By one estimate we spend a fifth of our lives watching movies or TV. In fact, we consume entertainment almost as habitually as we eat or sleep, activities that receive scientific scrutiny and study. So why not consider the effects that watching movies and TV have on our minds and bodies too? When we do, we find that they are not mere escapism. A data scientist reveals why we are what we watch, and how scientists and filmmakers work, often with competing agendas, to create sci-fi entertainment.\nGuest:\nWalt Hickey\xa0- journalist, data scientist, and author of \u201cYou Are What You Watch: How Movies and TV Affect Everything\u201d\nFeaturing music by\xa0Dewey Dellay\xa0and\xa0Jun Miyake\nBig Picture Science is part of the\xa0Airwave Media\xa0podcast network.\xa0Please contact\xa0advertising@airwavemedia.com\xa0to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.\nYou can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on\xa0Patreon. Thanks for your support!\n\xa0\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices