This is the blurb sent out for the presentation I gave to wrap up the Centre’s seminar series of the year [Presumably, as far as I know they’re doing something different for Semester 2].
She blinded them with science: The life and times of a Hollywood science consultant
For nearly a century, science consultants have helped Hollywood and other film/tv industries infuse fictional entertainment narratives with at least more accurate representations of scientific knowledge and technology. But how does one stumble into this line of oft-unpaid and sometimes uncredited line of work? Come hear the unfinished story of PhD candidate Jessica Davis who moonlights (due to the time difference) as JD Voyek, professional science writer and consultant for science fiction with her own screenplays in the proverbial cupboard. It’s not much of a hero’s journey, but it does involve a Star Trek cruise.
Date: Thursday 27 May
Time: 12:00 – 1:00pm
Venue: Room 2.06, Owheo Building, 133 Union St East
It would be half pointless to upload the powerpoint slides, given the extreme lack of text, but here are some photos I used from my youth to show my early steps into nerd-dom.
They’re from my dad’s TNG-themed b-day party; at the time I was too young and naive to critique my mother for purchasing a DS9/Voyager communicator badge.
A couple years later I would randomly watch Threshold and think it was gross and cool when Tom Paris coughed up his tongue. That’s the first episode of Star Trek I remember seeing, and somehow I kept watching.
This talk was just in time for another dad birthday, but according to my mother they just got Chipotle and watched The Good Doctor. Which is more than I did for my birthday last year.
JD Voyek 