It could mean actual advances in the field of science!

I never realised the pursuit of science could be so dangerous. And as a student of the sciences, this is something I should probably know. Unfortunately, my local university doesn't seem to offer any warnings about the inherent dangers in the field of science. Sure, they've got courses on ethics and the like, but nowhere do they warn you that your study of science may someday cause you to advocate protecting a giant shark that subsequently kills a bunch of innocent civilians. Or that your experiment aimed at controlling the weather through the use of a freeze grenade (?) and a radiation capsule (?! What weather would you be trying to create? Nuclear winter?) could lead to disastrous results. Since we can't be taught about these dangers at our educational institutions, we have no choice but to turn to another learning medium: the film industry. Fortunately, movie studios have built the allure of science into an enduring and very prevalant plot device.
This seems particularly to have been the case during the '50s and '60s. I guess some people really were paranoid about science back then. And spacemen too, apparently. Furthermore, the scientists themselves were almost inevitably portrayed as ruthless and overzealous, willing to do anything to advance the cause of science. Frankly, they don't teach that sort of attitude anymore. I'm not sure I'd be willing to sacrifice everything in the name of some ill-conceived and extremely ridiculous experiment. Which probably means I'm doing a disservice to science itself. Or something. Maybe the University needs to offer courses in the Ruthless Pursuit of Science in addition to the ones suggested above. I can only speculate that assignments in such a course would be quite interesting.
I'm not the only one to have remarked on this somewhat uncomplimentary treatment of scientists. Nor am I the only one to find it funny. In fact, I was inspired to do so by a preview for the Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, a 2004 release designed to parody the sorts of cheesy sci-fi B movies made in abundance some fifty years ago. It looks awesome. Well, to be more precise, it doesn't really look awesome. In fact, it's shot in black & white with all the bad camerawork and poor props you would expect from that era. And a cast of thousands! Or so the preview proudly proclaims. Just a few of the many cliches featured in this short clip include a couple aliens in silver jumpsuits, a living skeleton, a guy in a really fake rubbery suit who's supposed to be a mutant and some scientists determined to find a meteorite. Because you know what that could mean for science. It would mean actual advances in the field of science! As usual, the real benefits to science are left vague and undefined. Probably due to the fact that the people who make these movies don't really understand science. At all (radiation capsule, anyone?). Anyway, these add up to more than enough to convince me that I need to see this movie. I've also heard that The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra in some ways transcends the genre it's attempting to spoof. Which only makes me more eager to see it. In the name of science, of course.
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