While news of climate change, species loss and deforestation dominate headlines and airwaves, the local producers of the critically acclaimed TV series Strange Days on Planet Earth are conducting an experiment to study how people talk about these topics.

In a project sponsored by local Sea Studios Foundation, scientists from Yale University, in partnership with the Monterey Bay Aquarium, are investigating how the act of conversation might be one of the most powerful tools in curbing global climate change.

Sea Studios will screen one episode of Strange Days, starring actor Edward Norton, on Saturday, Sept. 23, and then talk with community members about global warming and what we can do about it.

“We’re trying to create opportunities to get feedback from people who come to public events and generate ideas on how to make these events more interesting and effective,” says P.J. Simmons of Sea Studios.

By participating, community members will help the event’s organizers learn how to more effectively engage others on this issue. Participants will take part in one of five 90-minute sessions scheduled over the course of the day. According to Simmons, each session will have a slightly different format. “Then,” Simmons says, “we’ll ask [participants] for feedback for which format was more effective.”

Organizers don’t want to give away too much. “It’s an experiment and there’s only so much we can reveal without skewing the results,” says David Elisco, a Sea Studios vice president.

Strange Days on Planet Earth, a four-hour series focused on the rapid state of change in the earth’s environment, was produced in conjunction with National Geographic and originally aired on PBS earlier this year.

STRANGE DAYS showing and discussion will take place on Saturday, Sept. 16, starting at 10am. Advanced registration is required. Contact Paul and Judy Myers, paulmy@comcast.net. Participants receive a copy of the film.