2016 AAAS Annual Meeting (February 11-15, 2016)

February 10 - 15, 2016

Successful Communication through Entertainment Brought to You by Disney Junior

Open to the Public Entertainment media represents a powerful communications tool to engage audiences in STEM-related topics. In 2008 the National Academy of Sciences launched the Science and Entertainment Exchange to leverage the enormous power of film and television to both inform and inspire. One of the more successful collaborations in which The Exchange has been involved has been with the creators of the animated series “Miles From Tomorrowland,” a production of Disney Junior aimed at preschoolers. This panel features “Miles” creator Sascha Paladino who wrote the series after learning that many scientists were directly inspired to pursue the jobs they have today after being exposed to programs like Star Wars and Star Trek. Sascha will be joined by his Disney colleague, Disney Jr. executive Nancy Kanter, and three science consultants: Yvonne Cagle from NASA, John Spencer from the Space Tourism Society, and Randii Wessen from Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). They will talk about the partnership between science and entertainment that has allowed them to effectively, accurately, and perhaps most importantly, engagingly communicate key scientific concepts and principles that have also made science (and scientists) cool and exciting to their young viewers. The panel will be moderated by Ann Merchant from the National Academy of Sciences and a member of The Exchange’s leadership team.