Science can be as entertaining as any other form of spectacle. Even in the earliest societies and cultures, science provided the means to awe crowds and control vast distances of geography. Early man experienced science during religious or cultural ceremonies, utilizing naturally-occurring phenomenon to augment their messages and control. Ancient Druids and Meso-American cultures used scientific study of lunar and solar cycles to create buildings and temples aligned to use the sun and moon to augment religious observances.

The Greeks used science to created steam and water-powered devices intended to strike awe and gain compliance among the worshippers of the gods. Mechanical wizardry created self-opening doors, water fountains that dispensed holy water upon receipt of a coin and singing mechanical birds. Given the average education of the average Greek, these inexplicable realities could only have come from the gods.

Shamans and witch doctors threw copper and iron powder into fires, eliciting bright, powerful colors in the flames. These practices led to discoveries in metallurgy and chemistry. Alchemists promised gold from lead and blacksmiths turned rough iron into fine steel employing secret and ancient formulas.

Egyptians created formulas for paints and dyes that still retain their patina and color 3,000 years after their first application. All cultures used natural ingredients, sometimes employing intricate and complicated processing techniques, to create make-up, dyes and paints. In ancient Rome, only the wealthiest citizens wore robes with purple linen, dyed from a secret chemical process using extracts from a specific species of clam, which, only recently had been duplicated by modern science.

In modern times, science has played a large role in entertainment. Electricity was used as a visual extravaganza at World’s Fairs. Chemistry has created all types of new materials and devices used to entertain and amaze audiences. Even the Mecca of modern entertainment, Hollywood, employs science in practically every form to create, destroy, engage and amaze movie-goers all over the world. And sometimes, even the imaginary science of Hollywood is being used as the basis of real science. Warp drives, phaser guns and transporters that scatter and perfectly re-assemble atoms are under research.