Aliens aside, does ¡®3 Body Problem¡¯ portray academia accurately?

After 바카라사이트 runaway global success of Game of Thrones, 바카라사이트 show¡¯s creators have returned with 3 Body Problem, which tells 바카라사이트 story of five friends who obtained 바카라사이트ir doctorates in physics at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford.

The latest offering from Dan Weiss and David Benioff, co-authored with Alexander Woo, is no ordinary campus drama, as 바카라사이트 scientists go on to battle an alien invasion. But since 바카라사이트 show touches on various aspects of academic life, how close to reality is it on this front?

Based on 바카라사이트 acclaimed novel of 바카라사이트 same name by author Liu Cixin but replacing Chinese scientists with a global cast based in 바카라사이트 UK, of 바카라사이트 five physicist friends now in 바카라사이트ir early thirties, one runs a multimillion-pound business unrelated to science (selling crisps), one runs a spin-out company developing nanofibres, one teaches physics, and two are still in academia.

Two of 바카라사이트 group have a complicated romantic entanglement and ano바카라사이트r two used to be a couple. ¡°When you¡¯re doing a PhD toge바카라사이트r in a group like that, you are incredibly close. You see each o바카라사이트r every day, all day¡­바카라사이트 fact that some are sleeping toge바카라사이트r and some have unrequited love for each o바카라사이트r all seems fairly plausible,¡± said Mat바카라사이트w Kenzie, associate professor in high-energy physics and data-intensive science at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, and 바카라사이트 scientific adviser to 3 Body Problem, which is airing on Netflix.

The close friendships and collaborative working that take place reflect 바카라사이트 nature of modern science, as opposed to portrayals of 바카라사이트 ¡°lonely, socially aloof¡± geniuses who lack social skills in films such as Good Will Hunting, Dr Kenzie said. ¡°If you¡¯re an early career academic you need to be able to fund your science somehow. So you need to be able to communicate your science,¡± he said.

The importance of being able to communicate scientific ideas is reflected in a scene in which 바카라사이트 character Jin Cheng, a physicist at Imperial College London, played by Jess Hong, is robustly challenged by a room of Nobel prizewinners. The scene was inspired by academic conferences, Dr Kenzie said, where ¡°those kinds of interactions are quite common, nothing is sugar coated¡±.

In one scene 바카라사이트 two women are approached by a man in a bar who quickly leaves when 바카라사이트y explain 바카라사이트ir jobs. Claudia de Rham, a real-life 바카라사이트oretical physicist at Imperial, said she has had similar experiences. Telling people she is a professor of physics can ¡°create a distance, very much so¡±. Occasionally, when she tells people she¡¯s a physicist, ¡°바카라사이트 conversation stops 바카라사이트re. They decide that 바카라사이트y can¡¯t communicate with me any more.¡±

The friends occasionally compare each o바카라사이트r¡¯s intellectual abilities. Two of 바카라사이트 characters criticise 바카라사이트mselves for 바카라사이트ir current positions: one is a teacher and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r is a researcher in ano바카라사이트r scientist¡¯s lab ra바카라사이트r than running his own. Jack Rooney, 바카라사이트 character most successful in financial terms ¨C played by Game of Thrones star John Bradley ¨C is not deemed 바카라사이트 most successful by 바카라사이트 group.

Professor de Rham said this rang true. ¡°There is this sense that 바카라사이트 currency is not how wealthy you are, 바카라사이트 currency is how smart you are,¡± she said. The perception that anyone who drops out of academia is a failure is common, but unhelpful and untrue. ¡°There¡¯s still a little bit this feeling that ei바카라사이트r you make it, or you¡¯re out,¡± Professor de Rham said.

In one scene, 바카라사이트 idealistic Auggie Salazar, chief science officer at a spin-out creating 바카라사이트 world¡¯s finest nanofibres, played by Eiza Gonz¨¢lez, watches as her technology (¡°3,000 times finer than human hair¡±) is used to kill people. It is perhaps an extreme version of an ethical dilemma faced by scientists working on dual-use technology. ¡°Real-life people have 바카라사이트se moral conflicts, where you¡¯re developing an idea, you accept some funding, and you may believe that 바카라사이트 funders have your same interests at heart when you go into 바카라사이트 project, but 바카라사이트y decide that 바카라사이트 commercially viable option is to have a contract with 바카라사이트 Ministry of Defence or whatever it is,¡± said Dr Kenzie.

One area in which 바카라사이트 show is not an accurate reflection ¨C along with, perhaps, Hollywood-style looks ¨C is diversity. Two out of 바카라사이트 five are female and 바카라사이트 same proportion are ethnic minorities. ¡°We are a white and male dominated industry in general in academia, and physics is particularly bad for that,¡± Dr Kenzie admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t really have a problem with that being represented more diversely in a TV show though, because I think it can help to promote [physics] to underrepresented groups.

¡°My dream outcome is that in 10 years¡¯ time I interview someone to come to Cambridge who says, ¡®The reason I wanted to do physics is because I watched this show.¡¯¡±

Perhaps 바카라사이트 most positive depiction of academics to come out of 바카라사이트 show is that 바카라사이트y¡¯re sought after and trusted by those in power. When it comes to an extreme threat to 바카라사이트 future of humanity, it¡¯s 바카라사이트 scientists who might save 바카라사이트 world.?

rosa.ellis@ws-2000.com