Christopher Nolan talks importance of maintaining “elevated discourse” in science as he accepts Federation of American Scientists’ highest honor – Watch

When Oppenheimer Filmmaker Christopher Nolan received the Federation of American Scientists Public Service Award earlier this month in recognition of his cultural contribution to bringing the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer to a wider audience through film. He made a “plea” for scientists.

The focus of his speech was the dichotomy between scientist and artist in terms of their relationship to and dialogue with society as a whole. As a filmmaker, he explained, you are given a certain permission to create meaning through a “dramatic choice.” It happened to him Oppenheimer as he grappled with the ending of his story about the invention of the atomic bomb, which could either lean toward hope for the world’s future or despair, depending on his disposition. Frankly, Nolan said, the full history of nuclear power is still being written, well beyond the years covered in his film, as geopolitical power shifts and technology continue to evolve. But either way, he chose despair out of a desire to remind audiences of Oppenheimer, a man haunted by the possibility that his work could harm people.

Nolan’s point was that if storytellers are allowed to generalize or draw certain conclusions to achieve a certain effect, then the general expectations of scientists must be different from those placed on the artist or anyone else in society. While a filmmaker is expected to approach a project with a concrete and therefore limited point of view, the difficult and necessary work of a scientist is to grapple with conflicting ideas and remain open without rejecting them beforehand. In reality, the scientist’s work is never done, as there is a likelihood that he will be forced to re-examine previously accepted truths as new facts come to light.

“Science is truth, and science tries to disprove itself,” Nolan said. “There is pride in saying when something is wrong because it means something has been learned and something has been improved, and if you haven’t noticed or you’re wondering, there’s no one in the world who does that except Scientists.” Do.”

As Nolan spoke to a room full of scientists, he hoped that professionals in the field would retain qualities that are currently lacking around the world: the ability to hold conflicting ideas in mind simultaneously and the willingness to constantly change one’s to challenge own views place. “When it comes to questions of dialogue around the communication of science and how it can help our world and how to communicate with policy makers here in Washington, I would make the plea: Please don’t fall for it [the public’s] level, Nolan said. “Keep telling the truth in the words it needs to be expressed, and when that truth has complexities and contradictions, please keep telling the truth and trust that we will find a way to listen.”

The urgency of this message, Nolan said, is that unless the “elevated discourse” is maintained in harmony with the scientific enterprise, all will surely be “lost.” “In a world where everyone is constantly shouting, science risks losing its voice if it tries to shout as loud as everyone else,” he said, “so trust us to find a way, you to listen and to continue it.” “It’s wonderful what you’re doing.”

At the award ceremony on November 16, Nolan was joined by Senators Chuck Schumer and Todd Young, scientist Dr. Alondra Nelson and scientist Alexa White. Elsewhere in his speech, he spoke to scientists such as Kip Thorne, with whom he had the “great privilege” to work closely throughout his career. Check out his full comments above.