Which SciFi Movies Have The Most Accurate Depictions Of Time Travel

Which Sci-Fi Movies Have The Most Accurate Depictions Of Time Travel

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Time travel can be a fun premise – but is its portrayal in sci-fi blockbusters like Back to the Future and Interstellar scientifically accurate?

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Which SciFi Movies Have The Most Accurate Depictions Of Time Travel

The portrayal of time travel in cinema is heavily imprinted in our collective consciousness, often used as a staple in sci-fi and dystopian settings, such as in Back to the Future and The Terminator. Owing to the theoretical nature of relativity and quantum mechanics, as well as misconceptions regarding the nature of space-time, time travel movies mostly hinge upon the concept’s artistic or philosophical implications, rather than scientific accuracy. While lighthearted and comedy-driven films such as Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure or Hot Tub Time Machine are not meant to be scrutinized from a scientific standpoint, narratives that portray convoluted time loops and paradoxes should be dissected on more scientifically accurate grounds.

What Sci-Fi Movies Often Get Wrong About Time Travel

Which SciFi Movies Have The Most Accurate Depictions Of Time Travel

The sci-fi genre is no stranger to outlandish or illogical time travel inaccuracies, such as the temporal anomalies present in Looper or Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. However, it is difficult to deem what’s plausible and what’s not, as the reality of time travel is still muddled and shrouded in scientific speculation. For instance, a fairly recent series of papers by physicist Nicolas Gisin puts forward a theory backed by intuitionistic mathematics: points in time, such as the past or “now,” do not exist, as time holds no physical connection to reality, which is “constantly shifting,” making the act of travelling through time improbable.

Per Einstein’s theory of relativity, time is illusory and relative, wherein space-time is inexplicably intertwined and cannot be deemed as independent entities. Within the four-dimensional fabric of space-time, one needs to approach the speed of light in order to travel through time—a feat demanding superhuman abilities. On a practical level, this is complicated further by complex gravitational and mechanical interactions. When testing these theories against the portrayal of time travel in movies like Back to the Future Part II, the science doesn’t hold up. Caltech physicist Sean Carroll criticizes the film’s version of time travel, pointing out the laws of physics forbid one from jumping around the space-time continuum at will. Apart from this, the DeLorean DMC-12 travelling at 88mph for achieving time travel disregards several foundational theories of speed and gravity, in turn, creating irresolvable time dilations and paradoxes.

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Sci-Fi Movies With (Mostly) Accurate Depictions Of Time Travel

Which SciFi Movies Have The Most Accurate Depictions Of Time Travel

On the flip side, if weighing the cinematic portrayal of time travel solely against scientific accuracy, it would invariably invalidate the premise for 99% of sci-fi narratives. Keeping this in mind, Interstellar and Contact come close in terms of their depictions of time travel shenanigans. Interstellar does a fairly accurate job visually representing the supermassive black hole Gargantua, which is based on real-life physics simulations. Time dilation, or the relative passage of time on the planet close to Gargantua, is also portrayed in a believable manner . However, it is highly unlikely that such a planet could practically exist at such close vicinity without being swallowed by the black hole in its entirety.

The concept of time travel via wormholes is often cited in movies as a simplistic way of travelling from Point A to Point B as a short cut across space-time (Event Horizon, Donnie Darko, and Thor: Ragnarok, to name a few). Contact, based on a novel by Carl Sagan and starring Jodie Foster, does a remarkable job in balancing scientific authenticity and fictional integrity. The idea of relativistic motion facilitated by a wormhole (or Einstein–Rosen bridge), which is essentially a rip in space-time, is explored with commendable nuance. Conversely, Contact disregards the possibility that wormholes theoretically exist in sub-atomic sizes and are collapsible, requiring massive amounts of negative energy for it to expand and sustain itself, hence making travel impossible.

Scientific accuracy aside, time travel movies like 12 Monkeys, Groundhog Day, Timecrimes, and Primer need to be recognized for their narrative brilliance and artistic re-imagining of concepts that prove to be elusive. The merit of sci-fi narratives that imbibe the intricacies of time travel should by no means be discredited solely due to ideas that seem practically implausible. These concepts, when executed with the aid of compelling visuals and solid storytelling, can help create the right amount of suspension of disbelief. On the other hand, if time travel is introduced simply as a poorly thought out plot device or a deus ex machina, these narratives can end up hackneyed or trite.

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How Future Sci-Fi Movies Can Portray Time Travel More Accurately

Most sci-fi narratives featuring time travel fail on the accuracy front, as there is a general perception that stories helmed by overtly scientific premises can alienate mass audiences. This can be refuted by the worldwide recognition garnered by the German series Dark, along with the enthusiasm with which fans dissect the “Many Worlds Theory” presented in Avengers: Endgame. For starters, writers and filmmakers should strive for a balance between scientific accuracy and audience accessibility—this way, one can evoke larger-than-life concepts without compromising on science or art. Moreover, the reason why films like Interstellar and Contact come closest to accurate depictions of time travel is that they were made in close collaboration with real scientists and theoretical physicists (in both cases, Kip Thorne), providing the baseline for what’s wildly implausible and what’s not.

Apart from this, rather than spiraling into the clichéd tropes of time travel, new horizons can be explored in terms of the ramifications of space-time disruption on the everyday man. While time travel facilitated by magic or supernatural abilities (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Doctor Strange) can be other-worldly or fascinating, these plot devices often neglect the effects of retro causality on human memories, dreams, ideas, perceptions, and identities. Much inspiration can be taken from the latest breakthroughs or controversial theories in quantum mechanics and theoretical physics. For instance, movies can consider the hypothetical existence of tachyons, or particles that can potentially travel faster than light and backwards in time. However, only time will tell if moviegoers will soon witness fresh and (almost) scientifically accurate depictions of time travel in sci-fi narratives.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/sci-fi-movies-time-travel-science-most-accurate/

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