Nickelodeon Theatre Hosts Science on Screen

The Nickelodeon Theatre, South Carolina’s only non-profit art house film theater, will host Science on Screen this spring. Each screening in the series pairs a classic, cult or documentary film with a lively introduction by notable scientists. The Nick will screen four films as part of this series beginning in March, with the last screening in June.

The Nickelodeon’s Science on Screen series is made possible through a grant by the Coolidge Corner Theatre Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Schedule of films (visit Nickelodeon.org for full film synopses):

SHORT CIRCUIT, Director: John Bradham: Tuesday, March 22 at 6:30 p.m.

Dr. Marco Valtorta teaches an Artificial Intelligence course at USC and will explore the reality of AI in today’s world–sincerely asking the age-old question: “Is Number Five alive?” Dr. Valtorta is a professor and UCTP Chair in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of South Carolina.

THE STANDFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT, Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez: Tuesday, April 26 at 6:30 p.m.

Dr. Sandra Kelly works in the field of psychology at the University of South Carolina, and in her lectures, deals with many of the issues inherent in the historic Stanford Prison Experiment, which will lend insight into the recent film adaption of those significant events and what they revealed about the human psyche.

A SCANNER DARKLY, Director: Richard Linklater: Tuesday, May 24 at 6:30 p.m.

Dr. Steven Harrod is a professor and program director in the Department of Psychology at USC and has researched the effects of drug abuse on the psyche, a theme he will investigate within the context of A Scanner Darkly and it’s not-so-distant drug-addled dystopia.

EXISTENZ, Director: David Cronenberg: Tuesday, June 21 at 6:30 p.m.

Dr. Duncan Buell will use eXistenZ as a framework to explore the evolving and unprecedented relationship between people and the technology of today. Dr. Buell is a professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of South Carolina.

For more information on the Nickelodeon Theatre and to purchase Science on Screen tickets and view film synopses, please visit www.nickelodeon.org or follow the Nick on Twitter and Facebook.