Hollywood loves a heroic geologist

MRT's librarian has delved deep into the archives to uncover a recent open access article in Geology Today: Geologists on the silver screen - the sequel. Authors examine the role of geologists in popular western film and the results are both surprising and strangely gratifying.

For instance, while an alarmingly high proportion of geologists die in Hollywood movies, a satisfying number are portrayed as being heroic, or at least are portrayed performing a heroic deed. And in a twist no one saw coming, a higher percentage of heroic geologists survive to the end of a movie than non-heroic or evil geologists!

Very few geologists are portrayed as being overtly evil in movies, and when one appears in a film, geology (or a geological concept) usually forms a pivotal plot point. The article examines over a century of western cinema and includes intimate details on things like: the most common causes of death for geologists in movies, the most popular genres in which geological characters appear, the gender balance, and even what they wear!

If you've ever wondered about how the geological profession is portrayed in popular culture, this article is for you.