awesome interview prompts for science educators

Given that science educators frequently invoke Star Wars references within conversations, it was tempting to imagine an interview protocol in which prompts made use of this (sadly) common experience. I could not resist the temptation. What I did resist was creating hyperlinks throughout the transcripts:

Q: Do you remember Star Wars Episode Six?
A: The Return of the Jedi? Yeah, that was awesome.
Q: Yeah, it WAS awesome. Remember during the Ewok’s bonfire party and Luke sees the gossamer images of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and the redeemed Anakin Skywalker?
A: Yeah, Luke built his father’s funeral pyre.
Q: Yep. Which people in your professional life are represented by those three figures?

The preceding exchange was inspired by an actual interview between two science educators. In the original, it was the interviewee who invoked Star Wars. In contrast, the following is what I imagine would occur if a researcher asked a science educator to describe the factors that prompted leaving the classroom in order to pursue an academic career.

Q: Remember the Empire Strikes Back?
A: Yeah, that was awesome. That battle on the ice planet Hoth was incredible!
Q: Remember when Luke flew from Hoth to Dagobah?
A: Yep, to train with Yoda.
Q: Exactly! What phase of your professional life is represented by Luke’s visit by Obi-Wan who told him how to be trained as a Jedi?

The following exchange about "midi-cholrians" is not based upon a phenomenon I actually remembered from seeing the movie. It just happened to emerge while doing research for this blog entry. I'm not saying that I am too hip to not know this -- just that I was too old when I first watched Episode 1. If I was younger, then I suspect I would have asked my science teacher about whether midi-chlorians could be real. If they were, that would be awesome! The image is from Wookieepedia.

Q: Remember in the Phantom Menace where they talked about midi-chlorians? A: Yeah, that was awesome. That provided was a cellular level explanation of the Force.
Q: Yes. And that’s how the Jedi Council knew that Anakin Skywalker was a future Jedi.
A: And Luke had a high midi-chlorian count, too.
Q: Indeed. What aspect of your professional life has similarities to the idea of midi-cholrians?