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https://theconversation.com/how-sam-neills-jurassic-park-performance-inspired-a-generation-of-palaeontologists-287869>
"The sudden death of actor Sam Neill prompted tributes from colleagues and fans
worldwide. But the news also resonated strongly with many palaeontologists, for
whom Neill’s character in
Jurassic Park, Dr Alan Grant, was a pivotal
inspiration for their career choice.
“I was preparing for a fossil show-and-tell the day I heard the news Dr Grant
left us”, says University of Montana palaeontologist and
PBS Eons co-host
Kallie Moore. “When I dedicated the talk to Sam – holding back tears – I got
many sad nods from parents. It’s incredible the reach a fictional character had
in palaeontology, because for us 90s kids Dr Grant wasn’t just a character – he
became a colleague.”
Moore is just one of many paleontologists around the world who answered the
call when we asked how Neill – and his famous movie character – had influenced
them. Alan Grant’s fictional colleague Dr Ellie Sattler, played in the movie by
Laura Dern, also featured in their memories.
As Australian palaeontologist and science communicator Sally Hurst replied: “On
every dinosaur dig I’ve done, from the Cretaceous rocks of Inverloch, Victoria,
to the Badlands of Canada or the deserts of Mongolia, there’s always a day
where myself or someone else embodies palaeobotanist Dr Ellie Sattler and Dr
Alan Grant. For many of us now in this profession, it was those who first
showed us that being a palaeontologist was a real job.”
This raises an interesting question: can a movie really inspire scientific
careers? Having state-of-the-art special effects dinosaurs always helps. But in
this case, we suggest it goes beyond that."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
