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Saturday, October 15 • 9:00am - 10:15am
Science Fiction vs. Science Fact

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A lot of the allure of science fiction lies in the excitement of its outlandish worlds and imaginative circumstances. But there’s also a part where audiences can’t help but wonder: could this really happen? Between mass zombie outbreaks to intricate time travel to adventures through space, writers need to know where to pull from scientific fact, and where to bend the truth. Join this discussion with writers and scientists alike on balancing fiction with fact and what’s required for viewers to truly suspend their disbelief so the appearance of truth is always within arm’s reach. After all, the science fiction of today could very well be the science fact of tomorrow.

This panel is presented by The Science and Entertainment Exchange.
Moderators
avatar for Rick Loverd

Panelists
avatar for Summer Ash

Summer Ash

Director of Outreach for Columbia University's Department of Astronomy
Summer Ash is the Director of Outreach for Columbia University's Department of Astronomy. Having been formally trained in both rocket scientist and radio astronomy, she’s now harnessing her powers for science communication. Her written work has appeared in The Atlantic, Smithsonian... Read More →
avatar for Wendy Calhoun

Wendy Calhoun

writer/producer Justified, Revenge, Nashville, Empire
Wendy Calhoun is a series creator and executive producer with content currently in development at multiple digital and cable companies. This summer she wrote and directed  LEFT BEHIND, a virtual reality short with Project Empathy's VR series for social impact and criminal justice... Read More →
avatar for Spiros Michalakis

Spiros Michalakis

Spiros Michalakis is a quantum physicist at Caltech, where he splits his time between research on the origins of space and time, and outreach to the public. He has worked with Google on QCraft, a mod for Minecraft, which introduced millions of kids to the strange world of quantum... Read More →
avatar for Nicole Perlman

Nicole Perlman

writer Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain Marvel (2019), Pokémon (2018)
Nicole Perlman attended NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Shortly after graduating, she won the Tribeca Film Festival's Sloan Grant for Science in Film for her screenplay "Challenger," which also placed on the Hollywood Black List. She has since been named one of Variety Magazine's... Read More →

Community Partners
avatar for National Academy of Sciences

Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Saturday October 15, 2016 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Bethell Hall
  Conference, Panel

Attendees (146)