men currently have the disease.
About 6% of men over 50 will experience a hip
fracture, and about 5% will fracture a spinal bone
because of osteoporosis. Men are more likely to die
within a year after breaking a hip than are women.
Source: Parade (1/24/10)
About 6% of men over 50 will experience a hip
fracture, and about 5% will fracture a spinal bone
because of osteoporosis. Men are more likely to die
within a year after breaking a hip than are women.
Source: Parade (1/24/10)
