Science on Screen: Darwin, Denial and Documentary

A panel debate – produced by New Humanist magazine, in association with the Cambridge Film Festival – featuring Leonro Sierra, of Sense about Science, a charity that equips people to make sense of science and evidence and medical historian Louise Foxcroft, author of The Making of Addiction and Hot Flushes, Cold Science: The History of Modern Menopause.


Science proceeds, often at an imperceptible pace, by constructing and testing hypotheses and collecting and patiently sifting data, never quite sure where it will end up or which beliefs may be overturned. Film, on the other hand, seems to require drama, revelation, action – a story arc leading to a big finale – in which even the twists are part of the tale. What are, or should be, the ethics of putting scientific debate on screen? Are feature films able to get real science across without distortion? What about documentary? Is it a good thing that documentary makers can challenge scientific orthodoxy or does this just lend credence to unscientific arguments?

The panel will consider the issues raised by four films in the Festival – the notorious pro-Intelligent Design film EXPELLED: NO INTELLIGENCE ALLOWED, HOUSE OF NUMBERS which probes the issues around diagnosis of AIDS and HIV, Roger Nygard’s exploration of belief, THE NATURE OF EXISTENCE and the big budget Darwin biopic CREATION – and ask if there is any evidence that film can depict science accurately.


Chair: Caspar Melville, editor of New Humanist magazine