need discussion 6

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Bilal Toor

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How is your understanding of the natural and applied sciences enhanced by the ways your chosen media example addresses science and technology?

Based on the movie Don’t Look Up released on Netflix, my knowledge concerning natural and applied sciences has expanded greatly due to how the film depicts scientific occurrences and the public response to them. The film helps the audience to perceive how the scientific community spreads important and threatening information, including natural disasters, to the society. It shows the problems with fake news, the effects of media bias, and the partisan polarization that one often witnesses in relation to science (Simpkins, 2022). Through portraying how the scientific prediction of a catastrophic event is largely ignored by the society, Don’t Look Up emphasizes the need for effective communication and collective approaches in solving complex crises such as climate change. This portrayal in the movie stresses the importance of natural and applied sciences in the construction and interaction with real situations and has reinforced my understanding of the importance of sciences in achieving advancements in society.

Describe the feedback loop that exists between science and technology and your chosen media example. How do science and technology influence your media example? How might your media example affect science and technology?

The feedback loop between science, technology, and Don’t Look Up works on several levels. Technological progress impacts the movie through developments in the natural sciences and the communication field. For instance, an existential threat in form of a comet that is on a collision course with the earth is derived from astronomy and kidnapping astrology competence and analytical skills (Simpkins, 2022). Furthermore, the manner in which technology advances in social media and technical mass communication influences the spread of information as well as fake news is evident in satire.

On the other hand, Don’t Look Up has the ability to demonstrate the relevance of science and specifically science, technology by inspiring the community to engage in discussions related to abstract scientific topics such as climate change and the mitigation of asteroid impacts. Thus, paying attention to people’s perceptions and encouraging them to support science and researchers, the film shall help fund scientific development and call communities to take actions in the fields that may offer the solutions for preventing such incidents (Simpkins, 2022). It also acts as a critique to scientists and communicators pushing them to reconsider their approach to presenting science to the multiplicity of audiences out there.

What is the value of the natural and applied sciences lens for understanding media?

Understanding media through the lens of natural and applied sciences provides values when comparing its content and effects. It allows us to understand the veracity and depiction of science facts, and gives parameters for evaluating the genuineness and purpose of the media stories. For instance, in dissecting Don’t Look Up, this lens enables one to differentiate the actual satire aspects of the movie from the true science behind them. In addition, it provides an opportunity to understand how the media influence the perception of scientific knowledge, ethical issues arising from such portrayal, and the process of social normalization of such topics.

In the same way, with this perception it is also possible to measure the extent to which media encourages desire, contemplation and exploration of science and technology. Such perception of media, society, and scientific practices’ interconnection lays the foundation for a more conscious approach to the reception and generation of content.

Reference

Simpkins, K. (2022, January). How “don’t look up” plays with the portrayal of science in popular culture. CU Boulder Today. https://www.colorado.edu/today/2022/01/10/how-dont-look-plays-portrayal-science-popular-culture#:~:text=In%20the%20case%20of%20Don,nature%20of%20our%20popular%20discourse.