Biology Run Amok!

<p> Science fiction movie audiences may sometimes wonder how fictitious the science in a film really is. Yet for many--call them the <I>Jurassic Park</I> generation--film and popular media can present a seemingly plausible melding of science and fiction that forms a distorted understanding of scientific facts and concepts. Recognizing that film is both the dominant entertainment medium and an effective tool for teaching this book--featuring articles originally published in the magazine <I>Scary Monsters</I>--separates biological reality from fantasy in dozens of science fiction films including <I>The Island of Lost Souls</I> (1933) <I>The Incredible Shrinking Man</I> (1957) <I>War of the Worlds</I> (1953) <I>A Clockwork Orange</I> (1971) <I>Scanners</I> (1980) <I>The Serpent and the Rainbow</I> (1987) and <I>Outbreak</I> (1995).</p>