Popular Culture and the Changing Story of Nuclear Power: What Can Be Learned From Science Fiction Stories About Radiation?

Abstract

Public perceptions of nuclear energy are diverse and complex to measure. In contrast, public perceptions surrounding emotional reactions to the word radiation are less varied. While policymakers may struggle to navigate fears surrounding radiation, filmmakers have capitalized on the emotional aspects of radiation perceptions to produce remarkably entertaining and popular movies. This paper explores how radiation is used in the storylines of four mainstream science fiction movies: Godzilla, Spider-Man, the Hulk, and Night of the Living Dead. Both the original film debuts of these stories as well as more recent movie remakes will be analyzed to uncover common and contrasting themes in how radiation is depicted. This paper asks the question, what can policymakers learn from fictional stories about radiation when engaging the public in real conversations about nuclear power as a climate change solution?