Films Help People Develop Empathy

Humans can empathize; it is an ability to put ourselves into someone else’s position and understand their feelings. Empathy is triggered by circumstances that influence our perceptions. Films are an excellent source for kindling empathy. From a very young age, we have seen movies that share feelings and emotions on different things. There are movies where we see someone else’s journey and experience only to empathize with them. If we talk about cartoon movies, they teach kids empathy for various subject matters. With growing age, the intensity of compassion gets deeper. Hence, videos are essential to nurturing understanding in people.

It intuitively makes sense that movies could build empathy because of the way they let you see the world through another’s eyes. It might surprise you to learn that science also backs up this concept. In one study about understanding, participants watched a movie about a father and son with cancer. The study reported that viewers’ brains displayed chemicals associated with empathy (oxytocin). The researchers even observed that viewers with heightened oxytocin from watching an emotional film were more likely to give money to charity after. Movies are an extremely effective way to teach empathy; you can even see and measure the results scientifically.

Films Provide Education on Several Grounds

The visual medium is the most powerful way of education. People tend to grasp visual learning more than textual ones. Movies are the best way to learn something or any subject matter. There are plenty of educational documentaries that teach us about a concerning issue or anything that has an educative value. Educational documentaries can be one of the best ways to learn about a new subject, especially since not all of us have the time to read up on every current event thoroughly. Documentary films are a great way to educate yourself about politics, history, or anything you want to learn.

Whether it is history or science, movies have everything that can simply educate us most effectively. Films explore society on so many grounds. They dig deep into the culture and find some relevant cinema content that can guide or educate the audience. Movies, both fictional and documentary, have the power to go further than a persuasive speech because they can help an audience see and feel things directly. The film’s colossal reach also makes it a perfect vehicle to educate people on social issues that even the news might not be brave enough to talk about.

Movies Help With Social Responsibility

Not just entertaining people, movies have a social responsibility as well. They are meant to send the right message to the people via their stories and ideas. Not every movie needs to have some social news, but every movie must bring out the best to the audience, something worth a watch. Movies can appeal to people in many ways, and they use many techniques to draw audiences in. There always seem to be many movies that are more about special effects than anything else, and these movies can be popular. Still, the movies that live on as classics always have a more profound message for society.

Today, films are the most important fragment of the entertainment industry; they share most of the revenue. So, it is essential to make movies that do great in society. That can mean many things, like teaching people about misunderstood parts of history, or criticizing influential people, or even just showing people a perspective on things they don’t usually get to see. Movies that live up to their social responsibility wisely use their power of sending a message to a vast number of people. These movies start meaningful dialogues and give us an example of the social responsibility of art.

They Create Innovation

Movies are the best way to get introduced to new things that cannot be explored otherwise. Just like educating the audience, videos are also known to kindle innovation in people as well. Movies bring a new concept to society that compels us to think beyond our imagination. Science fiction movies do precisely the same. They bring in the idea of science with a tinge of drama into it for entertainment purposes. The viewer feels like they are exploring a new world. Science fiction films engage the audience’s imagination with science, which can be the best inspiration source.

Science fiction movies are uniquely suited to drawing people out of their usual expectations and inspiring and innovative thinking. Since the rise of the science fiction movie genre, you can hear regular folks having conversations about time travel and space. There is no doubt in asserting that science fiction movies are simply the best. Irrespective of age, it is the only movie genre that is loved by all. From the space world to witchcraft, films explore many innovative concepts that help us learn something new. Hence, videos are essential to understanding things that are otherwise impossible to get to know.

What Is Science Fiction?

Seeing flying cars, space battles, and robots talking isn’t the only science fiction we know about. There’s a lot more to it. Science fiction is considered the favorite movie genre that people can never get enough of. Science fiction makes us believe in things that are impossible to find otherwise. These movies are filmed in a way that intrigues, entertains, and kindles curiosity at the same time. Whenever people want to believe in some concept, they turn to science, and sci-fi movies are the first source to get the information. More than textual information, people like to think about things through visual media.

As the name suggests, science fiction is a blend of science and fiction, so they cannot be trusted completely. They just create one of a kind visual experience that is entwined in scientific concept. Even though science might not always live up to real research, science fiction films captivate the imagination and focus it on science’s interesting questions. Science fiction movies are an all-encompassing genre; wherein, you can see almost every type together. These movies have suspense, thrill, comedy, and romance sometimes. The storytelling and screenplay of these movies are relatively high quality and more thought-provoking than the usual ones.

Sci-fi is a Top Film Genre

These movies will leave you thinking that something like this can happen in the real world. Many sci-fi movies are based on valid scientific concepts; they are exaggerated for entertainment purposes. While many science fiction movies make up whatever suits their story, you would be surprised how many science fiction movies are backed up by the experts as realistic. Even Jurassic Park, which we know isn’t happening for real anytime soon, was based on the existing genetic theories in the ’90s. Even when you come to the movies for action, you can be learning at the same time.

Sometimes there is more than one reason to fall in love with this genre. And why not? They provide us with more than just entertainment. These films teach us more than we think about current scientific theories. They offer us a glimpse into the present scientific approach’s furthest possibilities, inspiring the intellect and the imagination. These thrilling movies offer fans so much it is hard even to list everything they do for us. Take a look at some of the great reasons people fall in love with sci-fi movies and why they are still considered the best movie genre.

Sci-Fi Films Even Tackle Big Issues

Unlike any other movie genre, sci-fi movies are not afraid to deal with complex issues. Sci-fi movies can be made on futuristic technology and set in a distant world. There’s no limit to the innovations that can be brought to the world of sci-fi movies. If you dig deep into these movies, you will realize that they touch some issues affecting our lives here and now. These issues range from technology to politics and sometimes both at the same time. There are many examples of science fiction films that use the distant future to think about current issues.

For instance, I, Robot is a movie about robots that set on a killing spree. It is science fiction about robots vs. humans. If we come to think about it, such events can happen in our lives as well. We probably won’t be fighting killer robots soon, but movies like this make us think about implementing new technology before we can know the consequences. It won’t take much time for technology to become a bane from a boon. People love science fiction because it brings them closer to the concept that can happen in the near future.

Sci-Fi Movies Inspire and Focus on Current Technology

Whether it is Star Trek’s first cellphone or the AI-powered devices in the Iron Man franchise, sci-fi movies are a great way to embrace the current technology. They look into some current and revolutionary technology and introduce them to the general people. There are plenty of movies that have introduced tech gadgets to the audience and made them believe that such things can exist globally, and it is possible to think beyond the imagination. In real science, technologies seem just as impossible as sci-fi devices are always on the horizon. Science fiction movies help us see those significant transformations are possible.

Though these are not an accurate depiction of the concerned technology, they are enough to kindle curiosity. These films are the dramatic representation of innovative technology. Anyhow, they manage to entertain and intrigue people at the same time—however, some lack when it comes to technology. Viewers should be very aware of this last point and take science fiction films as inspiration for new ideas and fuel for theoretical debates. Science fiction is terrific, but fans should do more research before thinking they fully understand a subject when the concepts are made up just for shock value.

Sci-Fi Promotes Optimism Despite Technological Mishaps

Happy endings are no longer the done things today; they are ever-evolving. There is plenty of movie genres that question the optimism, Can a hero always win? Is it possible that a villain can lead the movie? Some genres are even totally based on pessimism and cynicism. You can think of horror movies where you know everyone will die or the older film noir where the hero couldn’t trust anyone, even themselves. A certain amount of cynicism will be natural when confronting social issues, but the audience needs to feel hope. Moreover, there’s only one genre that still celebrates confidence.

Science fiction is the genre where humanity succeeds over villainy forces. It is a genre where fighting is deemed honorable and not stupid. Many action movies seem to invent ridiculous plots to justify conflict and violence for their own sake. On the other hand, in science fiction movies, you see people come together to save the world, as one example of a familiar plot. Science fiction movies emphasize coming together for bigger causes than all of us and saving the day in the end. In a world where cynicism is the new trend, sci-fi remains one optimistic area that binds the audience.

Sci-Fi Brings to the World of Infinite Possibilities — the Stories, Not the Technology

Where all the other genre focuses on real events and nurtures pessimistic culture, sci-fi remains a genre that opens up the avenue of infinite possibility for humans. It merely takes us to a different world where everything is the exact opposite of the real world. The worlds we see in science fiction are filled with amazing sights and sounds. In some of these worlds, everyday people can do things that we can only dream of, like travel all across the universe in a short time. Science fiction takes us to places where things that we can’t even imagine are possible.

Sci-fi movies, in short, are the escape from the monotonous and mundane real world. It transports viewers to a land where there are infinite possibilities to believe in a concept that is certainly impossible to find in the real world. From the depth of the Earth to the far reaches of the universe, sci-fi movies can take us anywhere with no connection with the real world. Science fiction helps us get away from our own lives, but it also shows us that the world can change. When everything fails, only science fiction works as it makes us believe in the concept that it is impossible to believe.

Science Fiction is For All Generations

There’s no particular age limit to watch sci-fi movies; all you need is to have a curious mind and a heart to believe in the impossible things. There has been no movie genre suited for all generations equally, other than science fiction, as it embraces the concept that intrigues people of all ages. These films have both the wild imagination of magical worlds and thoughtful reflections on society and science. It means that science fiction movies have something for everyone. Be it kids or adults, everyone just adores sci-fi movies. They can together enjoy these movies without getting bored or getting out of interest.

If you have watched The Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood, they are sci-fi movie which is equally lauded among the kids. Science fiction amalgamates a group of audiences together who can together enjoy these movies. Especially for kids and adults, these films and series can be a great way to make friends as they share their love of their favorites. The best examples that sci-fi movies are meant for all ages are Torchwood and Harry Potter franchise that is still loved and applauded by people. These show that just like adults, kids can also use sci-fi to think about the world around them.

It is For Both Men and Women

Just like for all ages, sci-fi movies are meant for both men and women alike. You don’t need to belong to a specific gender to watch certain sci-fi movies. They are filmed in a way that it can entertain both the genders without making them bored. It doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman; sci-fi movies will never disappoint you. Science fiction movies have a large emotional range, even in a single film. Whether you are looking for light entertainment or jostle your mind with a great science concept, this genre has it all to feed your brain.

So if you think that you cannot watch Buffy The Vampire Slayer because you are a man and Transformers because you are a woman, you are certainly missing a lot in life. Some genres are made explicitly for a specific gender, but sci-fi is the only genre where you can find all sorts of movies suited for all genders. Sci-fi offers a world of infinite possibilities of all kinds, so it shouldn’t be surprising that these films can entertain people across all sorts of divisions. Men and women together watch science fiction movies without with equal enthusiasm and vigor.

Sci-Fi Is Timeless

Unlike other genres that require to set in a specific period, sci-fi movies can be filmed with the concept of time beyond time. Yes, indeed, sci-fi movies are not bounded with time. They can be set in the future, past, and even present. Being in 2019, you can experience the world in 2050; that’s the power of sci-movies. It can simply transport you to a world where time has nothing to do with the concept. The possibility of going outside of your own time is even more exciting than going to a different world. Seeing the far future is thrilling, but these films don’t stop there.

For instance, the time-traveling movies touch past, present, and future alike, and everybody loves it. So, if you are looking beyond the concept of time, you know where to look. There are plenty of popular sci-fi movies that challenge the time, and the reason people love them is their unique and innovative concept, which cannot be seen anywhere else. Where else can exploring the idea of time itself be so fun and accessible? The story, the idea, the mechanism, the technology, and everything used in such movies are entirely credible, making the end product a fantastic visual treat.

Busting Senseless Science Technology Used in Sci-Fi Movies

Sci-fi movies come from scientific concepts that are a little overboard. Though they use the base of an actual science concept, they add a dab of dramatic effect to it. Sometimes the little dramatic effect can be exaggerated a bit higher than expected, making the idea utterly senseless. You don’t need to believe in everything that is showcased in sci-fi movies because, as the name suggests, they are science fiction movies that have an element of fiction in them. However, as they use scientific concepts, it becomes quite compelling to start believing in sci-fi concepts.

The science presented in sci-fi films is sometimes only convincing in the plot, falling apart with any serious thought. If we think about it, sci-fi movies don’t make sense. Nevertheless, they are for entertainment purposes, so we should take them as is. The next significant section of this article might be heartbreaking for the diehard sci-fi fan. So, just for a disclaimer, don’t take anything seriously. It is not necessary to dig in deep. Just take a look at some of the senseless science concepts used in sci-fi movies. Take it lightly, or else you will fall out of love in sci-fi movies.

Virtual Reality File-Storing Corridor From Disclosure

Virtual reality is evident in our day-to-day lives, and it is growing exponentially to make our lives better and tech-oriented. If you have watched the movie “Disclosure,” you would have noticed a part of virtual reality used in it. The tech company Digicom used virtual reality to store the data in a virtual system controlled with the help of a panel. Science fiction movies like “Disclosure,” can introduce us to new technologies in very tangible ways through image and story. Disclosure gave us a preview of how important virtual reality and user interfaces would become, but they did not understand virtual reality.

The reality system used to store the data was called Corridors, and Tom Sanders was attempting to break into the Corridors to steal the data. The ridiculous thing about this technology was the use of virtual reality to store data. Virtual reality is used to take the viewer into a different reality and giving an immersive experience rather than creating a storage space to hold data. The rand that Corridor used makes the user feel like they are transported to someplace else with 2D documents projected in front of them. Nothing about virtual reality will make file storage more advanced, but “Disclosure” did help us imagine the virtual reality experience.

Tiny CDs from Men in Black

CD drives are used to save the data. Men in Black depicted this mini gadget and fascinated the viewers with its intriguing size. When Agent K was giving a tour to the newly appointed Agent J introduced the mini CDs and said that they would soon replace the conventional CD. Though mini CDs were a real thing once upon a time, they soon left the scene just as they entered the market. Men in Black showed real technology, but now it seems a little hard to believe those secret agents would use these mini CDs at the cutting edge of science.

They have several drawbacks that made them less famous alternatives for conventional CDs. Due to their tiny size, they were extremely fragile and hard to handle. They started to break within a few uses. It was hard to keep these mini CDs. Though they were made to promote convenience, they were creating chaos for humans. These mini CDs or storage devices have re-entered the digital space with internal storage in mobile devices. From 64 to 256 GB, today, you can store the world on your smartphone. Men in Black didn’t realize we could go fully digital and store information without clunky devices like CDs.

Hand Phones from Total Recall

Total Recall is one of the popular sci-fi movies of all time. The film has introduced a lot of new concepts that were hard to believe. One such idea was the handphones used in it. Total recall is a movie about a company Rekall that works for implanting false memories into people’s minds to escape. When Doud Quaid enters a secret agent memory in the Rekall system, he comes to discover that he was already an agent, and mysterious people are trying to get him out. Total Recall has become a kind of classic sci-fi film. Thrilling as it is, some of the science doesn’t stack up.

In the movie, Doug is seen making seamless audio and video calls using his handphones. It was hard to believe at the time that handphones can do such revolutionary things. The handphone used by Doug was implanted on his bare hands, and that’s something beyond science and even imagination. Even if we think that such technology existed that can embed phones in our skin, then why not implant it close to the ears to make it hands-free? Yes, exactly, that’s why the handphones in Total Recall are something worth every question. Sci-fi movies are imaginative, but what they don’t think of can be unique.

Dr. Know The Search Engine in AI Artificial Intelligence

The search engine is the greatest invention in the digital world. Everything we want to know in this world is just a few clicks and scroll away with search engines’ help. Search engines’ concept was taken over the board when a peculiar search engine Dr. Know was introduced in the movie. When we think of search engines, we can only imagine Google, where we type our search query, and Google shows the relevant results that best answer our question. Nevertheless, Dr. Know, the search engine, has a personality and answers the queries in an actual voice. He interacts with the users, answers the questions, and gives deep insights regarding the asked query.

Voice search is now being popular in the digital world. However, no such thing as a Dr. Know has been developed or been thought about yet. These sci-fi movies clearly state that the scientists of the future, for some reason, are hell-bent on bringing snarky technology to existence, and that’s the reason these technologies are considered baseless and dumb. Alexa is the closest match for Dr. Know, but other than laughing a bit, Alexa does not have any emotions yet so that we can start accepting Dr. Know. There’s no way Dr. Know can exist in the real world, at least not now.

Ziggy’s Handlink From Quantum Leap

The handlink is a device used in the movie Quantum Leap to create a channel to the Imaging Chamber. Users can open and close the chamber through the handlink device, and with the help of this device, the user can also see the Leaper and the surrounding and vice versa. The handlink looked like it was made of legos and always required a pretty good thwack to start working. That might make it easier for viewers to relate to technology, and at the least, it’s a pretty good joke, but we hope that doesn’t accurately predict future technology.

If something of such technology exists, isn’t it supposed to be at least more reliable than the Nintendo Cartridge? That is the question that pops into our minds when we think about the handlink. Though all appreciated the movie, these tiny issues with the technological concept disturb the general belief in science. In the real world, we cannot see the real surroundings like in Quantum Leap, but we sure have remote cameras and tracking systems that help us understand the locations without being present there in real-time. That is worth a leap, isn’t it?

The Jaegers of Pacific Rim

Pacific Rim is all about fighting the creatures from other dimensions and save humanity from their invasion. Jaeger is a transporting machine that helps the traveler to get to different universes. It requires two co-pilots to establish connectivity in the neural pathways. Both the pilots have to work together to coordinate the movements of Jaegers. Three-legged races shown in the movie were called Kaiju and Jaegers were made to destroy them. It is quite hard to tame down such ferocious sea creatures with an enormous machine that is even hard to manage. Technology will change the way we fight wars, but probably not like that.

Such machines are not reliable to attack or even fight a real, deadly creature. Being controlled by humans, it is vulnerable to attacks from animals. Nothing of such kind has been reported in real life. Still, there are reports that a computer science and engineering professor in Texas is developing robots that are more powerful than the Jaegers. Though there is not much information regarding this technology, they will be tiny and compact, according to the sources. Plenty of countries are already using robots, such as Japan, equipped with nurse robots, and Massachusetts police are efficiently using four-legged robots for their investigation purposes.

Brain-Implanted Devices in Johnny Mnemonic

Set in the future, the movie revolves around Johnny Mnemonic works as a freelance data courier who has sensitive data and information stored in his brain. He has done a cyber kinetic implant that lets him store all the relevant data in his mind. Johnny can get access to this information whenever he wants. Everyone who watched the movie was super intrigued by the concept of storing data into the brain that eventually minimizes the risk of data breaches. It left the audience thinking that such intelligence could exist in the real world. However, the question that arises here is how much data can be saved in such brain centric device.

A whopping 80GB or as much is the memory of a smartphone. The movie claims that Johnny carried around 320 GB, which is as much RAM as found in the upgraded PlayStation. It is utterly nonsensical as the brain cannot yet hold such a massive amount of data. On the brighter side, which is much more believable, Elon Musk is on the quest to develop Neuralink. The idea behind Neuralink is to enable paralyzed people to use computers and tablets. It is the closest technology that can be matched with Johnny’s cyber kinetic implant. The chances are that even if we can harness or hack into our brain to store data, we would be able to save a petabyte of data, and that would be enough to capture the internet to its eternity.

The Enhanced Brain Powers in “Lucy”

Have you ever heard the idea that we don’t use most of our brains? You will sometimes hear people say they’ve heard that we would be at some new stage of humanity’s evolution if we could use our whole brain. “Lucy” is one sci-fi movie that explores this concept, but how scientific is it? In “Lucy,” Scarlett Johansson plays a woman who is unsuspectingly exposed to a powerful new drug, unlocks her whole brain, and becomes a superhuman warrior with special powers. This idea is fascinating in the way it crosses neuroscience with our fantasies of psychic abilities. Unfortunately, this whole idea is false.

One neuroscientist, Barry Gordon, took the time to debunk this myth as fake science in an interview with Scientific American. Gordon says, “It turns out though, that we use virtually every part of the brain, and that [most of] the brain is active almost all the time.” It turns out that we use the whole brain for pretty mundane stuff like breathing and knowing where we are. The scientific reality is quite the opposite of the science fiction idea in “Lucy.” Instead of representing higher consciousness, the whole brain is involved in an unconscious activity like regulating your heartbeat. It is one ridiculous sci-fi concept.

Climate Change Is a Real Terror, But Not Like “The Day After Tomorrow”

“The Day After Tomorrow” is iconic as a science fiction movie, both as a movie that championed a necessary social cause and a film with some ridiculous exaggerations of science. This movie showed audiences a world set in the present, but with a new ice age overtaking the world. “The Day After Tomorrow” took some serious liberties with fundamental physics. For one example, in “The Day After Tomorrow” the Gulf Stream stops entirely, and this is supposed to explain how the rest of the events happen so fast. Climate scientists thought it could weaken, but this movie blows it way out of proportion.

Sir David King was the UK’s chief scientific adviser when “The Day After Tomorrow” came out. He summed it up neatly when he said, “The film brings events together into a highly unlikely or even impossible scenario.” Other than some events being impossible, he also criticized the timeline of “The Day After Tomorrow,” saying that this sci-fi movie presents events unfolding within a few weeks that “…would take decades or a century”. Scientists didn’t only have negative things to say when this movie came out. They also hoped Americans would see the film and heed its warnings about the genuine catastrophes that climate change will bring.

“Gravity” Doesn’t Really Get How Gravity Works

Science fiction movies can stun us with their spectacular visual effects in a way that immerses us in new worlds. When any movie is good enough, you start to feel like you are there until it ends, and you have to take a minute to remember where you are. Science fiction can better achieve this result than almost any genre with its fascinating concepts and amazing special effects. When you’re watching a sci-fi movie, the science will start to feel incredibly real. Just because it feels real doesn’t make it real, and many great movies only make sense on the screen.

One movie that gripped science fiction fans with what felt like a realistic depiction of space was the 2013 film “Gravity.” This movie focused on space exploration as it is now instead of bringing in futuristic ideas. That makes it feel real, but according to a technology writer for Slate, they aren’t realistic at all about gravity. An astronaut tries to pull another one to safety in one iconic scene but can’t pull him in. Slate says, “Literally, an ounce of force applied for a few seconds would’ve been enough.” Shouldn’t they both be pretty much weightless? How could he be too heavy without weight?

Jeff Goldblum Couldn’t Have Done This in “Independence Day”

Science fiction fans of all varieties love the genre for its incredible range of subjects, moods, and styles. Some regular staples that science fiction fans expect to be part of the genre and aliens might take the number one spot in this list. Aliens appeal to science fiction fans because they are a real scientific possibility and so foreign to our knowledge that they could be anything at all. Science fiction movies can use aliens to introduce advanced science concepts to the audience, but many films just use alien technology to cover up plot holes.

“Independence Day” is a science fiction movie that nearly everyone has seen, but it does not seem like very much research on scientific concepts went into it. Alien technology is a subject about which we can only theorize and imagine, but still, this movie asks us to believe too much. “Independence Day” goes too far when Jeff Goldblum can shut down alien computer systems with a virus he made on a Mac from the ’90s. The movie says it works because the aliens’ computers also use binary, but if they have the same kind of computer systems we do, then why can’t they stop a simple computer virus?

Was “Minority Report” Accurate or Not?

Science fiction movies are best when they predict future technologies and make us see our society’s course. Some science fiction movies get very dystopian and hopeless, but not just to be cynical. These films invite us to ask deep questions about what technology should be used for. “Minority Report” is one dystopian science fiction movie that remains relevant today because it shows unchecked surveillance problems. This film also came up with some pretty interesting technologies for the screen. Some of them seem like they could be realistic, but others not so much.

The most unrealistic part of this movie was probably the cyborg-type psychics that predicted and gave sentences as if they were judges. In reality, surveillance algorithms only need to analyze data or answer a question based on some data. The idea of cyborgs or robots giving judgments and sentences seems unnecessary when you could have judges and investigators use the data to make judgments as they usually would. In fact, this is already pretty much happening, proving that you do not need to make the kind of cyborg person that sci-fi movies love to show in order to use technology for surveillance.

“Minority Report” Got Some Tech Right

We just explained what does not seem all that scientific about the science fiction technology in the well-known sci-fi thriller “Minority Report.” If anybody out there hasn’t seen it yet, don’t get the wrong impression. “Minority Report” exaggerated parts of the technology to achieve a dramatic effect. The psychics gave a scarier, more futuristic look than a regular judge with a data analyst by their side. This film also got a lot of stuff right, and the realistic parts might surprise you. “Minority Report” put some serious thought into the smaller details of its imagined future tech.

One piece of technology that “Minority Report” seems to have predicted accuracy is gesture-controlled interfaces for computers. Touch screens and voice recognition are the things right now, as smartphones have become the computers that many of us use the most often, if not for work. As touch screens have made it possible to imagine a world without fully physical keyboards, it seems logical that the next step will involve ditching buttons entirely. The gesture-controlled tech imagined in “Minority Report” also reminds us of the ways that some virtual reality and augmented reality devices already run.

Dino DNA in “Jurassic Park” Impossible

“Jurassic Park” is an iconic sci-fi movie that can rival most films in how well it’s been known, loved, and remembered since it was released. It remains a classic because it has something for everyone, with an interesting genetic theory for the science fiction fans that want to get deep in science. The basic idea of “Jurassic Park” is that if we could find dinosaur DNA, we could figure out cloning technology to bring dinosaurs back to life and see them ourselves. This idea is both fascinating and a little terrifying. It turns out that science says it is impossible.

Nobody expected to see dinosaur parks open up after this movie, but it still left viewers of all ages fascinated by the possibilities of genetic science and archaeology. The flaws, however, start very early in this film’s story. That dinosaur blood they find preserved in a fossilized bug? They couldn’t have seen it in the first place. Researches have since measured how long DNA can last, and even under ideal conditions, any viable dinosaur DNA broke down long before humans were even around. If you want to know just how far off they were, the last non-avian dinosaur DNA expired 59 million years ago.

“Jurassic Park” Didn’t Get Cloning Right

We’ve already debunked one big piece of the story behind “Jurassic Park” but the science exaggerations go beyond the one detail of the miraculous dinosaur DNA that couldn’t be there. “Jurassic Park” also shows some events that don’t match up with real genetic science. Science writer Brian Switek says that there is no way we could figure out dinosaur genomes because you need a living animal as a kind of reference to tell you how the DNA should be ordered. In “Jurassic Park” they get around this by mixing in frog DNA. That is ridiculous since they already knew then that birds are closer to dinosaurs.

In “Jurassic Park” after they’ve mixed dinosaur DNA with frogs, they can grow these cloned dinosaurs in bird eggs. The dinosaurs’ actual cloning in this movie makes even less scientific sense than the ways they treated the DNA, making the dinosaur clones. Switek says that a cloned embryo requires interaction with a mothers’ body to grow; you can’t just put it in an egg. Hopefully, fans of the iconic “Jurassic Park” will not be too disappointed to learn that this science doesn’t check out. After all, it didn’t go very well for them in the movie.

“Star Wars” Lightsaber Is Impossible

Science fiction has been a top genre in popularity and shapes peoples’ ideas since it first showed up. Of all the many science fiction movies to have captured our imaginations, one title stands out as the biggest and most well known in this genre. That is “Star Wars” of course, and you might have already started wondering why this article hadn’t mentioned it yet. You don’t have to be any kind of veteran science fiction fan to know about “Star Wars,” it seems like you couldn’t avoid hearing about it if you wanted to. As groundbreaking as this movie was, some of the most classic parts are not backed by real science.

Of all the spectacular visual effects and technologies shown in “Star Wars” the lightsaber is everyone’s favorite. This iconic laser sword is the biggest thing that makes this series’ style. Some fascinating theories are always going around about how we could build something like this. It definitely couldn’t be done the way most of us think of the lightsaber as a kind of controlled laser. There is no way to stop a beam of concentrated light at a certain length. If you’ve ever used a simple laser pointer, you can tell that lasers couldn’t make a colorful blade like that.

That One Indiana Jones Scene

The “Indiana Jones” series as a whole can be a little difficult to classify by genre. However, the final one dipped into sci-fi with a plot building up to alien discoveries, despite how these movies usually deal more with the ancient. Regardless of whether you can genuinely call it sci-fi, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” gets at least an honorable mention, and the alien stuff isn’t even the reason. Whether or not “Indiana Jones” is a true science fiction story, this movie has a science error so obvious and funny that it inspired a phrase: “nuking the fridge.”

Science fiction fans love to roast this wildly inaccurate scene from “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” However, for anyone who missed it, Indy stumbles onto a blast site for a nuclear bomb, and he comes with the “genius” solution of hiding in a nearby fridge. That’s right, a fridge. The logic of the movie says it was lead-lined and that shielded him from radiation. That is kind of clever, but it seems apparent that he and the fridge would be destroyed. Come on! This series is widely loved, but it also gave us one of the worst movie science mistakes.

“The Core” Has Too Much Ridiculous Science to Keep Track

People often don’t care about things that aren’t right in front of them, even if they are hugely important. Science fiction movies are the best at helping people imagine how today’s world will change. That explains why in the 2000s, there were many science fiction films about humanity coming together to save the Earth from ecological disaster. These natural disaster-based sci-fi movies are essential for teaching people about the importance of the environment. However, some of these movies stretched the science ridiculously far to make the events dramatic. One of these films that did not age the best, for this reason, was “The Core.”

“The Core” definitely had a good message about the world working together to solve big problems, but the issues with its science start at the beginning of its premise. In this stopping the apocalypse-type movie, the Earth’s core stops rotating for some reason. If an international team of scientists can’t start it up again by setting off bombs in the core (you heard me right), the Earth’s magnetic field will disappear, and the sun’s radiation will fry us like ants under a magnifying glass. It’s inspirational when they save the day, but it makes no sense. The whole atmosphere protects us from solar radiation, so this wouldn’t happen.

Theoretically, Time Travel Is Possible

Researchers believe time travel is possible, theoretically. It is one of the major themes that shows up over and over in science fiction. In fact, it is highly likely that if you put on a sci-fi movie, there will be time travel in it. Many of the sci-fi movies that involve time travel imagine a timeline that goes backward and forwards and grapple with the paradox that emerges from that assumption. The paradox is that we will alter the timeline if we change something in the past, and it is called the grandfather paradox. One of the most well-known examples of this paradox is from Back to the Future.

When Marty McFly travels back in time, he puts his future existence at risk by accidentally preventing his parents from meeting each other. It looks like, if time travel were possible, Marty would have been fine. According to researchers at the University of Queensland, if you could change the past, the timeline would “self-correct” and make sure whatever happened to make you want to go back in time would still happen somehow. But that’s only IF it is possible. Time travel may be theoretically possible, but our concept of physics would have to be altered fundamentally for it to be so, and that is unlikely.

You Probably Can’t Move Faster Than the Speed of Light 

According to Einstein’s theory of relativity, objects with mass cannot move faster than the speed of light. To do so would break our entire concept of physics. However, what if there were some loophole to get around this? Trying to manipulate our mass would probably be deadly. Nevertheless, what if I told you there are multiple theories in existence that speculate ways in which we could control the space around a spaceship in order to travel at light speed. Two methods are theorized that may use space, wormholes, and warp drives.

There are some potential problems with this theory, in any case. You are still moving at average speeds; imagine how old you would get before you came out the other side. Moreover, there is also the issue of the other side. We don’t know where it would be or how to get to it. In a wormhole, there would not be stars for navigation. Researchers think highly sophisticated computers could calculate this location information and direct you to the right place. There is still the pesky problem of time, though. For that reason, this theory always seems unrealistic.

There Are Multiple Speed of Light Loopholes

In addition to wormholes, there is another theoretical loophole to achieve travel at the speed of light – warp drives. You will notice this loophole in many sci-fi movies. Warp drives manipulate space by contracting it in front of the spaceship and then expanding its reach. That would theoretically create a wave, which would lead to the ship’s destination. So, take that, physics! Widely popular sci-fi shows like Futurama and Star Trek play with the concept of warp drives, so most people are probably familiar with the thought of them. It is exciting that there’s some actual science behind the idea.

Apparently, there is something called “negative energy” which could make traveling faster than the speed of light. There have even been studies that produced negative energy in a lab through something called the Casimir effect. The concept relies on the idea that a vacuum is not empty but full of electromagnetic fluctuations. Causing a disturbance to those fluctuations creates negative energy, which would theoretically cause a wormhole to appear. Furthermore, if all that sounds a little too confusing, we can indulge in some sci-fi — enjoy it for the entertainment purposes only.

Star Trek Tech Is Surprisingly Accurate

Even though much of the technology in Star Trek is futuristic and fictional, a lot of it is plausible. At least, this is true given what we know now. Most people are familiar with the science fiction ideas seen in Star Trek. It is a household name at this point. So it is cool that a broad audience is being exposed to real science. Moreover, while the writers do not get everything right regarding technology and science, it’s based more on science than most science fiction. Even though it is mostly accurate, not all of the technology is based on science.

Given the technology we have now, many of the sci-fi concepts found in Star Trek aren’t totally unreasonable to imagine. For the most part, scientists agree that there could be more carbon-based life-forms (like us) in the universe. It’s plausible there could be alien life, given the abundance of carbon in the universe. We could create artificial gravity as we see in Star Trek, probably. However, scientists aren’t sure exactly how we would go about it. Even something as farfetched as the cloaking devices used in Star Trek has been developed for real, albeit on a tiny, utterly unrealistic level. However realistic, I wouldn’t expect any of this technology to manifest any time soon.

Sci-Fi Is the Favorite Genre of All Time — Minus The Senseless Technology

There is no doubt in asserting that sci-fi movies are by far one of the best movies that are made. People of all ages are equally gaga over the concept of science fiction. Whether it is the intriguing concept or the innovative technology used in it, science fiction never fails to entertain and kindle the audience’s curiosity. Even the experts think sci-fi is the most critical genre, according to an article from Wired magazine. The genre helps shape public understanding of technology before it happens, giving society some time to reflect on whether it’s a good, bad, or just plain idiotic idea.

Science fiction movies touch on some real science concepts by adding a tinge of drama to entertainment. Nevertheless, some films make the scientific theory seem dumb. Though we tend to believe in them as they have a lifelike feel, some thoughts are stupid. It is not shaming the sci-fi movies to introduce these concepts, but it is necessary to put light into them to note such impossible ideas that are hard to believe. Sorry, but we are probably not ever going to travel through space at light-speed or travel through time. According to the laws of physics, as we know them, it’s just impossible.

Sci-Fi Is Here to Stay

The above mentioned were a few science technologies used in sci-fi that make no sense of it. There is no doubt that they provide one of a kind viewing experience, and we do not question the technology when we watch as we are so amazed by the rich visual experience. We often don’t even notice unrealistic technology, even for the future. That is, if you are not paying enough attention because the movie concept is excellent. A phone implanted into your hand? Sure, neat; that seems reasonable until you think about it a little bit more.

After the movie, we come to think of it as the dumbest thing to have watched. Some of those science concepts were busted above. The reasons provided are so evident that it can question the movie makers for providing such stupid information to the audience. However, as it is said, “science fiction,” we cannot believe everything we see on the screen. Even though we know that some of the things we see in sci-fi aren’t real or are even silly, it’s safe to say the genre is widely beloved. Sci-fi isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

Don’t Take the Technology Too Seriously

Science fiction is not meant for you to dig in deep and find meaning behind every concept it introduces. These movies are meant for sheer entertainment that is quite different from other movie genres. The only difference between sci-fi and other movie genres is simply the out of the box concepts it brings in. While it is true that sci-fi has predicted many of the technologies we use today, like cell phones, self-driving cars, and video chatting, it’s probably a good thing that a lot of the wild technology we see in sci-fi does not exist in the real world.

These movies’ stories and ideas are beyond our imagination, and that’s the major takeaways of these movies. Enjoy the sci-fi flick for unwavering entertainment rather than digging deep into its concept and finding it dumb at the end. It would be so heartbreaking to understand that the sci-fi movie that you enjoyed after a long time was utterly senseless. Some of the technologies we see in sci-fi movies would be downright bad ideas. Seriously, flying cars? The risk alone would be enough to skyrocket everyone’s insurance premiums. No thanks. It is one technology that will probably stay a fantasy.

Sources:

Ranker – The Dumbest Technology In Science Fiction

The Atlantic – Why the West Loves Sci-Fi and Fantasy: A Cultural Explanation

Business Insider – The 69 Worst Science Fiction Movies Of All Time, According To Critics

Cracked – 6 Pieces of Sci-Fi Technology That Make No Sense

Space – 13 Things ‘Star Trek’ Gets Right (and Wrong) About Space Tech

Interesting Engineering – Fact or Science Fiction: How Accurate Are Some of Hollywood’s Most Iconic Sci-Fi Films?

CNN Business – 15 years after ‘Minority Report’: A cautionary film, ignored

USA Today – 6 ridiculous things that happen in the original ‘Independence Day’

Slate – Bad Astronomy Movie Review: Gravity

BBC UK – Climate film ‘flawed but useful’

NPR – Paradox-Free Time Travel Is Theoretically Possible, Researchers Say

Space – Why Warp Drives Aren’t Just Science Fiction

Scientific American – Do People Only Use 10 Percent of Their Brains?