The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shared its top picks for the most scientifically accurate films after analyzing more than a century of cinema.
The US space agency said its choices were based on an accurate depiction of science and technology with careful experimentation, skepticism and problem-solving, rather than accuracy in predicting the future.
The following are NASA’s top picks for the most scientifically accurate movies:
Metropolis (1927)
Metropolis was a German science fiction film that showed class divisions within a society. It features a futuristic city with a society divided into two classes: the opulent elites and the oppressed working class.
NASA said Metropolis accurately anticipated the ethical concerns surrounding machines and the substitution of human labor.
Woman in the Moon (1929)
Another German science fiction film that featured a love triangle. Featured scientific themes in the film include zero gravity, countdowns, and rockets. To put it in context, the film was released almost 50 years before humanity was able to land a man on the moon in 1969.
The Thing from Another World (1951)
It was a classic black-and-white science fiction film that featured plant-like aliens, scientists, and Air Force personnel at a remote Arctic outpost.
The precise scientific reasoning and experimentation to counter the threat of extraterrestrial plants made it one of NASA’s best science films.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
It featured an alien landing on Earth (in Washington, USA) with a robot named Gort. The aliens threaten humanity to abandon violence and catastrophic weapons or face the wrath of extraterrestrial life.
NASA praised her for portraying aliens as advanced but logical beings.
Gattaca (1997)
This film portrays a futuristic theme where humans are divided into naturally born groups and genetically modified groups. It shows a society where humans are judged based on their DNA, where genetically modified people feel privileged.
Although the technology is speculative, NASA praised the film for its realistic depiction of DNA-based discrimination.
