Mike Brotherton on Science in the Movies

Mike Brotherton, University of Wyoming Associate Professor of Astronomy, speaks about science in movies at the Summer 2011 Saturday University event in Jackson, Wyoming. Does it matter if Hollywood gets the science right in movies? Entertainment informs opinions about science and scientists, and is stealth education for better or worse. Good science is rare in the movies, but perhaps even bad science offers teachable moments. In this talk, he illustrates examples of good and bad science in cinema.

Mike organized and taught Launch Pad Astronomy Workshop, with the goal of improving the portrayal of science in books and films. This clip is a bit long - almost an hour - but full of interesting perspectives.

Gluten Free Pizza Crust

I finally found a pizza crust that Dave can eat that's not all cracker-like. It's not identical to a really good wheat crust, but it's quite acceptable. The unusual ingredients can be found at health food stores.

1 T yeast
2/3 c warm (not hot) water
1/2 tsp sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix yeast, sugar and water and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. It'll foam up nicely to show the yeast is alive.

2/3 c brown rice flour
1/2 c tapioca flour
2 T dry milk powder
2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp agar powder
(1 tsp Italian herbs)

Mix these - the original recipe called for an electric mixer with a dough hook, but I use a food processor. Then add the yeast and
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp cider vinegar

This will make a firm, slightly sticky dough. Roll out (I use 2 sheets of wax paper or just dust the dough ball with a little extra rice flour. Should be about 12" diameter. Bake on a lightly greased pizza pan about 10 minutes. Then add sauce, cheese, toppings as you desire and pop it back into the oven for another 15-20 minutes.

I've tried lowering the temperature to 400 and find I like the texture better.