Art and science are simpatico. Both are studies of nature, joining the physical world of science with the social realm of story and humanity. Deep scientific understanding enriches a film with detail and realism. Film Independent and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation work together in providing grant opportunities for storytellers and scientists to display their work in narrative form. The 2026 Sloan Salon: Discovering the Story in the Science moderated by Ashley Flores, Manager of Film Independent Fiction Programs, included an array of filmmakers and scientists alike – Liz Neeley, Latif Nasser, Dr. Neil Garg, Sara Seager, Sara Crow, David Rafailedes, Ioana Uricaru, and Dr. Katie Biberdorf. They discussed the crossover of story and science along with methods of bringing these narratives to light before turning to the future of the scientific community and its representation in our culture. 

Liz Neeley, a science communicator and former marine biologist, spoke to the fundamental spark of curiosity as catalyst for both researchers and the audience of any science-based narrative. Host of Radiolab podcast Latif Nasser referred to creating a “vacuum in the listener” so they may become “infected with a question” answered later in the story. Characters are the constructed vessels that steer our curiosity through a narrative, across what Neeley calls the “curiosity gap” to an answer. 

In regards to the film Shitoshi depicting a fictional Bitcoin origin story, co-writer/director Sara Crow discussed how they chose to “weave the technological problem into our character’s personal life.” Breakthroughs were connected to the main character’s growth in this “problem of how to solve Bitcoin and the blockchain.” Co-writer/producer David Rafailades added: “The dramatic pressures in her life are driving why she wants to make this scientific breakthrough. In a fun way, we tried to make those scientific breakthroughs, where you see the most science, be everyday moments in this girl’s life.”

While there still remains “Eureka! moments” along the way (Nasser), answers may only show themselves across vast time scales in science. A duality exists between the everyday and the extraordinary, of scientists “miles deep in the ocean, out in the field, and touching people’s brains” (Neeley) and the less glamorous work taking place in a lab day by day. MIT Professor of Exoplanet Astronomy Sara Seager and UCLA Professor of Organic Chemistry Dr. Neil Garg both touched on the paradox of capturing excitement over long research periods in a high-stakes narrative. Seager, whose work has played out over several decades, now focuses on the mysteries of Venus: “Could there be life floating around there in the atmosphere?” In presenting her work to the public and even to get funding, she stressed how it “has to have a narrative that can flow, to hang it together from start to finish.”

Ioana Uricaru – writer/director, former molecular biologist, and multiple-time Sloan collaborator – joined in on storytelling: “When science is in the mix, I find that the most compelling type of questions that scientists might be confronted with are conscious, moral questions – when they get to a point in their journey as scientists where they suddenly have to choose between what they discover and what that’s going to do to the world, standing by what they found and risking their reputation, or even their life.” Uricaru’s work in historical/period scientific narratives where a wealth of source material is available led her to emphasize “culling” as vital to picking elements most propulsive to the story. 

Dr. Kate Bibendorf, an inorganic chemist and educator familiarly known as Kate the Chemist (@katethechemist), added that the only way out of the “jargon jungle” was through narrative: “If you are trying to actually teach something, if you are trying to get one scientific principle across, using a story is the best way to get that across. We do that in general chemistry all the time.”

All the panelists agreed that science ought to be accessible to everyone regardless of education or expertise, encouraging anyone interested to reach out and take advantage of this like-minded community. They cited current work of inspired scientists and filmmakers, harkening back to the tremendous importance of research in developing any story or breaking new ground. As the conversation drew to a close, Dr. Neil Garg stressed: “It’s really important. The scientific community currently feels, if I can say, a little bit under attack if you will, and there are all these innovations that happen as a result of scientific research. Sometimes there are things that are very clearly going to be impactful. Sometimes it takes decades of research for something that’s transformative for humanity for the science to evolve, to be figured out to that level. Overall I would just encourage folks who are interested in this to get involved because the world needs you right now. Not just the scientists now, but I think thirty, forty, fifty years from now, if we’re not pursuing science, understanding science, prioritizing science and communicating it, what does that look like for humanity?” 

In a final inspirational cue, Latif Nasser decreed: “Science is for everyone. Even you!”