To say that the Marvel cinematographic universe (MCU) and science in the real world are similar, but to say that they are different is also correct.
The MCU focuses on superheroes and their continuous effort to protect civilians from wicked. It was the middle of the 2010s when I sat on my sofa with my mother and “put” one of the three best superheroes of all time: Iron Man. What arrogant man and self-justice, for whom you cannot help. Even with his wrong personality, he is a man with phenomenal ideas and money to finance them, from the construction of the version on the version of the Iron Man costume to the creation of an arc reactor.
Now, the situations that have led to most of them – as being invaded by extraterrestrials – are generally unknown in real life (at least to my knowledge). But often in science, there are scientists like Tony Stark who receive all the subsidies for which they apply and have access to world class technology (not always so, but sometimes unjust.) Understand Iron Man can help us Think about what we teach people about scientists but also what we can do to change this story.
Another of my favorite superheroes is the adorable Peter Parker-alias Spider-Man. There are now four versions of Spider-Man (or more if we include multiverse) but they all follow a common theme; A scientist with a wide -eyed eyes that is bitten by a radioactive spider.
Again, to my knowledge, I did not meet anyone with powers linked to Spider. But I met a lot of students giving off a passion and an excitement for science like Parker. It includes me. However, it was only during my last year of university that I fully felt able to feel a similar freedom to Parker and try all my crazy chemistry ideas (in the fashion of the laboratory memory). In the same way that Parker tries to find different materials to accumulate the perfect costume, in one of my final projects, I was able to experiment with different reactive to find the one that shows the best fingerprints on various materials – a new and strangely exciting Sherlock– Activity.
Visible and prosperous
Now finally, the only Marvel film to still have a place on my wall: Black panther. However, I am not talking about the big T’Challa, but of the empowering shuri. To fully explain the importance of its appearance, I must first tell you about my exhibition limited to black, Asian and ethnic minority scientists (BAME) at school. Most, if not all, scientific manuals I have been exposed to secondary discussions only discussed white male scientists and their research. It’s only when I look Hidden figures That I could name a black woman who worked in science – the great Katherine Johnson. Thus, in 2018, see Shuri, a funny and elegant scientist, use his knowledge to help his family and his environment not only to survive, but also to prosper, was really incredible.
Most importantly, the reaction of the Nationals Wakanda. No one was shocked to see her in such a position. During my diploma, there were few staff members in my discipline and even less Bame, but those I met were inspiring – just like Shuri.
Where are the teams of people who dress in Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier?
We have traveled the similarities between MCU and science in the real world – it’s time to wonder why things are so different and how we can change them.
It is only in the MCU that people wear masks from the faces of scientists or have themed birthday parties based on them. (I recognize that there is the strange crazy scientist during costume celebrations, generally based on Albert Einstein.)
The science and the changes made in the real world are just as deep and essential as in the MCU – I mean, the scientists have found a way to modify DNA, but where the teams of people dress like Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier?
Unfortunately, I think reason is the secular idea that science is boring or for the Nerds. To overcome this, we can remove a page from the MCU book. In the same way that Iron Man has exploited the power of the infinite rings, scientists and scientific communicators should exploit the power of superheroes and establish links between them and true science and scientists.
To teach people the teamwork shows them one of the The Avengers Movies. To teach them impostor syndrome, show them Spider-Man: Far from home. To teach them the elements, show them Black pantherWhere we learn the absorption properties of the vibranium. Hopefully, through this, the only death will be the negative scientific stigmatization (spoiler – but also it’s been years, go watch Avengers: End of game 2). Maybe chemistry can become the next great superpower.
Presentation of the new superhero: the chemist. (Lateral note: not a drug trafficker.)