According to a researcher in the NASA funded "Radio Jove" project, when Tesla thought he was detecting radio signals from Mars he was most likely receiving them from Jupiter (which happened to be in the same part of the sky). Jupiter (and solar) radio emissions are being studied globally by professionals and amateurs today.

I don't see how anyone can say that scientist don't have any power. They have the knowledge and, forgive me here, "but knowledge is power" The president arms himself with scientific "facts" Its just a matter of which facts he decides to acknowledge. Which is the problem. As for scientists in movies...Sean Conner in Medicine Man. I think the nature of the character directs the seriousness of the movie. A movie about aliens attacking Earth isn't meant to be taken too seriously. A movie about the destruction of our natural resources and how we doom ourselves....you see where I am going here. Movies are mosly meant to be just a source of entertainment. The greatest ones make a point as well, but each should be judged accordingly.

My favorite movie scientist has to be Jor El played by Brando in the first Superman movie. One brillant man that predicts the planet will be destroyed. Compare this to all of the layman global warming Chicken Littles on Earth. As if they could compare to Superman's father! ;)