History & Culture/Movies

Chinese sci-fi blockbuster The Wandering Earth is coming to Netflix.

The sci-fi of another language

March 13, 2019The World in Words

In the West, we are used to sci-fi written by English-speakers who dream up English-speaking utopias and dystopias. Often in the final reel, humanity is saved by English-speaking heroes. So what should we expect from China’s newly-thriving sci-fi scene?

A still frame from a film shot by American doctor Ralph H. Major showing a German Nazi event in 1933 or 1934.

In which Adolf Hitler creeps into your home movies

October 13, 2016Culture

Princess Leia and the Conundrum of Language Translation

October 1, 2015

The Year Ahead in Science Film

April 10, 2015

Overheard at SXSW 2015

March 17, 2015

Truth, Educated Guesses, and Speculations in ‘Interstellar’

November 21, 2014

The following is an excerpt from The Science of Interstellar by Kip Thorne. Listen to SciFri on Friday, November 21, to hear Thorne and Interstellar director Christopher Nolan talk about the science behind the film. Click through the slideshow above to see more images and explanations from the movie. The science of Interstellar lies in […]

What Can We Learn From On-Screen Psychopaths?

August 27, 2014

Tune in to SciFri on August 29, 2014 for an hour-long chat about the science of the silver screen. Moviegoers might identify psychopaths on the big screen by their murderous blood lust and disregard for human life—think Michael Myers in Halloween. Such portrayals hardly paint an accurate picture, however. In reality, psychopathy is more complex, […]

The Science of the Silver Screen

August 1, 2014

This post was updated on August 28, 2014. Science Friday recently partnered with KPCC and Southern California Public Radio for a special live event that explored the science behind movie magic. The show took place at Caltech's Beckman Auditorium on Wednesday, August 27, at 7:30 p.m. Watch a video of the live production below: Highlights of […]