37 years ago, Jaws made a star out of director Steven Spielberg and the film itself inspired multitudes of young people to become filmmakers, marine biologists, scientists, artists, writers and even movie critics. The movie is largely responsible for the general public’s fear of sharks and the reduction in shark populations over the past thirty-five years. But it has also led to scientific and public interest in the magnificent sea creatures and has spawned pop culture phenomena such as the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week (celebrating its 25th anniversary this week.)