The Black Panther’s scientist role models
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The Black Panther’s scientist role models
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Re: The Black Panther’s scientist role models
#2This article's headline doesn't do it justice.
Re: The Black Panther’s scientist role models
#3I haven't seen the film yet, but I get the impression it might be providing role models who accomplish magical feats effortlessly and confidently. I'm not sure if those sorts of role models are very good preparation for the real world of slow, painful progress and impostor syndrome. I have a suspicion that the popular representation of technology as wizardry might be extra-offputting if you already fear you're somehow not the right kind of person for it.
Re: The Black Panther’s scientist role models
#4I haven't seen the film yet, but I get the impression it might be providing role models who accomplish magical feats effortlessly and confidently. I'm not sure if those sorts of role models are very good preparation for the real world of slow, painful progress and impostor syndrome. I have a suspicion that the popular representation of technology as wizardry might be extra-offputting if you already fear you're someho…
To be fair to the film, much of soft sci-fi does this. Iron Man happening to create an arc reactor in a cave coming to mind.
Re: The Black Panther’s scientist role models
#5I haven't seen the film yet, but I get the impression it might be providing role models who accomplish magical feats effortlessly and confidently. I'm not sure if those sorts of role models are very good preparation for the real world of slow, painful progress and impostor syndrome. I have a suspicion that the popular representation of technology as wizardry might be extra-offputting if you already fear you're someho…
To be fair to the film, much of soft sci-fi does this. Iron Man happening to create an arc reactor in a cave coming to mind.
Or a particle accelerator in his basement, generating an element that didn't exist before.
Re: The Black Panther’s scientist role models
#6I haven't seen the film yet, but I get the impression it might be providing role models who accomplish magical feats effortlessly and confidently. I'm not sure if those sorts of role models are very good preparation for the real world of slow, painful progress and impostor syndrome. I have a suspicion that the popular representation of technology as wizardry might be extra-offputting if you already fear you're someho…
To be fair to the film, much of soft sci-fi does this. Iron Man happening to create an arc reactor in a cave coming to mind.
Oh totally, it's maybe a bit awkward that I'm attaching this criticism to this particular film, given that showing non-white-male people in films seems to be oddly politically controversial right now. I just wonder if the unreasonable efficacy of fictional nerds might be an even bigger psychological problem for poorly represented groups than they are for my white male self. I think I've actually seen this arise IRL.
Re: The Black Panther’s scientist role models
#7The author is also responsible for an excellent graphic novel about science: https://thedialoguesbook.com/
Re: The Black Panther’s scientist role models
#8I haven't seen the film yet, but I get the impression it might be providing role models who accomplish magical feats effortlessly and confidently. I'm not sure if those sorts of role models are very good preparation for the real world of slow, painful progress and impostor syndrome. I have a suspicion that the popular representation of technology as wizardry might be extra-offputting if you already fear you're someho…
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Re: The Black Panther’s scientist role models
#9This article's headline doesn't do it justice.
Can you explain why not?
Not to imply that I disagree with your sentiment, but comments around these parts are encouraged to contain more substance and create or add to a discussion.
Re: The Black Panther’s scientist role models
#10I haven't seen the film yet, but I get the impression it might be providing role models who accomplish magical feats effortlessly and confidently. I'm not sure if those sorts of role models are very good preparation for the real world of slow, painful progress and impostor syndrome. I have a suspicion that the popular representation of technology as wizardry might be extra-offputting if you already fear you're someho…
I understand your concern, but I disagree. This kind of story isn't intended to convey what the real world of being a scientist is like, rather it is intended to show the dream of what being a scientist is like. You have to have the dream first, or you never get to the point of painful progress and impostor syndrome. If this movie makes it easier for some kids to imagine themselves finding the secret formula for super-strong battle armor, that's great! That's what stories like this are for. Later, they can read or watch other stories that tell them that the reality of science doesn't usually involve beautiful secret agents and explosions.
But then, my perspective is that I was a white kid who read the Black Panther comics and dreamed of being like him. He's like Batman or the Phantom, who are also crime fighting comic book scientists... but cooler. So, now I'm an adult scientist and my particle accelerator is in a suburb instead of a jungle cave, and I drive a Honda which does not actually have a hang-glider escape mechanism, and the beautiful Egyptian engineer in the next cubicle is (probably) not a secret agent. And, yeah, reviewing more data is boring. But still I have the dream, and the dream led me here.