By Roxanne Benjamin
Special to the Daily News

The final day of the Sloan Film Summit began with the panel From Geek to Chic: The Growing Popularity of Science in Primetime Television. It was a rousing exchange between both the panelists and the Sloan fellows on both the nature of science in television and the process of writing scientific characters within dramatic narrative. The well-vetted panelists included both industry executives and renowned scientists who have served as advisers on science-based procedurals.

Samuel Baum, creator and Executive Producer of the upcoming Fox series Lie to Me, starring Tim Roth, was in attendance along with Dr. Paul Ekman, the behavioral psychologist whose research in nonverbal communication inspired the series. Baum spoke of how the show idea first came to him. “In my case, I’m a liar…I’ve been lying since I was very small, and doing a lot of writing about the cost of truth versus lies, which led to research that led me to Paul’s work. His work was exactly the thematic scheme that I wanted to explore…the scientific backbone just created an enormous vehicle for story.” Ekman spoke of his initial skepticism in having his life’s work turned into a television show. “My concern was accuracy and quality, which are quite independent. With Lie to Me, I became convinced that they shared my interest in accuracy.”

Josh Berman, who currently serves as a Consulting Producer and writer on Bones, also graced the panel. Berman is known for his Executive Producer role on the original CSI, which led the way for other science-based procedurals and ultimately the spread of science themes into multi-camera sitcoms such as The Big Bang Theory and reality television with shows like Mythbusters. “No one thought science was going to be sexy,” said Berman. “We literally sat around and thought how we could show science, whether it was a bullet going through a human body or a medical procedure….now I love using it. I can’t imagine writing TV without it.”

Nick Falacci and Cheryl Heuton, both Executive Producers on NUMB3RS, spoke of scientific processes serving as a vehicle to push plot forward, but also of the trials in finding new ways to explain their main character’s discoveries week after week in a procedural show. “We have to come up with two or three metaphors for the math in every episode…we have to explain to the audience the mathematics in a visual way that they’ll understand.” The creators of the mathematics-heavy show also talked about their responsibility to the audience to provide an intellectual show. “We were alarmed by trends in anti-intellectualism in the media, and the failure to invest in science”, said Falacci. “Scientists see the world in a different way. They did surveys…our audience was telling us-for why they liked the show-they were saying ‘I feel smarter when I watch it.’”

Dr. Nicholas Warner, a professor of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy who studied under Stephen Hawking, rounded out the panel. Warner, a string theorist, has served as an adviser and script consultant, most recently for the TV special The Creation of the Universe. He spoke of television’s effect on the scientists of his generation. “Positive role models are tremendously important. A lot of my colleagues, including Steven Hawking, would agree. I was inspired to become a scientist by DR. WHO. I knew when I was six years old I wanted to be a scientist. Today, my oldest daughter wants to be House when she grows up…which is rather disturbing.”