The history that the Radioactive film does not tell and the perception of undergraduate physics students

This paper presents the results of a study whose aim was to analyze the use of the movie Radioactive both as a vector for popularizing science and as a didactic resource for discussing the sociological aspects of the scientific activity and the nature of science in the initial training of teachers of Physics. We analyzed the film in relation to the historical facts and discussed how the students perceived it during its exhibition. The analysis suggests that the biopic presents historical misinterpretations that may generate erroneous understanding of the context approached. The didactic intervention indicates that the Radioactive storyline can be used for introducing discussions about one of the 20th century physics content and debating about elements of the nature of science. The engagement of students in the appreciation of historical and scientific contents presented in the movie as well as the reflection and comparison among ideas they had about radioactivity and those presented in the film were fundamental. The students considered the movie resourceful, as long as one takes into account the relationship between the work and the scenario of historical records.

Keywords
Physics teaching; movie Radioactive; cinema and physics teaching