Science movies are usually science fiction
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Sorry, Tara Reid. A clipboard, lab coat and glasses does not a scientist make.
When it comes science in movies, most of it makes real scientists squirm. Could neutrinos destroy the world like they do in the film "2012?"
The answer? Nope.
"The plot conveniently ignores the fact that neutrinos pass straight through matter — even us — without doing much of anything," according to Smithsonian Magazine.
Other eyeroll-worthy movies include "Armageddon" (painful for physicists), "The Core" (torture for geologists) and "Chain Reaction" (cringe-inducing for, well, everyone).
Among the movies that get science right are "Contact," "Finding Nemo" and "2001: A Space Odyssey." David Kirby, geneticist and author of Lab Coats in Hollywood: Science, Scientists, and Cinema, tells Smithsonian Magazine why these films are at the top of the heap when it comes to realistic portrayals of science.
Share your examples of good, bad and ugly film science in the comments.
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