It is not uncommon for people to come into a theater to see a great big movie about science. But when was the last time you saw people calling for seats for an educational film made by scientists? The answer is probably never.
But this was not uncommon at the beginning of the 20th century, when film was a forward-thinking medium and science captured the audience’s imagination.
This summer, the Museum of the Moving Image (MOMI) in Queens, New York, highlights the science education films of the past in the new exhibition “Twitch, Pop, Bloom: Science in Action”.
SciFri producer Kathleen Davis talks to Sonia Epstein, MOMI’s assistant curator of science and film, about how these early videos and research went hand in hand at the beginning of cinema, and the historical significance of some of the videos in the exhibition.
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Segment Guests
Sonia Epstein is the Editor-in-Chief and Assistant Curator of Science and Film at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City.
Segment Transcript
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Meet the Producers and Host
About Kathleen Davis
Kathleen Davis is a producer at Science Friday, which means she spends the week brainstorming, researching and writing, usually in that order. To see also : Does war make societies more complex? A controversial study says yes. She is a big fan of stories related to strange animal facts and dystopian technology.
About Ira Flatow
Ira Flatow is the host and executive producer of Science Friday. See the article : This week in Oakland: Town Nights, and music at Redwood Heights Park. His green thumb has revived many an office plant at the door of death.
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