"A serious Man" is "fully based on the concept of Schrodinger's Cat" , what? It is a post-modern retelling of The Book of Job, not sure other than the main character being a physics professor. At one point a failing student states that he understands Schrodinger's Cat, to which he is immediately admonished, for the analogy being pop-physics, and without understanding the math it is useless.
I liked the scene in which a student complained to the teacher because he did not get a good grade. The student try to convince the teacher that he might get the math wrong but understands the story of the cat. The teacher reply that the physics is all about math and that he himself don't understand the cat.
This list is fun movies that have some kind of physics theme.
Coherence was a really fun movie shot an absolute shoestring budget but it's about like a magic comet that unlocks parallel universes at a dinner party. It's high-concept sci-fi and not realistic at all.
Yeah, I didn't get that comment either and even tried to do a web search on it. I've seen A Serious Man numerous times. It's one of my favorite movies.
But it isn't about physics. It's overall theme is somewhat cryptic but it is making statements. It is less cryptic than Coen's other films like Barton Fink.
If you haven't seen the Coen Brother's filmography, start with A Serious Man. It's the kind of movie that gives you nostalgia for loneliness. It probably could have helped me in my teenage years. It's undoubtedly a cathartic movie for those who have had unfortunate luck or feel misunderstood.
There is a pretty big theme throughout the movie of not knowing what's going on though. Although not really being about physics directly, there is also another theme of anecdotes and stories being (often comically) useless as ways of explanation.
I don't get the love for Interstellar either. Their black hole rendering was about the only interesting thing about that movie. The rest of it was predictable and generic right up until the end at which point is felt like a jumping the shark movement with its ridiculousness.
While true, Gravity was an incredible spectacle when viewed in IMAX 3D. I would argue seeing it in a normal theatre or at home would be such a lesser experience, it would be as if you were watching a different movie.
The IMAX 3D movie conveyed the black emptiness of space, the splendor of Earth from orbit, the velocity of moving objects, and the inertia of a human body in a way that dazzled the viewer. It was astonishing.
True, the physics was wrong. By not as wrong as other films.
Watching this after Planates anime (2002) was so underwhelming. Its about an underequipped team tasked with retrieving space debris. It featured a kid born on moon with accelerated ageing, risk of cancer, inequitable fight for resources, token compliance of environment cleanup. Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igmZSI3kILY OP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeBPzoilfQk
This is a list of movies that would be interesting to people who like physics, not movies that accurately depict physical phenomena. As someone with a physics degree, I've enjoyed almost every movie on this list, so I would say it has something going for it.
People watch movies for the fantasy element, including physics lovers. Some of us watch gravitational simulations all day long as part of our work. We don't go to the movies to watch them in cinematic form when we're off the clock. It's fine if they get the physics wrong imo, and again, I say that as someone who invested a lot of time and money in understanding physics.
"Contact" could be seen as interpretation of General Relativity. On earth, to the outside observer, it appears like the space travel took no time. On board the spaceship the time lasted much longer. I guess the space ship curved the the space-time.
Contact is the film every single one of my astronomy professors have recommended at some point. It may be fantasy but seems to really resonate with scientists.
A list of Physics movies, without mentioning the most accurate depiction of Graduate School? No list is complete without the glory that is Real Genius. "Self-realization. I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, "... I drank what?"" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089886/?ref_=tt_ch
A bunch of movies suggested in this list actually suck and not really scientifically accurate either, as many others have already pointed out.
On a side note, if you go through the comment section on the blog, it's quite evident that the author have used paid commenters to increase its rating/impact.
I wish we could do the same for Computer Science/Software. Movies like "Travelling Salesman" or "Pirates of Silicon Valley" or "Imitation Game" would be great suggestions but typically things like the Matrix or Ghost in the Shell are recommended which for me are great movies but poor examples of the discipline.
I would add "The Arrival", which I enjoyed a lot (rare for a movie based on a story I love). Even though it dropped the crucial physics reference, which was the turning point in "The Story of Your Life".
Still, physicist or not, if you are interested what is time, I couldn't recommend a better writer than Ted Chiang.
Man, Contact is excellent. It gives me a bit of a "Seinfeld" effect where in the modern day it feels like it leans heavily on tropes but the movie itself is likely one of the founders of those tropes, if that makes sense
My favorite physically-based sci-fi is “The Expanse” (TV show on Amazon). The physics and constraints of space travel are not only accurately depicted, but also used to drive the story forward in interesting ways.
I've always liked the movie because it attempts to examine religious lore with science, faith vs. logic. It touches on many explanations for things they're experiencing: multiple universes, tachyons, etc.
There have been a number of recent "mission to Mars" movie all with the same basic plot - a critical system breaks on the long voyage, and they're all gonna die. There's never a backup system for the critical one, no repair parts, either.
It's always either the air recycling system or the water one.
"Stowaway" is the latest in this genre. There, a suitcase size device breaks in this massive spaceship. No backup. Can't fix it. All gonna die.
It's crazy to design a long term deep space ship like that.
The only one I can really back on this list as a physicist rather than a movie lover is The Martian. I watched it at quite a low point in my physics undergrad and it re-sparked my joy for physics. At least until I graduated! Hey-ho.
Cannot agree more. If I remembered correctly, there was such an obvious bug in 'Gravity' that in the orbit, if you want to catch up with another object in front of you, you cannot simply accelerate, or you will result in getting further from it. In stead you will have to decelerate first and then accelerate again. The result is counter intuitive, I remember that simply because I did not believe it at first and as a result we did such calculation on the blackboard while I was in high school.
"Gravity" had comic book physics in a lot of places, but it was still a really good movie that opens with an amazing single shot that goes on for something like 13 minutes. I can cut it a lot of slack on the physics.
Pi is a good psycho-thriller, but the maths aspect is weak and physics is nonexistent. If anything, it is more religious (namely, Jewish) than scientific.
Math here is used more as a way of showcasing the main character's madness than actual mathematical thinking.
It you like maths, you may want to watch Futurama, especially the "The Prisoner of Benda" episode, where they made an actual theorem just for the episode, and the formal proof can be seen on screen for a short time.
IQ! It's a romantic comedy, but it's very sweet and features great performances from Walter Matthau as Einstein, Lou Jacobi as Godel and the rest of the IAS crew.
Boris Podolsky: James! How's the rat business?
James Moreland: Well, actually it's mostly students I'm experimenting on now.
> If the title contains a gratuitous number or number + adjective, we'd appreciate it if you'd crop it. E.g. translate "10 Ways To Do X" to "How To Do X," and "14 Amazing Ys" to "Ys." Exception: when the number is meaningful, e.g. "The 5 Platonic Solids."
It was a great movie. Too few mistakes. For example voice didn't get past the time barrier/wall. People should not have been to cross the barrier either but then this film was not possible
[+] [-] leecarraher|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] varajelle|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tootie|4 years ago|reply
Coherence was a really fun movie shot an absolute shoestring budget but it's about like a magic comet that unlocks parallel universes at a dinner party. It's high-concept sci-fi and not realistic at all.
[+] [-] goldenkey|4 years ago|reply
But it isn't about physics. It's overall theme is somewhat cryptic but it is making statements. It is less cryptic than Coen's other films like Barton Fink.
If you haven't seen the Coen Brother's filmography, start with A Serious Man. It's the kind of movie that gives you nostalgia for loneliness. It probably could have helped me in my teenage years. It's undoubtedly a cathartic movie for those who have had unfortunate luck or feel misunderstood.
[+] [-] bmitc|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] hellbannedguy|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ekianjo|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] hnlmorg|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] twirlip|4 years ago|reply
The IMAX 3D movie conveyed the black emptiness of space, the splendor of Earth from orbit, the velocity of moving objects, and the inertia of a human body in a way that dazzled the viewer. It was astonishing.
True, the physics was wrong. By not as wrong as other films.
[+] [-] aitchnyu|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] cm2187|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ModernMech|4 years ago|reply
People watch movies for the fantasy element, including physics lovers. Some of us watch gravitational simulations all day long as part of our work. We don't go to the movies to watch them in cinematic form when we're off the clock. It's fine if they get the physics wrong imo, and again, I say that as someone who invested a lot of time and money in understanding physics.
[+] [-] arnejenssen|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] spodek|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] forgotpwd16|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rcpt|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] amelius|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mikestew|4 years ago|reply
Not all physics lovers, no. Just the physics lovers who love to throw things at screens.
[+] [-] question11|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] JimBlackwood|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] amatern|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mmmBacon|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rex_lupi|4 years ago|reply
On a side note, if you go through the comment section on the blog, it's quite evident that the author have used paid commenters to increase its rating/impact.
[+] [-] s_dev|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] stared|4 years ago|reply
Still, physicist or not, if you are interested what is time, I couldn't recommend a better writer than Ted Chiang.
[+] [-] imhoguy|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] elijaht|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] elil17|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jeffwass|4 years ago|reply
Primer is perhaps the best time-travel movie I’ve seen.
[+] [-] geenew|4 years ago|reply
https://www.decayfilm.com/
[+] [-] trimbo|4 years ago|reply
I've always liked the movie because it attempts to examine religious lore with science, faith vs. logic. It touches on many explanations for things they're experiencing: multiple universes, tachyons, etc.
[+] [-] martyvis|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] WalterBright|4 years ago|reply
It's always either the air recycling system or the water one.
"Stowaway" is the latest in this genre. There, a suitcase size device breaks in this massive spaceship. No backup. Can't fix it. All gonna die.
It's crazy to design a long term deep space ship like that.
[+] [-] reedf1|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] geocrasher|4 years ago|reply
Astronaut Chris Hadfield Reviews Space Movies, from 'Gravity' to 'Interstellar': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RkhZgRNC1k
[+] [-] Wowfunhappy|4 years ago|reply
Sure he had a lot of issues with it but it didn’t sound all bad.
[+] [-] mrjin|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] larrydag|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ConceptJunkie|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] operatorius|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] GuB-42|4 years ago|reply
Math here is used more as a way of showcasing the main character's madness than actual mathematical thinking.
It you like maths, you may want to watch Futurama, especially the "The Prisoner of Benda" episode, where they made an actual theorem just for the episode, and the formal proof can be seen on screen for a short time.
[+] [-] hansor|4 years ago|reply
All without sex scenes, silly jokes or some out of order music...
I highly recommend this movie to everyone - I have never seen anything like it for past 20 years...
> My hypothesis: Within the stock market, there is a pattern as well. Right in front of me. Hiding behind the numbers. Always has been.
[+] [-] weeeeelp|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] doctor_eval|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] larrydag|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] seanc|4 years ago|reply
Boris Podolsky: James! How's the rat business?
James Moreland: Well, actually it's mostly students I'm experimenting on now.
Kurt Godel: My God, the mazes must be enormous.
[+] [-] akavel|4 years ago|reply
> If the title contains a gratuitous number or number + adjective, we'd appreciate it if you'd crop it. E.g. translate "10 Ways To Do X" to "How To Do X," and "14 Amazing Ys" to "Ys." Exception: when the number is meaningful, e.g. "The 5 Platonic Solids."
https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html)
[+] [-] magicalhippo|4 years ago|reply
Similar in theme, I also enjoyed The Endless[2].
[1]: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4815122/
[2]: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3986820/
[+] [-] smusamashah|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] amanaplanacanal|4 years ago|reply