The Science of Avatar
Avatarrect

By Robert Hurt | April 24th, 2010

Are you curious just how much science actually makes it into a science fiction epic? Will you be in Pasadena on Tuesday, April 27th? If so, you may want to drop by the Caltech campus to see director James Cameron explore this topic with several Caltech faculty members during the event "Is Pandora Possible? A Discussion of the Science, Technology, and Environmental Messages behind AVATAR."

The event starts at 8 PM, but show up early if you are interested; no doubt there will be a lot of people coming over for the show! 

Personally I am excited to have been offered the privilege of moderating this event. At Spitzer we are always interested in promoting science education in a great many ways, from our press releases, podcasts, and other local and national events. However, movies like AVATAR reach audiences far vaster than any NASA outreach effort. When science fiction media incorporates real science themes into the storyline you have a valuable opportunity to stimulate interest in science and promote audiences to learn more about it once they leave the theater.

More information on the event is posted on the Caltech Website.