An initiative of the COOLIDGE CORNER THEATRE
With major support from the ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION
One of our most popular programs, Science on Screen® creatively pairs screenings of classic, cult, and documentary films with lively introductions by notable figures from the world of science, technology, and medicine.
Each film is used as a jumping off point for the speaker to reveal current scientific research or technological advances, providing the perfect combination of entertainment and enlightenment – even for the most science-phobic culture vulture!
2026 Science on Screen Program at the MV Film Center:
Friday, December 19, 2025 at 7:30pm
ReENTRY W/ DR. ERIN MACDONALD and director BRENDAN CHOISNET
“The Science of Multiverses”
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Wednesday, January 14, 2026 at 7:30pm
TWISTERS W/ DR. YI MING
“Chasing Storms In a Car (or With AI?)”
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Friday, March 27, 2026 at 7:30pm
WHEN HARRY MET SALLY W/ PROF. MATTITIYAHU ZIMBLER
“It’s All Harry’s Fault: Gender Differences in Heterosexual Cross-Sex Friendship”
See Below for More Information on a Specific Movie*
ReENTRY
A romantic sci-fi drama about a woman whose husband disappears in a scientific experiment, only to return a year later.
Erin Macdonald has a PhD in Astrophysics and currently works as an award-winning writer, speaker, producer, and most notably the official science advisor for the Star Trek franchise. Her work as a science communicator has been recognized internationally including being a part of Star Trek’s institutional Peabody Award. She continues to give talks all over the world on the intersection of science and science fiction while working on her own writing and stories.
TWISTERS
Daisy Edgar-Jones stars as Kate Cooper, a former storm chaser haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado during her college years who now studies storm patterns on screens safely in New York City. She is lured back to the open plains by her friend, Javi (Golden Globe nominee Anthony Ramos, In the Heights) to test a groundbreaking new tracking system. There, she crosses paths with Tyler Owens (Glen Powell), the charming and reckless social-media superstar who thrives on posting his storm-chasing adventures with his raucous crew, the more dangerous the better. As storm season intensifies, terrifying phenomena never seen before are unleashed, and Kate, Tyler and their competing teams find themselves squarely in the paths of multiple storm systems converging over central Oklahoma in the fight of their lives.
Yi Ming is the Institute Professor of Climate Science and Society and Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Boston College. Dr. Ming uses climate models, observations and theories to elucidate the physical mechanisms governing Earth’s climate system and applies the fundamental understanding to practical issues of societal and policy importance. His honors include the U.S. Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) and the American Meteorological Society (AMS) Henry G. Houghton Award. Dr. Ming holds a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Princeton University.
WHEN HARRY MET SALLY
Prof. Zimbler is a Social Psychologist who teaches a number of courses related to systematic inequality and/or close relationships. As a researcher, Dr. Zimbler’s interests focused on romantic relationships, relational power, and deception. His doctoral work explored how perceptions of fairness concerning heterosexual newlyweds’ division of household labor mediated marital satisfaction. Since then he has taught at a number of universities including Tufts, UMass, and Hampshire College, before finding a permanent home at Boston College. In his practice he is dedicated to enacting a growth mindset approach to student success, and promoting an inclusive and intersectional approach to learning.
2025 Science on Screen Program at the MV Film Center:
Thursday, February 27th at 7:30pm
THE AERONAUTS W/ PROF. JOHN HUTH
“The Rise of Aeronautics and Weather Predictions: From Ben Franklin to Project Manhigh”
Wednesday, March 19th at 7:30pm
THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU W/ PROF. BAYLOR FOX-KEMPER
“The Real-Life Aquatic with Sea Level, Heating, and Acidification (and What You Can Do)”
Wednesday, April 16th at 7:30pm
THEATER OF THOUGHT W/ PROF. JOHN P. DONOGHUE
“Merging Brains & Machines”
See Below for More Information on a Specific Movie*
In 1862 headstrong scientist James Glaisher and wealthy young widow Amelia Wren mount a balloon expedition to fly higher than anyone in history. As their perilous ascent reduces their chances of survival, the unlikely duo soon discover things about themselves — and each other — that help both of them find their place in the world.
John Huth, Donner Professor of Science, Harvard University
Professor Huth works mainly in the field of experimental particle physics. His main interest is in electroweak symmetry breaking and is a member of the ATLAS Collaboration at the European Center for Nuclear Physics (CERN).
The ATLAS Experiment, along with its sister experiment, CMS, recently discovered the Higgs Boson in proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Professor Huth is working on the decay of the Higgs into pairs of bottom quarks, and also on upgrades to the ATLAS Muon Spectrometer.
He has recently completed a book, The Lost Art of Finding Our Way, which describes techniques and cultures of navigation predating the invention of the nautical chronometer. This book is an outgrowth of his course, Primitive Navigation (SPU 26).
Professor Huth is a member of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study’s Venture Faculty Program. The goal of the Program is to foster multidisciplinary studies that cut across the boundaries of traditional academic fields.
Baylor Fox-Kemper, Professor of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, Brown University
Renowned oceanographer Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) has sworn vengeance upon the rare shark that devoured a member of his crew. In addition to his regular team, he is joined on his boat by Ned (Owen Wilson), a man who believes Zissou to be his father, and Jane (Cate Blanchett), a journalist pregnant by a married man. They travel the sea, all too often running into pirates and, perhaps more traumatically, various figures from Zissou’s past, including his estranged wife, Eleanor (Anjelica Huston).
Baylor Fox-Kemper
Professor of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, Brown University
Baylor studies the physics of the ocean and how the ocean fits into the Earth’s climate system, using climate models, satellites, and autonomous observations. In 2013, Baylor joined the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences at Brown University, after working in other roles at Princeton, the University of Colorado, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and MIT. He co-led the “Ocean, Cryosphere, and Sea Level Change” chapter of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, and he is presently co-chair of a World Climate Research Program Core Project.
John P Donoghue, Henry Merritt Wriston Professor of Neuroscience at Brown University
Through the lens of legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog, Theater of Thought takes audiences on a provocative journey into the study of the mind and consciousness, daring us to question whether we truly have autonomy over our thoughts, or if our brains will inevitably become infused with mind-controlling technology in the not so distant future. Gathering insight and predictions from some of the world’s most influential scientists and innovators, Theater of Thought is an exploration of the ethical, and existential, effects that neurotechnology presents in our rapidly advancing world.
John P Donoghue
Henry Merritt Wriston Professor of Neuroscience, Brown University
John Donoghue is the Wriston Professor of Neuroscience and Engineering at Brown University. Prof. Donoghue is known for developing human brain computer interfaces (BCIs) to restore movement for people with paralysis (known as ‘BrainGate’) as well as fundamental research on brain computation. At Brown he was the founding Chair of the Neuroscience Department, Director of the Carney Brain Institute, and Director of the Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology Center of the US Department of Veterans Affairs. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His awards include the Roche-Nature Medicine Prize International Prize for Translational Neuroscience and the Israeli Brain Technology Prize.
2024 Science on Screen Program at the MV Film Center:
Wednesday, February 28th at 7:30pm
LINOLEUM W/ DR. PHILIP METZGER
“The Tragedy of the Commons in Space: Navigating the Growing Problems of Orbital Debris”
Wednesday, March 27th at 7:30pm
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND W/ ANDREW E. BUDSON, MD
“Why We Forget and How to Remember Better”
Thursday, April 25th at 7:30pm
THE AGE OF ADALINE W/ JIM LOBLEY, MA
“”Thinking About Movement From a Longevity Perspective: Putting Science Into Practice””
See Below for More Information on a Specific Movie*
Cameron Edwin (Jim Gaffigan), the host of a failing children’s science TV show called “Above & Beyond”, has always had aspirations of being an astronaut. After a mysterious space-race era satellite coincidentally falls from space and lands in his backyard, his midlife crisis manifests in a plan to rebuild the machine into his dream rocket. As his relationship with his wife (Rhea Seehorn) and daughter (Katelyn Nacon) start to strain, surreal events begin unfolding around him — a doppelgänger moving into the house next door, a car falling from the sky, and an unusual teenage boy forging a friendship with him. He slowly starts to piece these events together to ultimately reveal that there’s more to his life story than he once thought.
Dr. Philip Metzger is a planetary scientist and the director of the Stephen W. Hawking Center for Microgravity Research and Education at the University of Central Florida. He performs research and technology development for solar system exploration, including how rocket exhaust blows extraterrestrial soil, lunar resource utilization and construction, and enhancing public participation in space. The International Astronomical Union named Asteroid 36329 Philmetzger after him for his efforts to preserve the Apollo heritage sites on the Moon.
After a painful breakup, Clementine (Kate Winslet) undergoes a procedure to erase memories of her former boyfriend Joel (Jim Carrey) from her mind. When Joel discovers that Clementine is going to extremes to forget their relationship, he undergoes the same procedure and slowly begins to forget the woman that he loved. Directed by former music video director Michel Gondry, the visually arresting film explores the intricacy of relationships and the pain of loss.
Andrew E. Budson, M.D. is Chief of Cognitive Behavioral Neurology and Director of the Center for Translational Cognitive Neuroscience at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System; Associate Director and Leader of the Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Core of the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center; Professor of Neurology at Boston University School of Medicine; and Lecturer in Neurology at Harvard Medical School. His training included graduating cum laude from Harvard Medical School, being chief resident of the Harvard-Longwood Neurology Residency Program, pursuing a fellowship in dementia at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and studying memory as a post-doctoral fellow in experimental psychology and cognitive neuroscience at Harvard University. He has given over 750 local, national, and international grand rounds and other academic talks. He has published over 150 papers, reviews, and book chapters and is a reviewer for more than 50 journals. His books have been (or are being) translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. He was awarded the Norman Geschwind Prize in Behavioral Neurology and the Research Award in Geriatric Neurology, both from the American Academy of Neurology. His current research uses the techniques of experimental psychology and cognitive neuroscience to understand memory and consciousness in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. In his memory disorders clinic at the VA Boston Healthcare System, he treats patients while teaching fellows, residents, and medical students. For Dr. Budson’s CV click here.
Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively) has miraculously remained a youthful 29 years of age for nearly eight decades, never allowing herself to get close to anyone lest they discover her secret. However, a chance encounter with a charismatic philanthropist named Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman) reawakens Adaline’s long-suppressed passion for life and romance. When a weekend with Ellis’ parents threatens to expose the truth, Adaline makes a decision that changes her life forever.
2022-23 Science on Screen Program at the MV Film Center:
Wednesday, December 21st at 7:30pm
A BIRDER’S GUIDE TO EVERYTHING W/ MATT PELIKAN
“Martha’s Vineyard: a Haven for Vagrant Birds”
Thursday, February 16th at 7:30pm
MELANCHOLIA W/ PETER VERES
“DART – A Successful Planetary Defense Mission.”
Wednesday, March 8th at 7:30pm
EX MACHINA W/ YOGESH GIRDHAR
“Enabling Ecologically Curious Robots for Monitoring Coral Reefs”
Friday, March 31st at 7:30pm
FORCE MAJEURE W/ DR. JOHN DENNINGER
“Fight or Flight: This is Your Brain (and Body) on Stress”
See Below for More Information on a Specific Movie*
Matt Pelikan
Matt Pelikan, director of the Martha’s Vineyard Atlas of Life, is a lifelong naturalist with a broad range of interests. An Oak Bluffs resident since 1997, Matt has devoted countless hours to the study of wildlife groups including birds, butterflies, tiger beetles, Odonates, Orthoptera, and bees on Martha’s Vineyard. Before joining BiodiversityWorks and the MVAL in February 2021, Matt had worked as an ecologist for The Trustees of Reservations and, before that, in various roles for The Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts. He is a former Editor in Chief of Bird Observer, a regional birding journal, and worked as an editor for the American Birding Association from 1993 to 2005.
Peter Vereš
Peter Vereš is an astronomer and research scientist at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, MA and at the Minor Planet Center (MPC). He received his PhD at Comenius University in Slovakia. Since his graduate years, he was interested in minor bodies of the Solar system – asteroids, meteors and comets. He studied the physical properties, orbital parameters and size-frequency distribution of Near-Earth asteroids (NEOs) and the connection between NEOs and meteoroids. Since 2011, he worked at the University of Hawaii at Pan-STARRS, a new survey telescope, discovering numerous asteroids and comets. In 2015, he joined Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Center for NEO Studies, simulating performance of the future LSST (VRO) telescope in discovering NEOs. Since 2017, he is a staff scientist at MPC, the center that receives observations of asteroids and comets from all around the world, computes orbits, assigns designations to new objects and offers many services to the professional and amateur community.
Yogesh Girdhar
Yogesh Girdhar is a computer scientist, and the PI of the WARPLab (http://warp.whoi.edu) at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), in the Applied Ocean Physics & Engineering department. He received his BS and MS from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY; and his Ph.D. from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. During his Ph.D. Girdhar developed an interest in ocean exploration using autonomous underwater vehicles, which motivated him to come to WHOI, initially as a postdoc, and then later continue as a scientist to start WARPLab. Girdhar’s research has since then focused on developing smarter autonomous exploration robots that, through the use of AI, can accelerate the scientific discovery process in oceans. Some notable recognition of his work includes the Best Paper Award in Service Robotics at ICRA 2020, finalist for Best Paper Award at IROS 2018, and honorable mention for 2014 CIPPRS Doctoral Dissertation Award.
Dr. John Denninger
Dr. John Denninger is director of integrative science and clinical training at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). He also serves as Psychiatrist at MGH, as Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and as Senior Advisor in the MGH/McLean Psychiatry Residency Research Concentration Program.
After receiving his undergraduate degree from Harvard University, Dr. Denninger completed his MD/PhD—with dissertation work on the biochemistry of the nitric oxide receptor—at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He completed his internship and residency in the MGH/McLean Adult Psychiatry Residency Training Program and served as chief resident in psychopharmacology at MGH. Dr. Denninger has received many awards for his teaching, including the Harvard Medical School Students Award for Teaching and the Isenberg Teaching Award. He has appeared on Katie Couric’s “Katie” show, CBS This Morning, and CBS Sunday Morning with Mo Rocca.
Dr. Denninger’s work focuses on mind-body interventions such as the Benson-Henry Institute’s evidence-based Stress Management and Resiliency Training program; meditation, mindfulness, yoga and related practices; stress reduction techniques; and resiliency enhancement approaches. Ultimately, he wants to understand—at a biological level—how approaches like these are able to promote wellness and enable flourishing in diverse groups of people.
2022 Science on Screen Program at the MV Film Center:
Wednesday, February 23rd at 7:30pm
BASMATI BLUES W/ KATIE RUPPEL
“Adapting Seeds for our Island.”
Tuesday, March 22nd at 7:30 pm
THE LONELIEST WHALE W/ ARAN MOONEY
“Marine Mammal Hearing: the importance of sound and their sensitivity.”
Wednesday, April 20th at 7:30 pm
TOTAL RECALL W/ ESHED OHN-BAR (Via Skype)
“Self-Driving: From Dream to Reality”
See Below for More Information on a Specific Movie*
Katie Ruppel
Katie has worked with the school garden program at Island Grown Initiative for 5 years. During that time she attended a seed saving training with Native seeds/SEARCH and there began my love for seed saving! She has focused much of her school programming around seeds – life cycles, pollination, crop diversity, breeding and the general abundance seeds bring to the garden. Katie has been involved with the MV Community Seed Library since day one, and she grew out seeds for a seed company for the first time last year.
Aran Mooney
Aran Mooney is a marine biologist focusing on the sensory biology of marine organisms. He received his B.S. from the University of New Hampshire (2000; Biology with Spanish minor) and a M.S. (2003) and Ph.D. (2008) from the University of Hawaii (Zoology – Marine Biology emphasis). At UH Mooney conducted research on reducing dolphin and porpoise bycatch and the effects of noise on marine mammals. After his degree, Dr. Mooney worked at the Marine Biological Laboratory and then the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) as a Postdoctoral Scholar. He is currently an Associate Scientist at WHOI. Dr. Mooney’s research focuses on sensory biology and particularly how marine animals use and are affected by sound. This involves determining the effects of increasing anthropogenic noise on dolphins and whales, assessing means of reducing marine mammal by-catch and depredation, measuring hearing and effects of noise with marine mammals and an array of other taxa, monitoring biological activity and reef health via underwater soundscapes, defining hearing capabilities in organisms not previously known to use sound, such as squid and cuttlefish and developing new sensors to measure sound production, biodiversity and animal behaviors. To achieve these tasks, he works with engineers to develop new sensors and biologging tags.
His work has recently been featured in such publications as Nature, Science, The New York Times and The Times(London) and he has actively collaborated with researchers in numerous countries and institutions. His innovative work has resulted in over 80 peer-publications and reports, and over 100 invited and contributed paper presentations. Dr. Mooney’s expertise has been employed as an advisor to the US Coast Guard for Environmental Impact Statements, as well as National Marine Fisheries Service, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the Western Pacific Fisheries Council for means of reducing marine mammal by-catch. His work on hearing and effect of noise in the ocean has had particular impacts for the Office of Naval Research and the US Navy. Additionally, his research has pioneered the development of new physiological methods to rapidly and non-invasively study hearing in marine organisms.
Eshed Ohn-Bar
Eshed Ohn-Bar research lies at the intersection of machine perception, learning, and human-computer interaction. Specifically, he is interested in robot learning for perception and decision-making of real-world assistive and autonomous systems, such as autonomous driving and assistive mobile robots. He has received the 2017 best PhD dissertation award from the IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Society. His team is a finalist at the 2022 Department of Transportation’s Inclusive Design Grand Challenge. He also regularly organizes workshops about challenges in intelligent vehicles and systems at the IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium and the Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition. He is an Assistant Professor in the ECE department at Boston University. Eshed received the BS degree in mathematics from UC Los Angeles in 2010, MEd from UC Los Angeles in 2011, and the PhD degree in electrical engineering from UC San Diego in 2017.