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(meteorobs) Re: TV producers & science
Lew wrote:
>That's the thing that astounds me, too, Kevin: major networks can spend
>millions of dollars producing and >advertising these specials, and not
>spend the few thousand it would take to get some scientific advice >from a
>professional astronomer... And Lord knows anyone with expertise in meteor
>science could use the >money!
Actually they do seek professional advice but very rarely use it! Case in
point was another cometary disaster movie made back in 1979-80 while I was
attending Univ of Arizona. I cannot remember the name of the movie but the
astronomy grad students at the UofA dubbed it "The Comet That Ate Phoenix".
The producers were in contact with one of our astronomy professors (Dr.
Elizabeth Roemer) who was an expert on asteroids/solar system studies. She
had pointed out many flaws in the screenplay but frustratingly few changes
were made to the movie. Seems the folks that make these flicks are more
interested in Neilson ratings than portraying accurate science.
Fortunately, I did not watch the movie aired last week but I did happen to
walk in when my kids had it on and couldn't believe the errors they had
made. The asteroid made a low rumbling sound out in space and the
observatory had a large telescope in a illuminated room full of computers
and a dozen or more people milling around. I would hate to see what the
"seeing" conditions would be like trying to look out that observatory's
dome with all that heat generation nearby.
Pete G.
pgural@trg1.saic.com