Author(s)

David Kirby: ****Lecturer in Science Communication Studies at the University of Manchester; former practicing evolutionary geneticist whose research explores the collaboration between scientists and the entertainment industry

Research Location/Institution

Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of Manchester

Country

Based in the United Kingdom. The research examines case studies involving film production and technological development in Germany and the USA

Date

February 2010

Writing Style

Academic and historical

Publication

Social Studies of Science, Volume 40, Number 1

Context

• Technological development is not a linear or inevitable process since it faces obstacles such as lack of funding, public apathy or concerns about safety and ethics.
• The author introduces the concept of diegetic prototypes: cinematic depictions of future technologies that demonstrate their necessity, viability and benevolence to large public audiences.
• These prototypes exist as fully functioning, natural objects within the film's fictional world (the diegesis), which helps normalize them for the audience.
• The paper focuses on the production process, showing how science consultants and filmmakers influence dialogue, plot, and visual effects to create these prototypes with the goal of generating real-world funding and development opportunities.
• Case studies include the use of the film Threshold to ease fears about artificial hearts, Minority Report for gestural computer interfaces and Destination Moon for promoting the military and scientific necessity of space travel.
• Through virtual witnessing, cinema allows audiences to see how a technology works and why they might need it, effectively creating "pre-product placements" for technologies that do not yet exist.

Possible Biases

The research focuses primarily on high-profile Western cinematic productions from Hollywood and the German film industry.

Terminology

Diegesis: The fictional world in which a narrative or film takes place.

Performative Artefact: A prototype that establishes the social viability and possibilities of a nascent technology within the public sphere.

Technological Sincerity: A performance where technological entities are treated as natural, everyday parts of a film's landscape, making them appear socialized and relevant to the audience.