Visualizing fertilization of egg by sperm at the atomic level, with a Star Wars theme

Don Ingber and Charles Reilly of the Wyss Institute used data at the atomic level to visualize the simulation of sperm fertilizing an egg. The researchers used a Star Wars theme.

To see if entertainment could offer a solution to this challenge, Ingber teamed up with Charles Reilly, Ph.D., a molecular biophysicist, professional animator, and Staff Scientist at the Wyss Institute who previously worked at movie director Peter Jackson’s Park Road Post film studio, to create a film that would capture viewers’ imaginations by telling the story of a biological process that was accurate down to the atomic level.

Ingber notes a concern that non-scientists have grown skeptical of science. I’m not sure entertainment in this form is the way to fix that, but at least it was fun to watch. [via Co.Design]