Hollywood should give neuroscience a star turn
Movies and TV shows often depict the science of physics and biology well, but the science of psychology and brain science is often poorly depicted.Here’s why and what we can do about it
The Best Picture went to “Oppenheimer.”
Rich Polk/Variety (via Getty Images)
oppenheimer‘s box office and Academy Award success shows that scientific achievements can shine in movie theaters. This is good for science. Science and biology play starring roles in various hit films. interstellar to Jurassic Park franchise. However, one important field of science, neuroscience and psychology, is often poorly represented.
Consider that more than a decade after President Barack Obama’s $5 billion BRAIN initiative, the “Brain Age” has begun. One year after his announcement, Jurassic Park or interstellar, we got Lucy, The film centers on one of the most persistent and frustrating brain myths of all: that we only use a small portion of our brains.
Don’t overlook the small screen either. Take his 2023 episode at Paramount as an example familiar to us. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (“Among the Lotus Eaters”). After arriving on a planet where some mysterious element seems to be systematically erasing people’s memories, we discover characters who can’t remember anything about their relationships or personal history. They can’t even remember their own names. Despite this, everyone is surprisingly calm. They silently help each other establish fresh routines and relationships each morning. But in reality, people who have lost connection to their own identity (for example, as a symptom of age-related illness or stroke) find this loss extremely painful. Our sense of identity cannot be removed without cost.
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So why are people worried? oppenheimeris highly scientifically accurate, but when Dumbledore’s Pensieve (Memory Bowl) comes in, he just barely shrugs it off. Harry potter Does the series incorrectly assume that human memory is as accurate as video recordings? This discrepancy can be partially explained by how we perceive physics rather than psychology. Masu. It’s easy to see that you need to consult an expert on a complex-sounding subject, such as nuclear physics or deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). But people think that behavioral science is inherently less complex than physical science, even though this is not actually the case. We tend to rely on unscientific intuition and assume that we are already experts on how our minds work. This is a type of Dunning-Kruger effect in our minds, where we overestimate our own expertise.
Also troubling are myths about the brain and behavior. Many people still believe that we only use 10% of our brains (wrong), that we learn with either the left or right brain (also wrong), or that we only get enough sleep. I believe that you can learn the functions even if it is short. (Sleepy “No”). Unfortunately, we tend to mistake familiarity for accuracy, so the more we hear a claim, the more likely we are to believe it, even if it’s false.
You might argue that these are just movies, fiction, and not something to be taken all that seriously. Can’t we tolerate some unreality in our entertainment?
fair enough. We are not claiming that every moment in every movie or TV show needs to be completely accurate and reflect the latest science. But we argue that it’s important when a movie or TV show gets something wrong. Not only because filmmakers are missing an opportunity to educate audiences about this field of science, but also because these depictions powerfully shape public perceptions of how the mind works.
This may be especially true for stories featuring neuroatypical people.movie rain manThe 1988 film starring Dustin Hoffman as a man with autism spectrum disorder has become part of the public consciousness about autism, even though savant-level skills are relatively rare. . The expectation that everyone on the spectrum has “cognitive superpowers” has mental health costs.Recently, folk horror films midsummer Although bipolar disorder has been portrayed as leading to murder and suicide, people with bipolar disorder are not more likely to commit violent crimes.than anyone else. To give another example: shining Having an imaginary spouse suggests that you are psychologically unhealthy. This depiction led many to mistakenly believe that childhood’s natural exercise of imagination was truly harmful. Filmmakers have a responsibility to accurately portray aspects of psychology and neuroscience. Because these depictions can have a long-lasting impact on the public’s understanding of these topics.
Fortunately, it’s possible to make the story more scientifically accurate without sacrificing the drama or storytelling magic. You can also make these stories even better.For example, memory erasure Star Trek Episodes did a good job of distinguishing between episodic and procedural memory, that is, memories related to personal history and memories about how to perform physical tasks. Even without knowing who they were, they could perform the tasks they were trained to do, such as engaging in hand-to-hand combat or piloting spaceships. This reflects symptoms in patients with medial temporal lobe damage, where episodic memory is impaired but procedural memory may be preserved. (as the latter is housed in another part of the brain, the cerebellum). On-screen moments where characters demonstrate their skills despite being confused about their identity were some of the most interesting and powerful scenes.
To ensure more success stories like this, screenwriters should invite more psychologists and neuroscientists into their writers’ rooms. We’re more than pleased! Because of this, we have high expectations for the 2015 sequel. inside out, A moving film about how emotions shape development. Psychologists and neuroscientists served as consultants on the original film, allowing us to dig deeper into how these processes work. Although unrealistic in some ways, such as anthropomorphizing emotions by using a control board to control our reactions, this movie does a great job of shaping our personalities as we grow up. We emphasized the role that emotions play in
What stands in the way of this simple suggestion is a lack of guidance. Very few episodes on PBS Science makes its way to the movies Featuring all aspects of psychology.It also doesn’t accept spaces hollywood white coatda 2013 book detailing the interaction between filmmakers and their scientific advisors.. But with increased behind-the-scenes interest from movie producers and advice from experts, we’re hopeful that neuroscience will finally make its way onto the red carpet.
This is an opinion and analysis article and the views expressed by the author are not necessarily those of the author. scientific american.
