With this idea in mind, the Zaragoza Film Library will turn some of cinema's best-known stories into a gateway to scientific research with the second edition of the “Cinema and Science II: Supermaterials” series, held from November 12 to 15. All sessions will have free admission until capacity is reached.
The program will feature five films and an equal number of discussions with researchers from the Center for Astroparticle and High-Energy Physics (CAPA-Unizar) and the Institute of Nanoscience and Materials of Aragon (INMA, CSIC-Unizar). After each screening, experts will explain which aspects of what was shown on screen have a scientific basis, what advances already exist and which ideas still remain in the realm of fiction.
FROM SPIDER-MAN'S WEB TO INVISIBILITY
One of the most striking sessions will feature “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” which will be used to examine the superhero's web's extraordinary strength and elasticity. Researchers will discuss how materials capable of withstanding great stress without breaking are currently being developed and how close science could come to something resembling Spider-Man's famous webs.
Science fiction will continue with “Total Recall,” which will take audiences to Mars to discuss one of the major obstacles to space exploration: cosmic radiation. The session will introduce the shielding materials and detectors that would be needed to protect astronauts on future missions to other planets.
There will also be room for one of science fiction's great dreams: becoming invisible. A screening of the classic “The Invisible Man” will be used to explain how metamaterials and technologies capable of manipulating light work. Based on the film, scientists will also introduce audiences to the study of dark matter and the techniques used to investigate things that cannot be observed directly.
CLOTHES THAT DO NOT RIP OR GET DIRTY
The series will conclude with “The Man in the White Suit,” a comedy about a scientist who creates a fiber that never breaks or gets dirty. Its plot will provide an opportunity to discuss smart fabrics, ultra-resistant fibers and dirt-repellent coatings, advances that are already transforming sectors such as the textile industry, medicine and technology.
The second edition also includes a session specifically designed for families. “The Incredibles” will take center stage on the morning of Sunday, November 15, raising questions such as what material Elastigirl would need to stretch without breaking or how much strength Mr. Incredible's suit would have. Young INMA researchers will explain concepts such as elasticity, strength and smart materials in simple terms.
The series also recalls a scientific milestone for Aragon. Forty-one years ago, on May 24, 1985, the region became the first in Spain in which the CSIC and the University of Zaragoza jointly opened a research center dedicated to materials, the former ICMA-CSIC-Unizar, later incorporated into INMA.
