One common misconception is that all diseases are equally contagious. For example, the flu is highly contagious, spreading easily from person to person through respiratory droplets. However, some diseases like certain types of cancer are not contagious at all. Another false idea is that just being near a sick person always means you'll get sick. In fact, a person's immune system strength plays a huge role. If your immune system is strong, you may be exposed to a contagious pathogen but not become ill.
Another way is to study the epidemiology of the disease. Scientists will track how the disease spreads in a population. If they notice that people in close contact with an infected person are getting sick at a higher rate than those who are not, it's a sign of contagion. Also, laboratory studies can help. By observing how the pathogen behaves in the lab, such as its ability to infect cells in a culture, we can get an idea of its contagiousness.
One great contagion science fiction movie is 'Contagion'. It realistically depicts the spread of a deadly virus across the globe and how society tries to cope. Another is '28 Days Later'. It shows a post - apocalyptic world after a virus turns people into aggressive zombies. 'I Am Legend' also fits in this genre. In it, a virus has wiped out most of humanity and the main character is left alone in a desolate New York City fighting against mutant creatures.
There are several contagion science fiction books worth mentioning. 'The Hot Zone' by Richard Preston is a non - fiction thriller that reads like science fiction. It details the real - life threats of deadly viruses. In a fictional sense, 'The Girl with All the Gifts' is a great book. It's about a world where a fungal infection has turned most people into mindless 'hungries' and a special girl who may hold the key to the future. Also, 'The Drowned World' by J.G. Ballard, while more about a post - apocalyptic flooded world, has elements of contagion in the sense of the breakdown of the ecosystem which could be seen as a form of contagion on a global scale.
The 'Contagion' convention is special because it brings together top names in the sci-fi world, offers workshops on special effects and writing, and has amazing displays of props and costumes from popular sci-fi franchises.
1421 is rather ambiguous. To figure out if it's fact or fiction, we need to know what it specifically represents. Maybe it's a reference to a historical event, a fictional story element, or something else entirely.
The idea for Contagion originated from real concerns and research about pandemics, but the specific plot and characters are fictionalized to some extent to make it more engaging for the audience.