Movie fans and science nerds have long debated how realistic certain movie events are: could Indiana Jones survive a nuclear bomb in a refrigerator? In space, do you implode? Why exactly do zombies crave brains?
Science Moab is doing its part to answer these burning questions and more with a third year of Science on Screen film showings. The screenings pair local research scientists with a Hollywood film, pleasing both movie buffs and hardcore data dorks.
“We like to stick to films that will be fun and exciting for the audience, and movies we think the scientists will enjoy relating to their work,” said Kacie Larsen, Science Moab’s outreach & stewardship VISTA. “The movies don’t necessarily need to be super science-heavy and can be loosely related to the topic of the Q&A discussion.”
Screenings take place outdoors in Swanny City Park, with intro talks starting at 8 p.m. In case of inclement weather, movie-lovers move indoors to Star Hall—which was the case for the first screening of the 2024 series.
Local researchers and outreach workers Ricky Begaye, volunteer manager at the Bears Ears Partnership; Chris Quirin, natural resource specialist with the Bureau of Land Management; and Hau Truong, site manager at the Bonderman Field Station met up on April 26 to talk about citizen science initiatives before the coming-of-age drama “A Birder’s Guide to Everything.”
Coming up on Friday, May 10, volcanologist Dr. Michael Ort will discuss the 1997 disaster flick “Dante’s Peak,” starring Pierce Brosnan.
“Michael actually shows this film in his intro to volcanology classes and talks with his students about what part of the movie portrays this field of study and the science of volcanoes well,” Larsen said. “What’s accurate and not so accurate? This plays into the event title: ‘Your Jeep Can’t Actually Outrun a Pyroclastic Cloud.’”
The final film in the series is scheduled for Saturday, June 1. Cressa Pratt and Elise Rappel, researchers with the National Ecological Observatory Network, will talk about how insects can inform research before a screening of 1999’s blockbuster “The Mummy” starring Brendan Fraser.
“The film is not one you’d typically think of pairing with an ecology-themed event,” said Larsen. “For this event, we want to tie in the scarab beetles throughout the film with the fieldwork the NEON team does. The beetles act as a warning sign in the movie. What do the beetles in Utah do?”
The Science on Screen showings are part of a national initiative aimed at making science accessible and fun.
“This is our third year receiving support from the nationwide Science On Screen® initiative by the Coolidge Corner Theatre and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation—they see us as a key player in supporting the cultural vibrancy of Moab, which is a huge honor,” said Science Moab Executive Director Carrie Schwartz.
“We were also thrilled to have stronger-than-ever local support from Moab City RAP Tax, Grand County Recreation Special Service District #1, Friends of Arches and Canyonlands Parks, Moab to Monument Valley Film Commission, and Moab City Sports and Recreation,” she said. “Our live events cannot exist without these partnerships!”
Event promo box
Your Jeep Can’t Actually Outrun a Pyroclastic Cloud
Dante’s Peak with Dr. Michael Ort, Volcanologist
FRI, May 10:
Talk @ 8 pm, movie @ 8:30 pm
The Beetles Are Trying to Tell Us Something!
Watch “The Mummy” with Cressa Pratt & Elise Rappel, NEON Ecologists
SAT, June 1
Talk @ 8 pm, movie @ 8:30 pm
