Physics Professor's Course Corrects Movie Mayhem

Scott Cupp sent me this article about a physics professor using sci-fi/superhero/action movies to teach students how physics and math don't work, in an effort to interest them in how they actually work.

Now don't get me wrong here. I'm all for getting students interested in science and math (Just 'cause I can't do math doesn't mean I don't see the value in it.). And movies, especially these kinds of movies, do take liberties with scientific reality.

However, let's not lose sight of the fact that these are, in fact movies, and certainly as far as superhero movies go, not exactly bastions of hard science. I mean, you're watching Spider-Man. Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider and can now climb walls and extrude webs. Now is not the time to carp about the lackadaisical physics of how the Green Goblin is holding up MJ in one hand, and a rail car full of people in the other. At some point, you simply have to let that go.

I was also amused by the (unintentional) correlation of good physics=boring movie, and by the idea that, say, The Core would somehow be a better movie if only the physics were better. There's plenty of suckitude there that has nothing to do with science.

So I guess what I'm saying is this: make your science classes as interesting as you can, but don't screw up my enjoyment of superhero movies, dammit!