How can I plan a «science fiction in a reality check» evening?
Do you want to plan an evening in which you put sci- ence fiction fantasy to the test? How realistic is a phaser, teleportation or the holodeck? You can find out more about how to organize such an evening here:
Science fiction films often contain technologies that rely on visions stemming directly from real-life technology. Whether it is Jules Verne, Isaac Asimov or Georges Lucas — every one of them uses science as a source for their technologies of the future. That is how stories about nuclear submarines, swarm robots or prosthetic bodies come about. These films shed light on the boundaries of the ethically defensible and often show possible negative consequences of technologies — but they also excessively raise hope for what will be possible in the future.
In this format, the goal is to talk about the reality of such visions and about what we as a society desire in terms of progress. The ’reality check’ format is particularly suitable for high school students. It gives researchers the opportunity to comment on these films and to discuss them with young people who have a whole lot of future ahead of them.
01 1. find a film and a researcher!
Find a film that addresses a topic that is particularly interesting for students. Ask yourself: Which technological question is behind the film? Does technology play a significant role in the selected film such that it would be worth having a discussi- on about it afterwards? Form a “what if ” questions that the film poses regarding technology. If it addresses a question that is of interest to you and the film itself is gripping, then congratulations!
Alternatively, you can first ask a scientist who conducts interesting research about which film he or she could imagine to talk about. (Simply give that person a call! A lot of scientists are happy to receive such inquiries.)
If you have already selected a film, search for a researcher who would want to comment on the film: The best case is when he can describe his research and the state-of-the-art technology too. The farther the technological aspects in the film are from his actual research, the less it is likely that he will be on board to participate ...
Tip: There are a ton of science fiction films out there. And a lot of them are really bad. Avoid the bad ones — unless they are so bad that they are actually fun to watch. Your film should be entertaining! And of course, suitable for your target age group ...
2. find an event location!
If the film is current, ask your city’s movie theater in which the film is running.
If the film is older, you can show the film at a local community movie theater or at a school — and in any room at all with a projector!
02 3. cLarify the film rights!
It is possible to do a film showing in a classroom. The rights for public viewing have to be clarified either by the movie theater or by you by contacting the produc- tion company or film distributor. If it is a private event, the question about rights is easier. Then you would only require a list of participants.
tip: Apply on time! Processing time in the area of licensing can take a long time. Some films end up not being showable (too old, no licensor…)
4. pLan the discussion!
Select topics that you would like to discuss in groups. Do you require further experts? Invite, for instance, students, doctoral students or instructors to cover further topic areas. Example: In the film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” you can discuss the research about the brain’s ability to remember and the value of memories, but also about the technologies with which you can measure brain waves. Discussion method: Depending on the size of the participating student groups, you can select various methods. We recommend that each group develop its own thesis (20-30 minutes). It should be a statement about the question of how realistic or desirable the technology in the film is. Each group’s perspective about the film can be brought together with the theses they present.
5. find a date!
Select a time in which you think the people to whom you’d like to show the film would have time (for instance, high school students). It may sound trivial, but you have to think about instruction times, school vacations, exam periods, etc. When you think ahead, you can reach a lot more people. Of course, the speaker has to have time as well.
03 6. pLan the evening!
How much time do you have? Sometimes it is enough to offer an open discussion after the presentation. The film, presentation and discussion can easily amount to 3 or 4 hours. Plan enough time for each individual step. The presentation, however should not last longer than 20 or 30 minutes in order to allow enough time for discussion. Include a break and remember to introduce all participants and let the audience know how the evening will unfold — and that before the film even be- gins! Organize drinks for the discussion and the speaker. No one likes to talk with a dry mouth. The technology should also already be at the ready. Make sure to do a tech check with everyone involved!
7. document the evening!
A great way to document both the presentation as well as the discussion is through an audio recording. Recordings can be set on various online platforms or on your own page audio recordings, which can later be heard as a podcast. You could also produce a video and place it on YouTube, but presentations with PowerPoint are often problematic because you have to be sure that all the images that you see are licensed for this purpose.
Tip: You can also use photos with an underlying audio recording and place it on YouTube — if you absolutely have to use this platform.
Time to get started!
04 Here is a list for your inspiration!
Transcendence (Movie) Mind uploading with brain connection and transformation into an AI, nanotechnology
Star Trek (Borg) (Series) Connection to other brains, Collective minds, Eye prostheses connected to the brain
Ghost in the Shell (Movie) Connection of the mind to the internet — Prostheses of the whole body connected to the brain (ghost).
Dr. Who (Series) Uploading of brains — Mind Control (ear pod)
Minority Report (Movie) Mind reading technology
Paprika (Movie) Mind reading and dream producing technology
Surrogates (Movie) Mind reading and connection to a surrogate body, control of the body by thoughts
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Movie) Mind reading and dream producing technology, illusion of reality
Abre los Ojos (Open Your Eyes) (Movie) Brain connection that produces illusions
Advantageous (Movie) Brain connection that extracts memories, personality and produces it in another body
Jonny Mnemonic (Movie) Memory technology for the brain, implant technology
Strange Days (Movie) Memory technology for the brain Blade Runner (Movie) Androids
Robocop (Movie) Androids, Body enhancements
Terminal Man (Movie) Brain Implanted computer to control compulsions and epilepsy
A Clockwork Orange (Movie) Brain Washing to control compulsions
The Head (Movie) Separation of body and brain
Ex Machina (Movie) AI, Androids
Transfer (Movie) Mind upload
Black Mirror/White Christmas (Series) Mind upload
Manchurian Candidate (Movie) Brain implants and mind control/brain washing
Limitless (Movie) Enhancement
Metropolis (Movie) Robots, Future societies
GATTACA (Movie) Genetic manipulation/engineering