UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Eberly College of Science and Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics will host a free screening of the 2016 film "Arrival" — starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker — at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the State Theatre in downtown State College as part of the college’s Science Matters Spotlight Sessions and Friedman Lectures in Astronomy and Astrophysics.
The film, adapted from the award-winning sci-fi novella "The Story of Your Life," which received eight Oscar nominations, explores the challenges of interspecies communication and alien cognition that might follow from first contact with alien species.
Immediately following the film, the Penn State Extraterrestrial Intelligence (PSETI) Center will sponsor a Q&A session featuring the following expert panelists:
- Sheri Wells-Jensen, professor of linguistics at Bowling Green University. Wells-Jensen served as the 2023 NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology, Exploration, and Scientific Innovation. She specializes in disability in outer space, and as a board member of METI International, is an expert in the linguistics of first contact.
- Science journalist Nadia Drake. Drake was a longtime contributor to National Geographic, holds a doctorate in genetics and developmental biology, and is the daughter of search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) pioneer Frank Drake.
- Frances Blanchette, associate research professor of linguistics and psychology and assistant director of Penn State’s Center for Language Science. Her research examines how the structure of language shapes meaning, with a particular focus on linguistic negation and variation across American English dialects.
- Jason Wright, director of the PSETI Center and winner of the SETI Institute’s 2019 Drake Award for his work on exoplanets and SETI.
This panel will be moderated by Jennifer Macalady, director of Penn State’s Astrobiology Research Center. The discussion will focus on the scientific accuracy of the film, the challenges of planning for first contact, and the role of the PSETI Center in the search for intelligent life in the cosmos.
The State Theatre is located at 130 West College Avenue in State College.
Free tickets to the event are available through the State Theatre.
About the Friedman Lectures
This presentation is hosted by the Penn State Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics and is funded largely by the Ronald M. and Susan J. Friedman Outreach Fund in Astronomy. Ronald Friedman is a member of the department's board of visitors. The free, public lecture series was founded in 1998. Past Friedman Lectures are listed on the department’s website.
About Science Matters Spotlight Sessions
Presented by the Penn State Eberly College of Science, the Science Matters Spotlight Sessions series provides a unique opportunity for the community to engage directly with the brilliant minds working on the front lines of discovery to create positive, real-world impact. Join the college’s top scientists in candid, down-to-earth conversations that answer today’s most pressing questions — how science is shaping our lives, our society, and our future.