WITCHCRAFT SCIENCE IN THE CINEMA OF EPIDEMICS - COMMENT

Films about infectious disease epidemics regularly pretend to present science at work but ironically traffic in ifs near opposite-a kind of ''witchcraft science. '' Although Hollywood can hardly be expected to cease the practice, such films present an opportunity for science to e xplain its true character and capabilities to a wider audience and des erve closer attention from scientists and members of the science polic y community.