James Cameron says media can be solution to ‘fragile’ science funding

Avatar filmmaker James Cameron has warned that funding for science has become “even more fragile” and that media can be a solution.

The 71-year-old, who directed the science fiction epic franchise, is behind a new National Geographic documentary series, The Secret Life Of Bees, which documents how honeybees prepare to survive the winter and the inner workings of the hive.

Narrated by award-winning National Geographic explorer, Bertie Gregory, with insights from entomologist and fellow explorer, Dr Samuel Ramsey, the two-part series uncovers the social complexity and intelligence of the species, capturing never-before filmed moments.

Speaking to the media, Cameron, who was the executive producer on the series, highlighted the contrasting budgets between scientific research and filmmaking and the ability to merge the two together.

He said: “Scientific research isn’t as well-funded as it should be.

“Science is fragile and the funding for science has gotten even more fragile in the last year or so.

“This is a scenario where media can actually help with science.

“I found that to be true on my deep ocean expeditions. We’re going out there with a ship that costs a million dollars a week.

“We always brought researchers with us because it gave them access that they wouldn’t normally have to specific areas of study.”

Cameron went on to describe how the new series tries to convey “a sense of wonder” about the natural world to engage audiences and get them to care about it.

Speaking about the series, which premiered on Wednesday, he added: “The way to get people to care about things is to put them into it in a way that’s accessible, that’s not scientifically off-putting.

“We’re trying to show how the many diverse adaptations that these different types of animals have to their environments and how they all exhibit different forms of intelligence.

“We’re able to confidently talk about culture, emotion, even I think bees have emotions in the sense that if you believe you’re going to be destroyed by a hornet and you have that information and you scurry around very rapidly to do something about it, to take defensive measures, I believe there’s an emotional component to that, which is fear and concern for the other people in the hive.

“It’s altruistic in the sense that a few from within the colony are taking defensive measures to protect the rest of the colony.

“So, you start to see in animals things that we probably grew up thinking that were unique to the human experience, and they’re not.”

Despite this overlap, Cameron is wary of ascribing human behaviour to animals but would rather find a balance to better understand their experiences.

He added: “We try to take a very disciplined approach between storytelling that allows the audience to relate and not go so far as to ascribe human behaviour and human emotions to animals because they are processing very, very different realities than we are.”

Secrets Of The Bees will launch on National Geographic Wild on April 1, and all episodes will be available to watch on Disney+.