Burton and Depp. Almodovar and Cruz. Spielberg and Hanks. These dynamic director-actor combinations have created some of the most memorable cinematic moments over the past twenty years. The newest pairing to join the group is Scorsese and DiCaprio. Much like the director-actor couplings that reigned before them, this relationship is completely mutualistic. Scorsese is responsible for taking DiCaprio from his status of a titanic teen heartthrob to a legitimate actor, while DiCaprio helped make Scorsese relevant in the 21^st century. However, though their partnership has created such film masterpieces as Gangs of New York, The Departed, and The Aviator, their newest enterprise, Shutter Island, falls short of living up to the Scorsese-DiCaprio name.

Set in post World War II America, Shutter Island is a psychological thriller about U.S Marshall Teddy Daniels and his investigation of an asylum for the criminally insane. Though the movie is visually stunning and rich in detail, the plot of the story is uncharacteristically unoriginal. Part Sixth Sense and part Secret Window, Shutter Island falls victim to a predictable narrative- (SPOILER ALERT) the main character ends up becoming a part of the madness that he is trying to escape from/solve.

To be honest, I left the theater confused. Why were people clapping as the credits rolled? Were they also, like me, mesmerized by the sweeping scenery or did they truly think the plot was original? I couldn’t help but think that this expression of enthusiasm was another example of the American public’s quick acceptance of superficiality rather than substance. Shutter Island is truly undeserving of the Scorsese-DiCaprio endorsement and it is an unfortunate hiccup in their cannon of work. 

Hope everyone is enjoying their spring break and please leave your comments below 🙂

There is more to science fiction than a story taking place in battle cruisers fight out in the dark reaches of space.  In fact, not all science fiction actually takes place in the future.  Science fiction, like many genres is as varied as the authors who write for it. But the one thing tying it all together, is the effect of a science on the characters in the novel.

Hard Science Fiction

These types of stories are typically written by authors who have a strong background in science; think Isaac Asimov or Arthur C Clarke.  As such, most of the science if very detailed and realistic. It plays such a role in these stories that the technology is actually central to the plot, not just part of the environment.

Soft Science Fiction

The so called ‘soft sciences’, sociology, psychology, and philosophy, are the central aspects to this type of story.  They focus on the effects future technology could have on a society or individual characters.  Ray Bradbury and Frank Herbert are authors of this sub-genre.

Cyberpunk

Philip K. Dick and William Gibson are popular cyberpunk writers; Gibson even invented the word.  Cyberpunk is about the negative, almost dystopian like societies that are dominated by computer technology, typically involving hackers and AI (artificial intelligence).

Military

Military science fiction stories focus on interplanetary or interstellar war and usually stress traditional military attributes, aided by a soldier’s point of view.  On of the staples of this genre is Forever War by Joe Haldeman, in which a university student is drafted for an interplanetary war.  When he returns to Earth years later, it ends up that a few years for him were a few thousands for the planet.

Apocalypse/ post-apocalypse

If you’re thinking zombies, guess again. Setting instead are after a world altering disaster such as nuclear war or an alien invasion and how humans overcome the event.  If you’er interested, check out works by SM Stirling.

Alien Invasion/ Alien Contact
Aliens are common in science fiction and thus what most people think of when picturing the genre. Sometimes they try to destroy the earth, sometimes they are benevolent. The TV show Stargate SG-1 has a little bit of both, and if you want a more classic story read H.G.Wells’s War of the Worlds.

Alternate Universe

Shorted to AU, these stories revolve around the idea that something has happened in the past and the course of history changed or may involve an alternate reality, aka a parallel world, that exists next to the one we live in but is defined by some differences. John Cramer and some of Philip K. Dick’s work can be considered a part of this sub genre.

Steampunk

These stories don’t actually take place in the future, but rather in the past with technology superior to what was actually available at the time. The stories are typically set in the Victorian era, and unlike cyberpunk don’t contain dystopian elements.  Think Jules Verne, the movie The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, or Lincoln with a machine gun arm. This is actually a relatively new genre, just coming about in the 1980s.

Time Travel
Time travel stories center, obviously, around the ability to travel through time and the effects it has on the traveler or sometimes the future. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells is a great example.

Space Opera

No signing is actually involved here.  Space opera is actually the sf equivalent of epic fantasy, meaning high adventure amongst the stars.  It’s this genre that used to be serialized in the movies and pulp fiction and it’s characterized by beautiful women and bug-eyed monsters.  Star Trek is actually a more sophisticated, contemporary space opera.

This is a Petoskey stone.

It is Michigan’s state stone and in the scientific community it is referred to as Hexagonaria percarinata. “It is from the Devonian period, the era of the Fishes,” I say with a flourish, “about 400 million years ago.” Essentially, what they take away is that this is fossilized coral. And coral use to be around Michigan.

That is about as long as second-grade attention span can last. (Fossilized coral is not particularly enthralling for this group.) And then we are off to see Tyrannosaurus Rex’s skull once again, to inspect his six-inch teeth, to notice how his eyes are positioned facing the front and not at the side like Anchiceratops’ (for hunting rather than hiding).

No, Anchiceratops is not Triceratops, but you can think of Anchiceratops as Triceratops’ cousin.

“Oh.”

But, back to Tyrannosaurs Rex. Little hands and noses pressed up against the glass. “His mouth is as big as…. as big as… me!” someone exclaims excitedly. I nod, exchanging a laughing glance with a chaperone.

This is the Natural History Museum on a typical Tuesday – a field-trip day. The museum is cluttered with little people, some bored, some wide-eyed, all being led around in clusters of ten or so to inspect and touch fossils. Art students sit by the Allosaurus to sketch its fascinating, beautiful anatomy and I lead my group on by, about to burst into a run to get to the gift shop. Working as a docent in the museum, one can really see what remarkable institutions museums are. It is surreptitious, unconscious learning, operating at a level so subtle that children, whom are resistant to the idea of actually acquiring information, are unawares of our hidden itinerary. Some days, I feel like I am tricking the kids. I show them the half-fossilized Mastodon tooth, let them touch the mountainous grooves, and allow them guess whether or not they were meat eaters or friendly vegetarians. Meanwhile, I sneak in a little fact about how fossilization occurs, and they’re all mesmerized, listening. It’s trickery, I say, but all in the name of education – for shaping future paleontologists, or at least curious people whom are eager to ask questions about the things the world presents for them to see.

As for myself, I am fascinated with the museum because I have an age-inappropriate obsession with dinosaurs, and I love learning and retaining information about prehistoric life. Why? Because the human presence on the geological time-scale is naught but a nondescript blip. We’ve barely been around and who hasn’t heard of the (human) age-old proverb of respecting one’s elders? That’s what I’m in the business for (although working at the store and selling astronaut ice cream to extremely excited seven-year-olds is a thrill too).

If you haven’t been to the museum yet (circa 1956), grab a friend and go! Admission on a donation basis, and for frugal college students, this translates to a free weekend activity. There are four floors to meander through, and planetarium shows during the weekend. (Check out their website for details.)

If you do decide to embark on this expedition, do say hi to the Edmontosaurus for me.

Sue majors in Neuroscience & English and tends to lurk in bookstores.

It seems only natural to write about the events in my life and to share that information with all of my viewers out there, Mom, Dad, and one best friend.  I believe this is how knowledge is spread and today I will act as the knife and start spreading!

This past week I went to an electrifying talk put on by the LSA 2009-10 Theme Year, “Meaningful Objects: Museums in the Academy,” titled Growing Cultural Knowledge With Museum Collections. The speaker was Sven Haakanson, Jr. from the Alutiiq Museum in Alaska.

He was asked to come speak on behalf of his work towards recognizing the Alutiiq culture as an attempt to revitalize their ancestry, traditions and history.  In the first moments of his speech, I instantly realized he is one of the people I described last week who has found their passion and is completing work that they find important and necessary.  He was truly inspirational.

Not only did he grab and hold my attention for the 90-minute discussion, but he spoke about topics of colonization, discrimination, what it is like to be Native, and how all of these topics relate to museums and their mission.  He focused part of his lecture on the relationships he has made and has worked hard to maintain over the years with European museums that are not covered by the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, better known as NAGPRA.  He said the ways in which museums learn from each other and share knowledge is through these close relationships based on trust.

Once, when he was visiting a museum in Germany, he found a mask in their collection that had its origins in the Alutiiq culture.  As his relationships with these international institutions grew, Haakanson was able to request that the objects be studied for educational purposes to which the museum complied.

His work and overarching goal is to alter perceptions.  He wants Natives to think differently about themselves and he wants Non-Natives to find themselves more in tune with the current events of Native people.

He wants to provide the youth of his people with a sense of identity, tradition, and hope.  Through learning about the works their people have created and displaying them in museums, he feels like he is giving the tools the Native children need in order to stand on their own feet with a sense of dignity.

This lecture emoted great energy because people were passionate and interested in learning more.  Communication is the learning device that will mobilize a greater change.  Continue to share with others your knowledge and be open to hear theirs as well.

Have a great weekend!

Sara majors in Art History and enjoys long walks.

This past week I discovered The Script and boy was I grateful for it. There is nothing that can make a crappy week better than a bunch of cute and talented Irish boys. However though they are aesthetically appealing, The Script produce some of the most heartfelt and lyrically intriguing music that I have heard in a while. One of my favorite songs by The Script has to be “Live Like We’re Dying.” Most of you have probably heard the Kris Allen version, but let me tell you, The Script’s version is so much better! The song is truly pop rock at it’s finest and has a great message to go along with it (think “Seasons of Love” from Rent). After listening to this song a half a dozen times, I began to think about my approach to each and every day. Maybe it was the lyrical repetition of the number of seconds within the day (86, 400 to be exact), but I felt as if I wasn’t living each and every day to it’s fullest. Thus, I began to make a list- a bucket list.

So here it is folks, a list of the five things I would like to do before I pass on out of this life (in no particular order):

1. Hail and ride a cab in New York City
2. Visit Egypt, sneak into one of the pyramids, and find the “Book of the Dead” a la “The Mummy.”
3. Go skydiving (I know it’s cliché, but it’s still pretty kickass)
4. Spend an evening karaoke-ing (I’m not quite sure if that’s a word) in a bar (a la 500 days of summer).
5. Go to the Superbowl (hopefully when the Patriots are playing-woot go PATS!)

I realize that there this endeavor is a bit morbid, but it’s still a great way to spend a study break/ a few minutes of free time. I definitely think it’s important for everyone to reevaluate and reflect every once in a while. Let me know what you think in the comments below and have a great week 🙂

Many powerful things are said without the use of words, just simple images. Every year, the National Science Foundations (NSF) hosts a contest titled the International Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge to celebrate the connection art creates between scientists and the general population to generate an understanding of scientific ideas.

There are five categories: photography, illustrations, informational graphics, interactive media, and non-interactive media. Winners were selected based on the art’s visual impact, it’s communication of science, and the freshness of the entry.

Jellyfish Burger, pictured above was created by David Beck from Clarkson University and Jennifer Jacquet from the University of British Columbia,  tied for honorable mention in illustration.  It depicts future effects of over fishing –“as the numbers of larger fish dwindle and ocean temperatures rise, the sea becomes more and more ideal for the floating creatures,” Jacquet said.

If you want to see the other winners of this years contest, click here. There are some spectacular works of art,  including a 3.5 meter tall model of a lung.  Made out of zip ties.  I wonder how long that took.

Your friendly neighborhood anti-jellyfish burger blogger,

Jenny