We just godda do better than this!

New scientist published their opinion of the top 5 sci fi films that actually got the science right (no 'zoom' sounds from spaceships etc.)

First, the obvious one - 2001: A space Odyssey (1968) "Open the pod-bay doors, HAL."

• All scenes in outer space are silent – sound does not travel in a vacuum
• The stars do not move past the ship – for there to be a visible motion of the star field, the ship would have to be travelling at close to the speed of light
• The crew eat paste-like food and only drink liquids through straws.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) "I walked out the door. There's no memory left."

There are lots of reasons why they like this one - this is just one: "As he encounters each memory, it is identified by the technicians and erased, leading to spectacular sequences of him running through bookshops while books disappear from the shelves and escaping from a house that is disappearing one wall at a time."

Alien (1979) "I can't lie to you about your chances, but you have my sympathies."

I'm not so sure about this one though. One of the reasons New Scientist like it is: "Every element of the life cycle can be found in nature, variously in parasites, robber wasps and social insects. Much of the film's suspense comes from the filmmakers' decision to let events unfold without too much explanation – the viewer has to piece the life cycle together for themselves."

One of the reasons I don't is that parts of it are bloody stoopid!  An alien (or any creature that can hatch from and egg and grow to 6-7 feet tall in a couple of hours is a bit suspect in my book.  Besides, Aliens 2 was much more entertaining.

Gattaca (1977) "We now have discrimination down to a science."

"Andrew Niccol's film is noteworthy for its grimly plausible vision of a society dominated by genetic prejudice".  They liked it because: Nevertheless, it is one of the few films to tackle the issue of genetic determination. I.e. How much are we really controlled by our genes? Vincent out-competes genetically-superior characters mostly through sheer strength of will. Does that mean that genetic testing really cannot predict how people will perform – or does it just mean we haven't found the genes for willpower yet?

Solaris (1972) "I was haunted by the idea that I remembered her wrong, and somehow I was wrong about everything."

New Scientist sum this choice up with, "This Russian classic makes the list not so much for the specific science it portrays, as for its portrayal of the limits of science and of human understanding."

I can't say I strongly dissagree with any of these, I also can't think of films that better portray more realistic science.  And, lets face it, are we bothered?

Do you have any noteworthy additions to the New Scientist list?

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