The science in Interstellar is a mixed bag: black holes are very real, buta planet orbiting a black hole would look very different and shuttles don’t fly on fumes. The whole movie is like that: the astrophysics is either totally spot-on, or absolutely not, and even makes the science consultant cringe.
Have you seen Interstellar? What are your thoughts on the science? Does the emphasis on astrophysical accuracy make the inaccuracies stand out even more? Or does it create spare plausibility, helping carry the story through its more outrageous asks?
10 November Update: On Physics Today, editor Charles Day is discussing the science of the extinction scenario. Meanwhile, you know Neil DeGrasse Tyson can’t help but add his comments on the science of the movie in a series of tweets:
In #Interstellar: All leading characters, including McConaughey, Hathaway, Chastain, & Caine play a scientist or engineer.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) November 10, 2014
In #Interstellar: There’s a robot named KIPP. One of the Executive Producers, a physicist, is named Kip. I’m just saying.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) November 10, 2014
In #Interstellar: And in the real universe, strong gravitational fields measurably slow passage of time relative to others.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) November 10, 2014
GPS satellites, located farther from Earth’s center than we are, keep faster time than do our clocks on Earth’s surface.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) November 10, 2014
GPS Satellites are pre-corrected for General Relativity, allowing them to beam us the accurate time for Earth’s surface.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) November 10, 2014
In #Interstellar: Experience Einstein’s Relativity of Time as no other feature film has shown.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) November 10, 2014
In #Interstellar: Experience Einstein's Curvature of Space as no other feature film has shown.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) November 10, 2014
Relativity. Gravity. Quantum. Electrodynamics. Evolution. Each of these theories is true, whether or not you believe in them.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) November 10, 2014
In #Interstellar: The producers knew exactly how, why, & when you’d achieve zero-G in space.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) November 10, 2014
In #Interstellar: You observe great Tidal Waves from great Tidal Forces, of magnitude that orbiting a Black Hole might create
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) November 10, 2014
In #Interstellar: You enter a 3-Dimensional portal in space. Yes, you can fall in from any direction. Yes, it’s a Worm Hole.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) November 10, 2014
In #Interstellar: They reprise the matched-rotation docking maneuver from "2001: A Space Odyssey," but they spin 100x faster.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) November 10, 2014
In #Interstellar: Of the leading characters (all of whom are scientists or engineers) half are women. Just an FYI.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) November 10, 2014
In #Interstellar: On another planet, around another star, in another part of the galaxy, two guys get into a fist fight.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) November 10, 2014
In #Interstellar, if you didn’t understand the physics, try Kip Thorne’s highly readable Bbook “The Science of Interstellar"
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) November 10, 2014
In #Interstellar, if you didn’t understand the plot, there is no published book to help you.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) November 10, 2014
In #Interstellar: They explore a planet near a Black Hole. Personally, I’d stay as far the hell away from BlackHoles as I can
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) November 10, 2014
