Radioactive
Radioactive, Marjane Satrapi, Amazon Studios/StudioCanal/Working Title Films/Shoebox Films, 2019
In this film based on the life of Marie Curie, the two-time Nobel laureate reflects on her scientific work, her marriage to Pierre Curie, and the scandal surrounding her relationship with fellow scientist Paul Langevin. The film’s explanation of the early science of radioactivity is skillfully done—a sequence portraying Marie and Pierre’s analysis of pitchblende shows the backbreaking labor of crushing the ore, for instance, and scenes exploring Pierre’s scientific interest in spiritualism are evocative and interesting. The confusing time jumps showing events such as cancer therapies in 1957, the Curies as children, and the disaster at Chernobyl, however, are less effective. The movie also makes the strange choice to portray Marie as dismissive of her own accomplishments. Radioactive is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. —mb
Connected
Connected, Latif Nasser, host, Netflix, 2020 (Season 1)
Science journalist Latif Nasser hosts this thought-provoking series about unexpected relationships between people, nature, and technology. The first episode, for example, opens with Nasser watching his young toddler on a baby monitor, then moves to a field biology work site where scientists are using GPS surveillance technologies to understand bird migration. The episode goes on to explore hurricane forecasting, dating app data sets, and the uses of facial recognition for pig farming. Nasser is a charming, high-energy host, and although the show covers a lot of ground, the links between the different topics are clear and unforced. The first season is now streaming on Netflix. —mb
Science Diction
Science Diction, Johanna Mayer, WNYC Studios, 2020 (Season 1)
“Etymology with a side of science” is the catch phrase for this podcast from WNYC Studios and the producers of the weekly public-radio talk show Science Friday. Hosted by Johanna Mayer, a digital producer at Science Friday, the program reveals the etymology and science connections of certain words and phrases. The first season—which aired during the coronavirus pandemic—featured, not surprisingly, vaccine, quarantine, and Spanish flu. The episodes last about 10–15 minutes and can be accessed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher. —cc