In celebration of his latest film, "The Whale," award-winning director Darren Aronofsky is joined by our Director of Sciences, astrophysicist Janna Levin, for a special conversation about storytelling, science, math, and god.

Science vs. Fiction is our signature event series inspired by the idea that scientific discovery and fictional world-building can be complementary. Each is driven by a love of complexity, a curiosity about the workings of the universe, and the capacity to imagine alternative realities or entirely new worlds.

Darren Aronofsky is an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker born and raised in Brooklyn. Aronofsky heads Protozoa Pictures based in Chinatown NYC. His recent films include 2022's “The Whale” for A24; 2017’s “mother!”, which he wrote and directed; and the 2014 box office hit “Noah.” In 2010, Aronofsky received a Best Director Academy Award nomination for his indie box office phenomenon “Black Swan.” 2008’s "The Wrestler" won the Golden Lion for the best film at the Venice Film Festival. Previous acclaimed and award-winning films include “The Fountain” (2006), “Requiem for a Dream” (2000), and “π” (1998).

Janna Levin is the Director of Sciences and the editor-in-chief of Pioneer Works Broadcast. She is also a professor of physics and astronomy at Barnard College of Columbia University, a Guggenheim Fellow, and a PEN-award winning novelist. She is the presenter of the NOVA feature Black Hole Apocalypse, aired on PBS—the first female presenter for NOVA in 35 years. Her latest book is Black Hole Survival Guide.

This project is supported by Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation initiative dedicated to engaging everyone with the process of science, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Program in Public Understanding of Science and Technology, bridging the two cultures of science and the arts.

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00:00 Introduction
4:22 π (1998)
13:53 Requiem for a Dream (2000)
23:19 The Fountain (2006)
31:21 The Wrestler (2008)
39:33 Black Swan (2010)
45:16 Noah (2014)
54:03 mother! (2017)
58:30 The Whale (2022)
1:04:13 Questions from audience