The Most Scientifically Accurate Movies Of All Time | Answers With Joe

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Science fiction films usually focus more on the fiction than the science. But some filmmakers go to great lengths to make sure their movies get the science right. Here are some of the best of recent years.
My previous video on The Martian: • The Martian: The Book ...
My interview with Andy Weir: • How We Could Survive O...
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Time stamps:
0:00 - Intro
2:12 - Interstellar
5:04 - 2001 A Space Odyssey
7:45 - Contact
10:39 - The Martian
13:24 - The Andromeda Strain
15:06 - Arrival
17:40 - Deep Impact
21:20 - Sponsor Read

[@Lucy-fn9rj]

one of my favorite “conspiracy theories” is that stanley kubrick was hired to direct a fake moon landing, but he was so obsessed with accuracy that he made them film on location on the moon

[@glenchapman3899]

It can only be a conspiracy theory, if it is not true ;)

[@SeanBZA]

@@glenchapman3899 Thing is that Kubrick detested flying and boats, so the movie would have to have been shot in the UK, and Equity would long ago have leaked who was on the set there.

[@ATADSP]

Reminds me of one I stole from SFDebris and bring up when moon landing conspiracies come up it goes like this: "The moon landings are completely fake, but with the flying saucers we got from Roswell we faked it... ON THE MOON. That's why it looks so real!"

[@kathleenjanuszewski2499]

🤣🤣🤣👍

[@matheussanthiago9685]

that's my head-canon for reality

[@bamagrad99]

I always thought Spaceballs did a great job showing how one would "comb" a desert.

[@rosecity_chris]

I enjoyed the proper Schwarz proportions

[@seiboldtadelbertsmiter3735]

We Ain't found shit!!!!

[@IDoABitOfTrollin]

Yogurt... I HATE YOGURT... Especially with strawberries...

[@overthehilldill3626]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@steampunkpixie2643]

It's all about the merchandising.

[@denizfischer36]

I remember how excited my linguistics professor was when he first saw Arrival he was like that's me! that's what I'm teaching you!!

[@Root3264]

The running gag of Jason praising his cephalopod script has me laughing everytime

[@revoneth6207]

Facts!

[@bisowned13]

Neil has also said in interviews that James Cameron‘s first reply to him was “yeah, I’m sure it would’ve made a lot more money if I had gotten the sky right.”

[@matwyder4187]

Good ol' arrogance. Refer to the money made as an argument for... anything. Money is real. Stars in the sky are just worthless specks of light. For us humans being stuck down here, the true nature of the Universe itself is just a nuisance most of the time. It's a really sturdy barrier to cross, one could even argue this is a major building block of the Great Filter. Evolved intelligence just fails to comprehend.

[@riggs20]

@@matwyder4187 Cameron is definitely arrogant, but for NDT to go through all of the trouble to criticize him on the sky not being right is also kind of an arrogant move.

[@robinsmith8846]

Oh tjat must be a lie. His first response had to be 4 letter word laden...then he cleaned it up for the press.... Lol

[@matwyder4187]

​@@riggs20 You know, if it's just an average director, it's clearly unfair to question their artistic decisions. But for someone who brags about their scientific accuracy and attention to detail... that's a totally legit goof to be pointed out. Just a different ballpark. I remember NdGT complained to Jon Stewart, as the Earth for some reason rotated in the wrong direction in The Daily Show intro animation. And he was totally right about it. And it was informative, never spotted it before. Even for a show that literally labelled itself as "fake news". Just because all the public trust they had. It was a totally proper move.

[@AtlantaTerry]

@@matwyder4187 that goof must be rooted in stock footage somewhere because I've seen it elsewhere multiple times.

[@chuckdontjudge]

Joes chair spin is the best thing on KZbin, the angle, the speed, the lack of audible squeaking from said chair, Joes emotionless dead expression, all culminating into one 2 second work of art lol! A masterpiece lol

[@ashw7372]

Agreed. The drum solo as he does it just completes the whole thing as well.

[@JamesTheFoxeArt]

Yes

[@mikkelbreiler8916]

Up next: The Spinning Chair compilation with commentary by Joe Scott.

[@User31129]

Beats the Heck out of Chris Collinsworth that's for sure

[@DannyBeans]

"Moon" also deserves a mention. Besides the whole cloning angle, it's pretty solid scientifically.

[@oldprankster7606]

One of the best sci-fi movies most people have never heard of.

[@sheiladawg1664]

@@oldprankster7606 Watched it w/no expectations and found it a lot better than expected. Great plot, acting, effects.

[@morningstar9233]

Having a father who came from outer space probably helped the director a lot.

[@ReInCarbonatedCrow]

Also, Sam Rockwell.

[@deckardcanine]

The premise of mining moon rocks for energy is fishy.

[@nerd31415926535]

I think "The Man From Earth" is the best sci-fi film ever produced. It never succeeded in the box-office because it is too cerebral for a general audience, but true geeks really love it for exactly the same reason.

[@reedhouser4004]

Some of the best dialogue ever

[@mikkelbreiler8916]

And no wonder Bowie himself went back to it and continued the story as one of the last major works he would do before he passed on.

[@johnmichaelmiralles8110]

Best high brow dialogue that dives into the philosophical or existential inquiries of the human condition

[@demotics2005]

I seriously waited for this to be mentioned in the video. 😅

[@paulhagelston9246]

"Piety is not what the lessons bring to people. Its the mistake people bring to the lessons." Such a great line!

[@historybuff7491]

Good list. My favorite scene in Contact is when she is given the suicied pill. Ellie says she is not going to use it, but the guy points out that the pill isn't really for the 100 things we think could go wrong, it is for the 100 things we have not even thought of. Yeah, that got me thinking about all the unknowns we really don't know about. Love that scene.

[@360.Tapestry]

what they haven't considered is that she grows hairy paws out of her torso and vomits a mild acid from her ears

[@alwaysdisputin9930]

or tortured like Dr Strange was

[@squirlmy]

@@360.Tapestry or they might have given her immunity from her suicide pill! When considering there's "100 things we haven't thought of," that includes things that make such pills ineffective or counterproductive. At that scene, I think I had recently watched a 007 movie where the villian has half his face and jaw dissolved, and explains it was an attempt at taking a cyanide pill before being tortured, and it went horribly wrong. So the Contact scene was kinda ruined for me.

[@rafaellima381]

11:00 "...the mars pressure is so low that would never knoc someone down, but THAT WAS THE ONLY MISTAKE, THEY PUT AN EXTRA EFFORT IN EVERYTHING ELSE..." nasa has 5 maned missions to mars nasa has set a semi-permanent base on mars nasa has pre-sent rockets for future missions nasa has a giant truck for traveling on mars nasa has tons of cameras recording basically everthing AND NASA HASN'T PLANNED ANY WAY TO THE MISSION COMMUNICATE WITH EARTH WHILE IN MARS? The sandstorm is NOTHING compared with this flaw.... they have laboratory with fancy shit disposoal system, water recycle, air recycle, huge space for planting potatos all sorts of computers and cameras AND STILL NO ANTENNA TO TRANSMIT TO EARTH? THAT MISSION WAS CONDEMNED TO FAIL let say.... at begining of the movie, matt damon got forgotten on mars because he was having serious diarrhea while the others were leaving and he got forgot [good plot for a next movie the whole process of the tripulation take the rocket out of mars, attach to the big ship that is on mars orbit, wait for the correct alignment: bigship-mars-earth in order to leave mars and start trip back to earth ALL THIS PROCESS WOULD TAKE DAYS, POSSIBLE WEEKS if it was 1% accurate, matt demon would recover from his diarrhea->realize he got forgotten->communicate with huston/tripulation at big ship->figure out a way to get to the other spacecraft that is landed on mars -> fly to the big ship AND THE END the movie would take 25minutes instead of 3 hours if it was 1% accurate

[@raw238]

@@rafaellima381 what diarrhea? Lol atleast someone would or could have a count.....a sudden storke or suit malfunction when all others are in an an emergency takeoff would be less.....well LoL imo

[@cosmicphoto05]

I love how science in The Expanse isn't just a backdrop, but actually affects the plot and character choices.

[@pilotman012]

Agreed.... Watching this episode, all I can think off is "Joe better mention The Expanse!!" :-D

[@ulfhedtyrsson]

Same with the pseudo science of Stargate

[@nutbastard]

I love how you know the difference between "effect" and "affect".

[@ccelik97]

@@nutbastard _affecting effectively_

[@sequoiahughes8536]

One of my all-time favorite scenes ever was the one where they were strapped in while the ship is maneuvering about and some tools that weren’t secured are flying around the inside of the ship as it moves around. Accurate portrayals of inertia are so rare in space-based sci-fi and pretty much unheard of on a TV show.

[@jillustration]

"A languages structure can actually change the speakers worldview" - something probably every (or at least most) language/linguistics aficionado and multilingual has discovered for themselves and is a huge part of why so many second language learners end up falling in love with and studying multiple languages

[@mikkelbreiler8916]

So if you're ever stuck between picking Swahili or Klingon.....

[@jillustration]

@@mikkelbreiler8916 🤣🤣🤣

[@garyfrancis6193]

Some languages use the Saxon Possessive Clitic.

[@stacie1595]

I really need to watch Arrival! I'm not a linguist but I am an ESL teacher and took some linguistic courses in University. I'm also living in Korea and I was thinking about how different their worldview is simply because of some grammar differences. They way they emphasize age hierarchy in their language here really changes the way they think about the world. It's also a really verb heavy language so they don't describe things with adjectives as often and they describe things with adverbs. The best example I can think of is them saying" I ate deliciously" instead of saying "the food is delicious." Also just watched the Martian and I loved it! I really love movies that push people to the edge of survival. Its even cooler when math and science are the tools used to ensure survival, not just instincts and physical skills.

[@mikkelbreiler8916]

Arrival is one of my favourites. I mean the 1996 original with Charles Sheen. Charles was perfect for the role. I really like Contact for so many thnigs too. Jodie was an excellent choice but I think John Hurt getting mentioned was an oversight. He made easy work of being in the know but not in a bad way.

[@rome8180]

@@mikkelbreiler8916 It's not the "original." That makes it sound like it was adapted from the same source. They're completely different stories.

[@rome8180]

It's great.

[@jaxager]

Arrival is an awesome flick. WATCH IT! Sorry... I didn't mean to yell. 😁 But, seriously. It is one of my all-time favorite sci-fi movies. Denis Vila-however you spell his name is one of my favorite directors and this is one of his best.

[@jaxager]

​@@rome8180I'm thinking that was a joke.

[@savannahwoods3222]

Im a young radio astronomer:) I got to work with the VLA and operate the green bank remotely and i had the same feeling- i had made it, just like Ellie Arroway i even wrote about her in the essay i used to get my current research position

[@ivx8345]

Good on you Savannah!

[@savannahwoods3222]

@Rusto i do?

[@MDoddio]

Most realistic Sci-fi movie: Spaceballs. "Even in the future nothing works!" Spot on, Mr Brooks. Spot on.

[@altareggo]

lolol VASTLY under-rated comment!! Case in point "smart phones".... 'nuff said.

[@rexredmonwalkingintheword9892]

May the Schwartz be with you

[@weirdofromhalo]

@Cat Magic I think this just shows you don't have a sense of humor.

[@NaatClark]

@Cat Magic whut

[@lazyjackass77]

@@rexredmonwalkingintheword9892 "I see your Schwartz is bigger than mine." "Virgin Alert! Virgin Alert!"

[@trueamnisias]

So stroked that you've got the Andromeda Strain on this list, I read the book when I was in med school and was blown away at how accurate it all was, and the genius to use human biochemistry and viral contamination to ground the story in reality.

[@veramae4098]

And now 2022 we're all wishing CDC in reality was as good as CDC in the movie. [sigh]

[@genrose3643]

@@veramae4098 😆👌

[@lalaj5831]

I saw the movie as a kid and it scared the crap out of me. Sci-if dan ever since.

[@RichardASalisbury1]

You should have included George Pal's "Destination Moon" (1950), which was carefully made with amazing and beautiful moonscapes painted by Chesley Bonestell, and very accurate based on the science of the day. The only (semimajor) error was that in '49-'50 no one knew the moon was covered in a thick layer of dust. (This was proven by my father, Dr. Winfield W. Salisbury, when he bounced radio waves off the moon's surface, sometime between 1947 [he told me] and '51, while he was director of research at Collins Radio Co., now Collins Aerospace. In this experiment he used a radio dish--on the top of the Naval Observatory in Washington D.C.--that he had designed and overseen the construction of.) He and I went to see the movie in November '51, and it was one of the most thrilling movies I'd ever seen. I saw it six more times in the theater, a record for me (in those days movies sometimes stuck around for months, even a year or two). For years I wanted to become an astronaut--before the word even existed. The movie is still available on DVD.

[@sheldonpon9141]

I'm glad you included Arrival, linguistics isn't usually recognized for being the scientific study that it is.

[@carlodave9]

Ted Chiang's short story, Story of Your Life, that Arrival is based on is incredibly good. If you haven't read it, check it out. The evolution of the linguists understanding and implications of the end are even more mind-blowing than the film dared to take on.

[@mikeharrison1868]

Yes. I had a favourite series of books, and wasn't sure if they qualified as SF rather than space opera. After a while I decided that they counted as biological and sociological SF.

[@mikeharrison1868]

@Cat Magic Yeah, pretty cool. I have a long-term thought-experiment about humans decrypting a sentinel-type message. Thinking that the message - eventually - would amount to an alien equivalent of wikipedia, in a variety of alien languages. These languages would have as great a variety of sets of phonemes as our earth languages, and be represented both by their own glyphs, and the alien equivalent of IPA. Earth scholars would map alien phonemes to earth phonemes, and assign alien languages to earth phoneme sets - e.g. one alien language with one set of features would be assigned to speakers of one earth language - e.g. English, and others would be assigned to e.g. Mandarin, Arabic, Zulu, etc.

[@Kremit_the_Forg]

The Expanse is hands down the best science fiction series I've seen in years! Moon is pretty good too and sooo underrated.

[@thedamnedatheist]

Moon was amazing.

[@zarabee2880]

Someone who thinks expanse is the best sci-fi recommends something I’ve never heard of? Sir, you have my attention 🥰

[@Kremit_the_Forg]

Oh and District 9 of course!

[@hazonku]

@@zarabee2880 You're in for a treat.

[@jaykrishnak3268]

@@zarabee2880 moon is really good. Phenomenal acting by Sam Rockwell and a great concept.

[@izzonj]

Reading The Andromeda Strain, moreso than the movie, really sparked my interest in experimental science. How they made observations, development hypotheses, designed experiments to methodically eliminate things. I've been a PhD research scientist for 40 years, now. I loved Contact for portraying the passion of a scientist and the exhilaration of v making a discovery. Jody Foster is amazing and it's nice to hear that she inspired a number of girls to become scientists.

[@veramae4098]

If you haven't already, look for "Ants, Bees and Wasps" by Sir John Lubbuck, published 1882. The scientific method was just starting to gather steam. It's available free as pdf download, or, as I did, buy printed book which is photocopied from an original.

[@izzonj]

@@veramae4098 I used to like going to the rare books section of the Harvard university library and looking through copies of The Proceedings of the Royal Academy of Science from the 17th century. Articles with titles such as, "On the Nature of Air, " where the author makes observations and conclusions such as the winds can push things so, Air must be made of substance, even though you cannot see it.

[@shadowcult464]

Ollie please tell... Those isolation suits looking like a space suit with a slinky tail? Those were for real???

[@skyjumper999]

How the hell did you leave out Contagion. Almost uncanny in its predictions of pandemic response.

[@BBBrasil]

Oh yeah. The biggest lesson in this movie is that covid was like playing Plague Inc. on easy mode. The script is still going to happen, I hope we will be better prepared. I remember immunology classes back in 1985, the professors saying that it was not if, it was a when case an outbreak would come. I think they said it before and long after I graduated. Me and millions of biologists and MD's around the world saw what was coming on Jan 2020. But not politicians. Next elections, ask your candidates if they saw this movie.

[@skyjumper999]

@@BBBrasil too right. I actually saw the writing on the wall myself. I had already stocked pandemic supplies before COVID even existed. This has allowed me to have a stockpile of proper medical N95 masks (3M, not Chinese crap) which have lasted until my entire family has been vaccinated. Our supplies took us through the whole thing. And we have some to spare. The other lesson from Contagion is that you can't trust the government to save you. They aren't set up for big global disasters. You have to rely on yourself. And being ready before something like this is THE ONLY WAY to ensure your family's safety.

[@clintirwin3468]

Contagion was interesting to me because it was intended to depict the worst case scenario. Ten percent of human population died. A huge number, but the human race goes on. Sex is a mess in humans, but it is here for a reason. It's that firewall of genetic diversity. I think we got off easy with Covid. I was not allowed to quarantine, so I documented what New York looked like. It had its moments of beauty. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2GVZ4Jjadutibc

[@boldtaa]

Contagion turned out to be very accurate but it doesn’t feel like a sci-fi movie IMO.

[@skyjumper999]

@@boldtaa sci-fi... science fiction. Pandemic = science Contagion the movie = fiction ;)

[@cadikaorade828]

To be fair Tyson also got mad about BB-8 being an impossible design, despite BB-8 being a real remote-controlled model that worked just fine.

[@dr4d1s]

To be fair, Neil is full of himself. It doesn't take much for him to come out and say, "Well actually."

[@dr4d1s]

@Diemaco Alpha Dude can come debate me, I like science and am all for it. I just don't like Neil.

[@MrTaxiRob]

@@dr4d1s him and Michio Kaku both rub me the wrong way. I feel like they were the first science celebs since Carl Sagan with paychecks way bigger than Bill Nye's, and it went to their heads. Plus their proximity to people like Lawrence Krauss and Stephen Pinker over the years kind of puts their whole generation in an uncomfortable place.

[@dr4d1s]

@@MrTaxiRob I agree that that assessment for sure. What is the deal with Lawrence Krause and that other guy?

[@AlejandroLZuvic]

Tyson is so full of himself. I remember the day he said "if you loose the engine in an helicopter you're dead, it will fall like a rock" for Dustin from Smarter Every Day to actually go learn how to fly an helicopter and prove him wrong (it's called autorotation for those curious). He's one of the worst cases of "wElL aKtUaLly!" person. And the way he dismiss people with different beliefs. I'm an agnostic, but I don't advertise it. Tyson is constantly getting out of his own way to call any person who believes in god ignorant. Chill out bro, you don't need to be a dick about it.

[@anguskeenan4932]

Neil deGrasse Tyson: That star field. At that time of year, In that position, located directly over the Atlantic. James Cameron: ... yes.

[@matheussanthiago9685]

may I see it?

[@Adiscretefirm]

Knowing Cameron's reputation I am surprised he didn't do the reshoots on location.

[@bernhardkrickl3567]

If I were James Cameron I might have replaced the star field with another totally inaccurate one. But then again, if I were James Cameron, none of those films would have happened.

[@mariadocarmosobreira8323]

@@Adiscretefirm I think he had it done digitally. Too late for reshoots.

[@Adiscretefirm]

@@mariadocarmosobreira8323 it's James Cameron, I am joking about his perfectionist streak.

[@DonyaLane]

Not on the list, but as a musician, I loved how music was the language used to communicate in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Music is the highest science, and we are hard-wired to respond to it!

[@jonvicsison4895]

Love a well made, properly researched scifi movie. You've listed some of my top movies in this category and it's a well analyzed, written and performed presentation! Thanks Joe!

[@DrNothing23]

One point of scientific realism Kubrick decided to drop was the giant sails that should have been used and was planned to be included on the model for the ship "Discovery", as he thought it would be too confusing for people to see a spaceship with sails on it. And speaking of "Arroway", 2001's lead character was David "Bowman"... ;)

[@DFX2KX]

I can see Kubrick's predicament there. Nowadays 'Solar Sail' is a reasonably understood concept, not so much then....

[@neilforeman3892]

I appreciated Arrival primarily for its focus on Linguistics, particularly on Structural Linguistics and the way a language is constructed and can be deconstructed and understood according to its building blocks and focus on mutual understanding. It adopted a very Saussurean approach to language without being excessively academic or elitist.

[@AgnumMD]

What makes it Saussurean? I'm neither a linguist nore do I know anything about Saussure, but it's an interesting topic.

[@wheezeardjack]

Now I’m just saying… they can have the lightning flash BEFORE thunder claps rather than both at the same time to be more accurate.

[@bigboss-tl2xr]

If you are within a few hundred feet it sure seems like it happens at the same time, just saying 😉

[@mikkelbreiler8916]

@@bigboss-tl2xr ....aaaand remember to lie down flat.

[@Bleckman666]

Another example of James Cameron's attention to detail: in the sequence from "Aliens" when Drake and Hicks are searching the rooms in the colony complex, apparently there is a time-correct issue of Playboy magazine on one of the tables (not that you ever see it). A bit like Ridley Scott's (fake) magazine titles on the newsstands in "Blade Runner...

[@SparkBerry]

Joe, you know this has to be followed up by a "Most scientifically inaccurate movies, that tried not to be" video, right? Like Armageddon

[@tnvmadhav2442]

star wars?

[@aevangel1]

Armageddon was a lousy excuse for an Aerosmith music video...

[@MrEnjoivolcom1]

@@tnvmadhav2442 Star Wars is a wildly, *HUGE* galaxy-sized inaccuracy (scientifically speaking).

[@tobiashofer4935]

@@MrEnjoivolcom1 But it´s a fantasy movie franchise so no one cares ;)

[@loke6664]

That is a pure documentary compared to that Mel Gibson movie where the aliens are smart enough to build interstellar space ships but too stupid to open doors. Add to that the fact that they were allergic to water and earth is like 70% water so they really knew how to pick the right target for their invasion.

[@phillipsofthedriver]

"I'm gonna science the shit out of this"...pretty much the best line ever in a scientifically accurate move.

[@NathanKliem]

..... followed by the next best quote: "fuck-you Mars"

[@robroy236]

Scientifically accurate?

[@thisguy4505]

2 words: "Iron Man" Ruined the movie right there

[@stoppernz229]

@@NathanKliem Followed by some flapping plastic in the wind between 1 atmosphere and the almost vacuum of Mars atmosphere...yer right

[@Montie-Adkins]

The best line in the novel was "My asshole is doing as much to keep me alive as my brain."

[@jackhammer915]

I know I'm a little late but the expanse is so truly phenomenal. They use some sci Fi tech for their propulsion systems but everything else just feels right and makes sense

[@lungotevere]

This was a GREAT presentation, one of the best, most informative, and most entertaining that I have seen.

[@darlameeks]

Great video. "Andromeda Strain" is one of my favorite movies. I saw it the first time when I was a kid in the mid-1970's...it aired on TV one afternoon. That scene you described as "boring"? I found it edge-of-my-seat suspenseful and scary. It was like they were looking for a monster that might jump out at them any minute! I've seen the movie several times since then...it never gets old!

[@greg5011]

Great flick...scared the hell out of me..

[@marktracy1721]

I saw it wen it premiered on TV It was exciting and scary Also the first time i heard someone on TV say goddamit They made the movie seem so real

[@insertcolorfulmetaphor8520]

Primer should get an honorable mention... That might be one of the finest time travel movies I have ever seen.

[@SideshowMorgan]

Couldn't agree with this more

[@robinsmith8846]

Love Primer...low key but amazing!

[@artdonovandesign]

Absolutely! Primer was fantastic!!!

[@hunterhicks6726]

Primer is one of the most complex movies I’ve ever watched. It’s amazing.

[@fatfrumos1163]

Bloody hell, a film that you have to watch with pen and paper to keep track. Absolutely brilliant

[@asicdathens]

I'm waiting the movie adaptations of Weir's second and third books. Artemis was awesome to read (a lunar mission impossible) and the little I read from Project Hail Mary so far blew my mind.

[@TeslaRon]

Buddy, I appreciate the amount of research and fact finding you do as much as the humor you add. Thank you. I love learning and you help me with that.

[@glennchartrand5411]

The dust storm blowing him off his feet was more cinematic than him wandering around nearly blind in a dust storm and slipping into a narrow ,well hidden,crevasse the day before launch and being knocked unconscious.

[@oculusnomadslosttribe5672]

They both sound good 🤣

[@Codexane]

The most scientifically accurate movie I have seen is the first 5 minutes of Idiocracy. They nailed it!

[@patrickdurham8393]

I have to agree.

[@ArtisticlyAlexis]

Every day, that movie becomes eerily more probable. It's scary how stupidity has become such an easy way for people to gain fame, money, & power, especially with the advent of social media. We already had a reality star president & now ex pro wrestler The Rock is thinking about running.

[@360.Tapestry]

all you have to do is project the worst of what we have today into the future but not us, right? we're the exceptions, right? right? amirite, guys?

[@garethbaus5471]

@@ArtisticlyAlexis and due to a number of factors intelligence isn't being very strongly selected for in the population.

[@DataCab1e]

LegalEagle did a video about how wildly inaccurate it was for the time it was released, but totally accurate for 2020.

[@jennym.2631]

Lovely channel, happy that I found you through some old videos about Fermi Paradox and Matrix

[@davidpetersen1]

Wicked.. that scene in Andromeda you mentioned .. the "too big, too small".. has stayed with me my whole life. I remember being absolutely astounded realizing a virus has size. lol Thanks for the reference. Love your content! 👍

[@bigboss-tl2xr]

Like Goldilocks said "Size matters"!

[@misanthropicmusings4596]

The special effects in 2001 still hold up today. I've had a chance to see it on the big screen twice in the last 20 years and am still blown away.

[@leslauner5062]

Agreed. Douglas Trumbull worked on 3 older science fiction films whose special effects hold up today, "2001 A Space Odyssey," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "Blade Runner." Best bluescreen/slitscreen/light effects man in the business.

[@elimalinsky7069]

Can't beat practical effects. CGI destroyed cinema, in my honest opinion.

[@Moodie111]

@@leslauner5062 Don't forget 'Silent Running'! Another great movie made possible by Douglas Trumbull's "magic".

[@madaemon]

@@elimalinsky7069 It isn't CGI in and of itself, but the reliance on it and its placement as the default. While the Thing easily showcases how purely practical effects stand the test of time, Jurassic Park shows the perfect marriage of CGI and practical: the default was practical, and they used CGI only where necessary. Resting on a Triceratops' belly as it breathes? We're building a Trikey. T-Rex's iris constricting from a flashlight? Figure out how to put that in this big mechanical T-Rex's head. T-Rex attacking a Gallimimus? We have to do CGI. Nowadays, though, everything would be CGI, pushed to 11, and it'd all look outdated in two years--i.e. Jurassic World.

[@elimalinsky7069]

@@madaemon I agree. In the original Jurassic Park they used CGI in the wide shots, intentionally blurred and in movement to hide the roughness of CGI in those days, but animatronics in closeups, which look amazing and are timeless.

[@tylerfleming7330]

The part in the Martian where he blows himself up still makes me laugh. The little bit of slapstick humor fit so surprisingly well.

[@AtlantaTerry]

I have watched that scene a couple times and still don't know how he blew up the whole facility. I would guess that it has something to do with hydrogen.

[@livethefuture2492]

i read the book and listened to the audiobook, its really quite hilarious when he's stuck in the airlock cursing to himself, and trying to figure out how to get back.

[@DFX2KX]

@@AtlantaTerry the first explosion is because he needs to use Hydrazine as a hydrogen source to make water vapor. Hydrazine, in addition to being quite toxic and carcinogenic, is highly explosive when it's upset in some way. The one where the air gets blown out is caused by a faulty airlock. even at 1 bar of pressure, air by itself can destroy an inflatable habitat in an instant.

[@UNSCPILOT]

And goes to show even when working with rocket fuel on a small scale, no matter if it's hydrogen, methane, or kerosene it can still be dangerous and sensitive to minor miscalculations

[@jevinday]

2001 is my favorite film of all time. The first time I watched it my brother wanted it to be an experience for me. I ate some mushrooms, meditated, and then watched it by myself. It changed me. I also absolutely love Interstellar too, I have seen it 4 times. I watched Arrival about a week ago and thought it was so beautiful. I haven't seen Deep Impact or The Martian though. Great video

[@patricknance8149]

Definitely "The Martian"... When Watney says "I'm going to have to science the shit out of this"... and the line from very early in the book where Watney "I am so effed...". This is how real people talk when faced with adversity and when they are alone and think no one can here. I really appreciated that part of the book. And I understand why some of it couldn't be included in the movie.

[@zacharysparks2639]

I love how many people here enjoy the expanse. It’s so damn good. Thanks for mentioning it Joe.

[@godzillafan4033]

It is really good. All of the books are available as audiobooks. Absolutely fantastic.

[@korrdavl]

2001: A Space Odyssey apart from the year it's set is STILL the most accurate depiction of future spaceflight.

[@MRTOWELRACK]

Even down to the smart speaker apologizing for not recognizing your command, albeit instead of getting killed, I'm just randomly unable to set a reminder.

[@peterwhitey4992]

You can't know that, until we reach spaceflight like that (if we do).

[@teenas626]

I was first introduced to this gem in a physics class in high school.... Good Times 😌

[@THE-X-Force]

No. It isn't. Not even remotely. Nostalgia is fun though.

[@hazonku]

@@peterwhitey4992 Spoilers, it's happening this year.

[@jeanandtonik]

The example I use for 2001 is when the pod uses explosive bolts to get back into the airlock. The viewer hears nothing ( as sound doesn't travel in a vacuum) until the external door is closed and then we hear the air rushing in..

[@oldrecipfe]

One of my favorites is, "When Worlds Collide", which I thought pretty accurate for 1951.

[@halofanjp]

I’m glad The Expanse was mentioned it’s my favorite show of all time but I’m very uncomfortable on the pronunciation of Wall-E! Hahahaha

[@hankkirby2576]

I found “I am Mother” a very plausible movie. I could see AI trying to fix us.

[@Luke_Freeman]

Oh man that movie was a trip. Cool to see it mentioned here!

[@Luke_Freeman]

@Virendra Ajmeria Do it! It's fun. I mean it's weird, but fun.

[@zaidan5796]

the more I watched it I kept on wondering what the AI would consider a success on its part

[@sstrick500]

I just watched it yesterday. Its definitely different, but fell a little short to my intuitive brain. Its decent though.

[@douglasbillington8521]

Ha! Good luck with that, Mother. We are irreparably damaged. That's why we're awesome. Mostly. Kinda. Well....maybe not.

[@terrifictomm]

I remember seeing"The Andromeda Strain" in the theater when I was 11 and my parents warning me it was a "grown-up movie and I might not understand it. My mother had read the book. But I did understand and was terrified by it. But because of microbes falling from space, because they didn't! We went up and captured it! That may have been the first time in my life, although not the last time, I thought the thought, "Smart people are stupid."

[@miramarensis]

Great video Joe, as always. Just a small detail to point out at 8:48 the location of the NRAO is Socorro, NM and not Sorroco.

[@theancientastronomer9609]

Thank you. I scrolled through 30 pages of comments to see if anyone else noticed this little gaffe. So we're both nit picking a video about nit picking.

[@onedeadsaint]

17:14 "linguistic determinism" didn't realize there was now a name for one of the plot points of Orwell's _1984._ nice!

[@robertfgribble773]

Scientific revolutions maybe similar to the concept of "linguistic determinism. Thomas Kuhn called it a paradigm shift.

[@SlapShotRegatta22]

"Contact" is an excellent and immensely deep film. Underrated and underappreciated.

[@sleepingbackbone7581]

read the book. it's 100 times better and deeper.

[@SlapShotRegatta22]

@@sleepingbackbone7581 Niiice. Always looking for a good recommendation. Thanks!

[@skullka]

@@sleepingbackbone7581 really enjoyed the gods signature PI bit. They missed out on that in the movie

[@rgerber]

i love it Jodie Foster is awesome and the mirror shot still blows my mind

[@allenrussell1947]

It was great. And Dr Becky's reaction to Drumlin coming in and taking over was exactly the same reaction I had. Arrogant egotistical ass!!!😡 You you haven't seen her reaction video you should watch it. Hilarious.

[@d5kenn]

Regarding Contact, another advisor (and inspiration) was Dr. Kent Cullers, the targeted search signal lead from SETI. Dr. Cullers is blind (the first blind physicist in the US), and was the basis for the character Dr. Kent Clark in the film.

[@liamwescott9264]

One film that deserves an honorable mention is "Dante's Peak" because it does a pretty good job of depicting a volcanic eruption, pyroclastic flows, precursors leading up to an eruption, etc.

[@bombappetit]

I geeked out in theaters when I thought about hexadecimals and ASCII table few seconds before Mark Whatney uttered it.

[@mikeharrison1868]

;0)

[@LEDewey_MD]

Thank you for including "The Andromeda Strain". Seeing that movie contributed to me ending up in Biochemistry. Lots of people don't even remember it.. Book was great too. Another one that has been forgotten but was incredibly accurate in its time was "Fantastic Voyage".

[@MIkeHaubrichikonokast]

I enjoyed reading Asimov's essay on how he tried to find the science behind shrinking people and equipment small enough to do what they do in that story.

[@alastairward2774]

I'd forgotten until recently how thrilling The Andromeda Strain was as well. When that green blob moves on the tv screen...

[@alaric_]

Jesus, saw that Andromeda Strain when i was way too young. Might have been actually the first sci-fi film i ever saw (missed all the Star Wars films) and i was scared shitless. That town full of dead people was scary AF for a little kid. It was a time when scenes in movies didn't constantly have Explosions!! and Action!! and Excitement!! to keep the watcher interested. You know, modern day and 15sec attention span :D Instead they built tension with patience and the narrative was the key point. I really didn't notice that the movie was more than decade old at that point, i was just blown away with the "what if.." and science!

[@coyoteboy5601]

'Andromeda Strain' is pretty hard to find, but it's on Tubi right now. I was delighted to see it again after all these years.

[@TheJAMF]

It is also a just a classic movie. Even though the split screen has been done to death in that era of from making, it holds up really well in Andromeda Strain.

[@Er_Guille]

What a fantastic video, Joe. Loved it. This is one of my favorite channels. Keep up the good work.

[@jol1958]

'Horton Hears a Who' was one the eye-openers of my childhood. Didn't mow the clover patch until the clover quit flowering.

[@VAXHeadroom]

I recall "Moon" being pretty accurate in showing the lunar surface mining operations, but it's been a LONG time since I've seen it...

[@zapfanzapfan]

Hey there TMRO resident Lunar bomber! Moon was really good, possibly troublingly accurate in other ways too... but maybe I'm a cynic.

[@theultimatereductionist7592]

Mike Judge's 2006 "Idiocracy" is the THE single most scientifically and historically accurate movie of all time.

[@EnergeticWaves]

documentary of the 2020's

[@jeffthompson9622]

👍 It was obviously influenced by the story,"The Marching Morons."

[@Ugly_German_Truths]

Meh, it doesn't even realize that not everybody lives in the United States of Lobotomy!

[@EnergeticWaves]

@@Ugly_German_Truths but way too many do.

[@ricknoyb1613]

My garden grows just fine using Gatorade, thank you.

[@TheSpoonwood]

Love your "Joe Scott" KZbin station..Big Fan ..... the very subtle low freq music is genius. .. don't remember from previous episodes.

[@leopolddupuis6678]

Do a part 2 of this video with some of the programs you mentioned. I would like to see your thoughts on "The Expanse".

That interview with Andy Weir was gold. I could listen to the two of you geek out for hours on end.

[@Artak091]

Arnold's head exploding in total recall is 100 percent accurate. Don't try to tell me otherwise...

[@jamessullivan4391]

I got your six, bro.

[@rgerber]

i hate that scene and he totally recovers like nothing

[@BnORailFan]

Get your ass to mars!

[@paulknight5018]

@@BnORailFan Two Weeks, Two Weeks.

[@joshpinchuk7061]

@Zangief The Red of all the TR references here, this one I don't get.

[@RichardSanchez137]

Just found your channel. Love it. Could I recommend you do a breakdown of For all Mankind?

[@michelleseth3832]

i love 2001 space odessy one of my favs..thanks for the mention of it

[@Rattus-Norvegicus]

I would love a video about movies like Her and Ex Machina, also Blade Runner 2049 Joe's relationship with Joi. The idea of relationships with AI fascinates the hell out of me.

[@brentwalker3300]

OH yeah. Ex Machina is absolutely stunning.

[@caffeinepuppy]

I liked Ex Machina, but it’s in a weird spot where I don’t really recommend it to people any more because the first season of Westworld kinda makes it redundant.

[@robinsmith8846]

Lol like if they were real enpigh and could be programed to be our perfect mate or family... Would we miss the trechery and mess of real people ... Scary cause maybe..no.

[@mariusvanc]

@@caffeinepuppy but then the second season of west world happened, and you don't want to trick a friend into watching it.

[@caffeinepuppy]

@@mariusvanc It works well enough to be upfront about how there were seriously detrimental changes to the cohesiveness of the world-building (and writing in general) after the first season, and that it’s OK to stop there. Other shows (Expanse! ❤️) have wound up being hands-down better as a whole series, but when it comes to *standalone-watchable* seasons, I haven’t seen anything come close to meeting the bar set by the first season of Westworld. (As an aside: for anyone who tried watching The Expanse but bounced off the slow boil of the first season, the second season episode “Doors and Corners” works really well as an in medias res introduction to the series.)

[@NickDusting]

“Alien” for the idea of space people just being working joes… “Event Horizon” for the ship designs, the down to earth crews and “liberate tuteme X eferes”

[@joshweigel1131]

"Ey, I'm woikin' in space here."

[@Saffron-sugar]

considering that many medical films are made without consulting ONE medical professional, I am incredibly impressed by this!

[@Persephone01]

As a sci fi fan, I like my films and tv shows with realism. As someone who writes sci fi tv scripts, this was a good video on some movies/tv shows I haven't seen yet!

[@caseyleeangus]

I appreciate you mentioning The Expanse. I am constantly impressed by the science and concepts of that show.

[@nutbastard]

The books are pretty great too. There's the main books that the show follows pretty closely, as well as a handful of novellas, one of which tells Amos' backstory. Well worth a read.

[@TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

I've always considered Interstellar as one of my favorite films of all time, it's so well written

[@brianjamesdennis3837]

Ppml

[@evdonkbuster]

I watch it twice a year and can’t hold back the tears each viewing

[@MyMarsham]

One thing I can’t get over is the Hans Zimmer score in some parts. That organ music is too loud.

[@Ebsalom]

You're the new Justin Y.

[@RRW359]

The science was good but TBH the movie its self is terrible IMHO.

[@markwentz8332]

that scene in interstellar every time you hear the stick instrument clicking is a day going by on Earth

[@skylarhandley1115]

you just became my favorite after that matt damon joke. all i think of when i hear his name is that

[@17Blower]

I was always amazed at how accurate "Batteries not included" was.

[@Juan-wj3mx]

Just found your KZbin… have marathon’d a good 5 episodes back to back and it’s only 9am now, lol! Great, dorky, freakin hilarious, intriguing, and just straight up enjoyable! Thanks for your episodes and looking forward to more… Cheers!!!

[@BrandyHoelscher]

Welcome :)

[@HarryNicNicholas]

i've been playing at building 3d models of the centrifuge and the eva pod from 2001, the scene where (i think it's bowman) is jogging and shadow boxing is for some unknown reason flipped left to right. 7:18 i noticed this while trying to figure out where the various "stations" were, there is the desk with the main screens, the breakfast table, opposite the food dispenser - there is also an electric piano / organ...

[@HarryNicNicholas]

i have some animations on my channel btw.

[@mikekemble958]

thank you from the UK, its nice to see science cooperates with the Blob and little green men ;)

[@FMCTJR56]

When Matt Damon's character ran OUT OF KETCHUP !!! the humanity...

[@St.Linguini_of_Pesto]

Ikr? Can't make tomato soup w/o ketchup.

[@BabyMakR]

"I'm dipping this potato in some Vicodin and there is none here to stop me."

[@silentsushix3]

Literally one of the worst moments of mankind's history... running out of ketchup on Mars with only potatoes...

[@davidsonmg]

SPOILER ALERT!

[@anthonybarcellos2206]

The most irritating thing in "Interstellar" was the rocket ship that required stages to launch from Earth, but later the single remaining stage managed to launch itself almost effortlessly from a heavy gravity planet. Right.

[@marcocraine4201]

Glad to see somebody mentioning this. And it reaches Star Trek levels of silliness when they travel so deep into a black hole gravity well they experience extreme time dilation, yet conveniently fly right back out again in nothing but their little shuttle thingy. That must be one delta-v-packing, little ship. 😏

[@isaacthecorncob]

​@marcocraine4201 I agree it seems a tad silly, but if I'm not mistaken they got out of it through using the Penrose Process, a theorized method of gaining energy from a rotating black hole, by dropping mass into the black hole.

[@rdanaspencer]

Two possible suggestions: Outland (though it isn't so much science fiction as "High Noon" in space) and the "anti-Martian" movie (how the characters do everything wrong), "Europa Report". Don't think either one can replace anything on this list.

[@zimriel]

THANK YOU for both. [I actually had my caps lock on by accident but left it on because everyone needs to know about "Europa Report".] "Outland" probably should have been set somewhere else than on Io (which is a Venus-tier hellhole), but it could still work as on a free floating asteroid, or station attached to it. UPDATE: I disagree with your last opinion. "Arrival" can go, and so can "Contact". Maybe not to be replaced by "Outland".

[@JohnBender1313]

What got me about Arrival was the idea that how you communicate actually changes reality and how you perceive it. Which as I've grown into my older years is a lesson I've learned repeatedly and is very hard to wrap your mind around. Language dictates reality. Not in the sense of a dictionary as in describing it. But like dictator, literally forcing how it functions. Amazing that dictate does mean both in itself.

[@UFO_PILOT]

Idiocracy is my favorite sci-fi film. Literally predicting the future.

[@UFO_PILOT]

On serious note, For All Mankind should be on this list.

[@AlexandreMS71]

It is not a SciF movie, it is a documentary sent from the future (by an alien)

[@ShEsHy]

@@UFO_PILOT If you mean the Apple TV show, I didn't even know it existed before reading your comment, and I'm really interested in watching it. I do have a question though; how bad is the US propaganda in it (you know the deal, USA always good, Soviets always bad)?

[@UFO_PILOT]

@@ShEsHy yes I'm referring to that show. It's basically an "alternate history" show where the Soviets land on the moon first and goes on from there. Many events in our history are reversed or tweeked in the shows timeline, but definitely not a propaganda piece IMO.

[@ShEsHy]

@@UFO_PILOT Thanks for the reply. I'll check it out then.

[@andrewjacks2716]

Jason is right, that cephalopod video is a banger! I enjoy that Joe shows love to his staff, the work they put in really shows!

[@therealbadbob2201]

I had to start this over and rewatch it because the Matt Damon reference made me laugh for ten minutes. Well done!

[@Vectorbabe]

The Man from Earth. It is a fascinating discussion among friends as to the possibility of their friends being thousands off years old. With a great twist ending.

[@gabsrants]

At least The Expanse got an honorary shoutout at the end.

[@TheMadTube]

Godsdamned right.

[@JayBigDadyCy]

Besides being just an overall AMAZING show, I'm always shocked at the depth and thought behind how realistic everything is.

[@bhuvaneshs.k638]

Yes.... It better be. I mean it's the most accurate SciFi story of all time 👍 It would be blasphemy if it was not mentioned 😂

[@bhuvaneshs.k638]

The Expanse Series set a new benchmark for the future SciFi stories

[@WhiskyCanuck]

Also glad for a Gattaca shout-out, that's an under-remembered movie.

[@spacecomma9589]

Yes, The Expanse was mentioned! Personally, the best sci fi series I have ever seen, no contest.

[@carolcossa6244]

I particularly liked that part of the Kubrick Moon movie when the fluorescent light fell down and nearly hit the astronaut.

[@jordaneggerman4734]

Ok, but can we talk about how Watney's "Wilson" is the disco music from his team members iPod?

[@Aerroon]

The funny thing with the storm in the Martian is that it creates a plothole. If Mars can have storms that are powerful enough to tip over the MAV, then you wouldn't send a MAV to Mars years ahead of its use. The 2nd MAV that Watney goes to wouldn't have been there - if a random storm comes and tips it over at any point during the 2-3 years it sits on Mars then it would ruin the mission.

[@TheJAMF]

Well, a storm can be stronger in one place. Could be diverted by Olympus Mons, or funneled through Valles Marineris?

[@Ed-hz2um]

Some very good choices IMHO. I was impressed with The Andromeda Strain when it first came out in that it was made more like a documentary than a drama, but the drama came through intensely. And...no annoying "high energy" music to drown out what the actors were saying.

[@SuperMrHiggins]

I do want to say, all of your videos are a pleasure to watch. I feel like some friendly acquaintance of mine is talking to me about what have you. Which is pretty much the perfect formula for a great KZbin channel.

[@darenblythe5169]

Andromeda Strain was the first full-length adult-marketed novel I ever read (I was 9). I loved it so much, I sent a letter to Michael Crichton, and he sent me back a hand-written letter thanking me for my enthusiasm for his book. Really cool to see it mentioned here!

[@GreggyBoop]

Could you maybe do a Part 2 to this? Absolutely love how much the science of a movie is not only analysed, but the steps made to ensure its accuracy. Love the content. Stay safe ❤

[@itarry4]

A TV one might be cool!

[@texasyojimbo]

"The Martian" inspired me to try growing potatoes this spring in 5 gallon buckets. (no poop involved). I grew enough to make a couple dinner side-dishes.

[@MrTaxiRob]

I bet they're delicious without all the perchlorate...

[@adamf663]

Forgetting to reinstall the nose cone was so far beyond stupid, I can not watch that movie.

[@MarsFKA]

@@adamf663 Are you referring to the nose cone on the Ares 4 MAV that Watney had to lighten by removing parts of it?

[@adamf663]

@@MarsFKA ya. For some reason, I thought the nose cone was borrowed to stay alive waiting on the next launch window. I killed the movie at that point. It was like driving a car at 300 mph only to then realize that a windshield was necessary.

[@MarsFKA]

@@adamf663 The docking cone was one of the heaviest parts of the vehicle that Watney was able to remove with the tools that he had. There was no intention of refitting it. That's why Mission Control had him tie some hab material over the hole, to give him some sort of slipstream protection for the few minutes when the ascending MAV was still in dense enough atmosphere. As the vehicle ascended into increasingly thinner atmosphere, the slipstream protection became unnecessary. In the event, the material ripped soon after liftoff, so it didn't do much of a job. The big downside, both in movie and book, was the flapping material pushed the MAV off course and the Hermes crew, who were flying the MAV manually by remote control could not correct enough to bring it back on to its proper trajectory. But then, if you had continued with the movie, you would have seen what Hermes' crew did to solve the problem...

[@wd9dau]

I am looking forward to Artemis being made into a movie. Loved both books and the Andy Weir story.

[@icarusbinns3156]

Jazz is so snarky and I love her!!

[@craigozancin]

The early concept for Intersteller was originally from Kipling Thorn. He wrote a book "The Science of Interstealler" were he talks about how a lady friend (who he originally met through a blind date setup by Carl Sagon) and him first came up with the concept for interstealler. Steven Spielberg was originally going to direct it. Johnathan Noland was brought on early for the first draft.