An independent film about the pursuit of a science PhD became a hit last year — at least among the fledgling scientists that it represents. Thousands flocked to see The PhD Movie, based on the hugely popular comic strip Piled Higher and Deeper by Jorge Cham, a former mechanical engineer, at hundreds of on-campus screenings in several countries. Not bad for a film produced, directed and acted in by graduate students and researchers at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, and funded on a shoe-string budget.

Credit: WWW.PHDCOMICS.COM

Why the popularity? The film puts the plight of the PhD student on the big screen, giving student audiences a chance to laugh at themselves in recognition of the years of schooling, hard work and frustration that they are undertaking.

But I would argue that there is another reason: the film tackles some of the negative aspects of pursuing a PhD and a science career. At its climax, The PhD Movie raises a question that crosses many students' minds: why bother? The answer it provides resonates with the audience: “Everybody is here because they want to be here ... You have to embrace the things you're passionate about.”

Yet the passion that drives many scientists to investigate the natural and physical world can also get them into trouble. It compels them to push the boundaries of science, but not always with healthful long-term consequences.

Hard work and a stubborn can-do attitude are admirable and rewarding. We put hours, days and months into experiments that don't work, because we're passionate about the exhilarating moments when they do. But the trade-offs and downsides are many. The romantic ideal of the scientist as an independent academic investigator uncovering knowledge can convince some very smart people to accept mediocre pay and delays in starting a family, settling down, buying a house and planning for retirement — with no guarantees that these sacrifices are worthwhile. That is the drama so nicely portrayed in The PhD Movie.

The film could be seen as a warning, showing budding researchers that they need to be realistic about their career expectations. But I see it as much more. It is a wake-up call for scientists and non-scientists alike. After all, it is not scientists, but the rest of society that may suffer most if scientists end up burning out. To ensure that scientists can cure diseases, feed the hungry and prevent environmental catastrophes, we should select them on the basis of their intelligence, effectiveness and focus, not their personal sacrifices, obsession and stamina.

Why, then, isn't society at large demanding changes? I suspect that most people just don't know or understand what it takes to advance as a scientist. In the interests of science outreach, The PhD Movie and similar films should be distributed more widely to society at large (it can be viewed for a small fee at www.phdmovie.com).

We can use such films to start a conversation about how to nurture the practitioners and purveyors of science. With a good dose of sarcasm, The PhD Movie shows how graduate students spend much of their day second-guessing why they would spend another minute doing science. Another film, the 2009 documentary Naturally Obsessed (www.naturallyobsessed.com), shows how capable, aspiring science graduate students become 'drop-outs' and 'sell-outs' for reasons that have nothing to do with intelligence and drive.

Scientists complain about how we are portrayed in popular culture. Maybe it is time to start sharing who we are, and what we do.