Hollyweird Science: The Next Generation

From Spaceships to Microchips

By: Stephen Cass, Kevin R. Grazier

Narrated by: John Lescault

Length: 16 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

Informative, entertaining, and upbeat, this audiobook continues Grazier and Cass’ exploration of how technology, science, and scientists are portrayed in Hollywood productions. Both big and small-screen productions are featured and their science content illuminated - first by the authors and subsequently by a range of experts from science and the film world. Starring roles in this volume are played by, among other things, computers (human and mechanical), artificial intelligences, robots, and spacecraft. Interviews with writers, producers, and directors of acclaimed science-themed films stand side by side with the perspectives of scientists, science-fiction authors, and science advisors. The result is a stimulating and informative listening experience for the layperson and professional scientist or engineer alike.

The audiobook begins with a foreword by Zack Stentz, who cowrote X-Men: First Class and Thor and was a writer/producer on CW’s The Flash.

©2017 Springer International Publishing AG (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing

Decent science survey, but

At times the narrator’s flow was choppy. The timing and emphasis he used in his cadence didn’t always sit well, but at other times he handled the jargon and extensive numeration used by the authors very well. As a metallurgist and materials scientist, I had one issue that is actually why I can’t give them 5 stars. When the authors described the elemental composition of the stainless steel award given by JPL, it was stated to consist of 89% iron, 10% carbon, and 1% chromium.

First of all, no steel has is more than 2% carbon, as 2-4% carbon in iron makes cast iron. And beyond 4% exceeds the interstitial solubility limit of carbon in iron. Second, steel is only considered “stainless steel” when it contains at least 12% chromium. Thus the composition they claim is not only ridiculous, but thermodynamically impossible.

Otherwise, the book does a pretty interesting dive into astrophysics. It’s kind of heavy on the equations if you don’t have the reference material they refer to

Rather pick this up on paper or ebook

There really is a lot of interesting content in this book, but much of it just isn’t well suited to an audiobook format. There are some great deep dives into things like orbital mechanics where it really would make more sense to read and re-read those sections and take the time to absorb and understand the formulas and calculations. Having them quickly read to you as part of a larger exposition just isn’t very effective.

Add to this the really strange intonation and tempo of the narrator, which at times sounds like text to speech, and despite the fascinating content, this just doesn’t make for a particularly good audio book.