One quote I hear time and again from the people who design Disney’s theme parks and attractions came from British author and futurist Arthur C. Clarke, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
It’s telling that so many Imagineers like to repeat this quote, because it truly reveals the secret behind the so-called “Disney Magic” that has helped the company become an entertainment juggernaut — that “magic” is built upon a whole bunch of advanced technology.
Yes, Imagineers also are fond of saying that “it all begins with story,” but storytelling without technology is just a person talking. It’s the tech that makes stories come alive on screen and in theme parks for millions of Disney’s fans. From multi-plane cameras to 360-degree filmmaking to innovative new ride systems, Disney has established a tradition of finding new techniques and technology to advance its stories.
Disney’s history with high tech begins with Walt himself, who surrounded himself with tech geeks who loved to hack new stuff for the company to use in its storytelling. But the development of any advanced technology rests upon a foundation of scientific knowledge. Walt Disney saw great stories in the discovery of that knowledge, too. He devoted entire episodes of his Disneyland TV show to scientific topics, from “Our Friend the Atom” to “Man in Space” and “Mars and Beyond.”
Walt’s infectious enthusiasm for technology and the science behind it encouraged a generation of Americans to respect and admire science. We could use another Walt Disney to help Americans do that again today.
Walt’s company is suffering now — along with the rest of the world — in large part because too many people have taken science for granted. Turn on TV channels like Fox News today and you’re more likely to find someone attacking science than praising it. Talk show hosts tell us not to vaccinate our children, and TV doctors shill snake oil treatments that might harm more than help.
America needs better. We need to hear more from people who know the value of science and who can help those Americans who have turned against science to reconsider. With millions of Americans stuck at home, streaming TV shows online, now is the perfect time for a new Walt Disney to show us the wonderful world of science.
As the Imagineers say, it really does all start with story. And there are few stories more powerful than those found in the process of scientific discovery. This is how people learn to do what once looked like magic, after all.
With its Disney+ streaming service and constellation of cable and television networks, not to mention its theme parks, The Walt Disney Company is uniquely positioned to create intellectual property that helps people respect, admire and maybe even fall in love with science once more.
But this isn’t just a plea for selfless public service. With its future dependent upon the public’s willingness to visit theme parks, movie theaters and sporting events, The Walt Disney Company can’t afford to exist in a world where people’s indifference and hostility to science risks a pandemic like this happening ever again.
