Among the cast of characters at Comic-Con International, you will find some "mad scientists."
In science fiction, most scientists play the role of villains but the true data tells a different story.
"Can all this stuff that happens in sci-fi movies actually happen in real life? The answer is a lot of it has already happened in real life," said Jasmine L. Sadler, a San Diego former military defense engineer, entrepreneur, and advocate for teaching science.
She also welcomes the nickname "rocket scientist."
Sadler has been one of the instructors of a summer camp sponsored by the Blue Heart Foundation at Lincoln High School this summer.
The organization and the curriculum support young students of color in becoming scientists.
Sadler is taking her knowledge and experience to Comic-Con on Sunday when she joins a panel discussion titled "Dr. Evil or Scientists as Villains in Pop Culture" at 2:30 p.m. in Room 29CD.
Professionals in the world of STEM education will address stereotypes that often portray scientists as villains. The current debate on the ethical use of artificial intelligence feeds those stereotypes.
Sadler is a dedicated supporter of AI in technology.
“You don’t have limits. You don’t have laws. But you have everything you need at your fingertips. So do you use it for good or evil? It's not the technology that’s good or evil. It’s the person," Sadler said.
Jaye Gardiner is also on the myth-busting panel. She is a scientist from Philadelphia who traveled to San Diego for the convention. Gardiner does research into a cure for pancreatic cancer.
She knows the stereotype she is fighting: “It’s usually evil or mad and very Einsteinian white hair that’s crazy," she said.
Gardiner is none of that. But she does have credentials in creating comics — something she’s done since she was in graduate school. It is her own way of teaching science in an unscientific way.
“(I) want to show science in a much more fun and interesting light than what our textbooks provide or how science lectures are given with rote memorization. That is far less interesting than what science really is," Gardiner said.
Gracie Ermi is a computer scientist from Seattle who has also traveled to San Diego this week for the panel.
Ermi leads a team of engineers that process millions of satellite images. They use AI to produce real maps of the Earth. Those maps are then used by world environmental leaders to make decisions on climate change.
“Scientists are regular people who are working on cool things," Ermi said. "They have these specific skill sets that we’ve developed over time. But anyone can become a scientist. And we’re not villains. We’re trying to make the world a better place.”
