Is It Really Possible to Do the Kessel Run in Less than Twelve Parsecs and Should It Matter? Science and Film and its Policy Implications

The entertainment media influences our lives in a myriad of different ways--from the way we dress, to the language we use, to the products we buy. What might be less obvious are its influences on national policies. This Article, an introductory foray into the effects of media on policy, focuses on the effect that movies have on science policies in the United States and around the world. Through an analysis of both classic and recent blockbuster films and concurrent events involving science policies, this Article argues that Hollywood exerts an inordinate amount of influence on national science policies, and even extends beyond that to affect biotechnology markets.

Acknowledging this important influence, the Article then examines why this may be the case. While a thorough analysis of related First Amendment jurisprudence suggests that some of the most radical solutions to tamp down Hollywood's influences, including limited censorship, may not always run afoul of constitutional free speech rights, this Article nevertheless proposes that the scientific community should take proactive measures to either prevent or hamper Hollywood from promoting bad science policies.