As humans, we are all unique and different from one another. We have different personalities, hobbies, jobs, and backgrounds. But whether you’re into sports or comics, an introvert or an extrovert, a florist or a virtual scribe, or from a different country, most of us can agree that we enjoy watching a good movie. Science fiction films are among the most popular and show the possibilities of the universe through the eyes of creative dreamers, but how many of these films are actually possible?
The Martian (2015)
Traveling to Mars is an idea that has been tossed around frequently in the past few years, and the film industry has been sure to put its stamp on the concept as well. Based on the novel by Andy Weir, The Martian follows an astronaut that gets stranded on Mars and must survive with the tools that were left behind. This film is possibly the most accurate depiction of space exploration beyond the moon. While NASA has sent several rovers to the red planet, a manned trip has yet to take place, though there is a current plan in place for the foreseeable future. A manned mission to Mars isn’t an if, but a when.
Armageddon (1998)
Stick with us on this one. While the plan might not be the most accurate way the problem is taken care of, the actual scenario is an inevitability. Armageddon sees a giant asteroid on a collision course for Earth. As many might have heard, Earth is well overdue for an asteroid impact, it’s an inevitability. Most smaller meteors burn up in the atmosphere before it reaches land, and others make it to the ocean as tiny rocks, but eventually one of a much larger magnitude will come hurtling towards us. NASA has incredibly powerful telescopes that are capable of detecting such asteroids before they reach the planet, so let’s hope that a better plan is implemented, rather than sending people in a rocket to crash into a giant rock.
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
The cityscape of Los Angeles, as depicted in Blade Runner 2049, gives us a glimpse of the worst-case scenario. The skies are dark with smog and carbon emissions, the buildings are worse for wear, and the environment has a gritty exterior that coats much of the landscape. The film depicts a world nearly a quarter of a century into the future that has been beaten down by climate change. Now, maybe we’ll have flying cars by then and maybe we won’t, but it’s eerie to see what our future might look like if current conditions don’t change.
Thoughts
While Back To The Future is a wonderful piece of nostalgic sci-fi, to say it is scientifically accurate might be a stretch. There are many other films with realistic possibilities dealing with artificial intelligence, alien life, and, yes, maybe even time-travel, (we’re looking at you, Ex Machina, Arrival, and Interstellar), but these may be a bit further off.
