So I finally saw Avatar–the 3D IMAX version–and it exceeded my expectations; not as a result of the much-hyped new technology, but because this story resonates. Though it takes place on an imagined world called Pandora, many themes speak directly to 21st century planet Earth. I’m certainly not about to spoil the plot for those yet to see the film, but would like to emphasize I’m particularly appreciative that James Cameron and his crew got so much of the science in this film right.

Several details struck me as well-researched and extremely innovative and I will do a post in the coming week on some of the most interesting examples. First, I’m curious to learn what aspects of this sci-fi movie appealed most to our readers in the science community. (There are likely posts around the internet about this already, but as I’ve been spending much time offline, have not yet checked). So leave your impressions in comments and we’ll return to the Science of Avatar next week….