A Very Altruistic Christmas? A Very Unique Biology Lesson!

As a judge in this year?s USC Science Film competition, I had my work cut out for me. The annual event, which requires collaboration between students of different disciplines, drew some remarkable film-making talent that made selecting the winners quite difficult. The only instructions provided to students are that the interdisciplinary teams create a short film that illustrates a scientific concept, principle or issue for a wide non-expert audience. I?ve written about this film competition in the past, because it represents not only a unique opportunity for students to collaborate, but the prizes (generously supplied by the Anton B. Burg Foundation) are substantial.

The film that I chose as the overall winner is called ?A Very Altruistic Christmas?, and it demonstrated not only a solid scientific concept, but a wealth of production techniques. Altruism can be a difficult concept to understand, and the approach of the film really resonated. Have a look for yourself:

Another film that I enjoyed a lot is called ?Cosmic Billiards?. Great concept, well executed cinematography and a clear scientific lesson:

You can have a look at all of the top entries on their YouTube channel here. Don?t hesitate to get in touch with me if your institution has a similar kind of contest. I applaud the efforts and dedication of Clifford Johnson and others at USC who make this event a resounding success.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=ed88d713f02ba478e4dddd4cf919f612

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