Science in the Movies
What Earth Would Have Really Looked Like in Adam Driver's '65'
If you were to travel back in time you’d find a mix of the familiar and strange on our planet
14 Fun Facts About Black Panthers
Many of the Marvel superhero’s powers are inspired by the namesake predator
Original 'E.T.' Mechatronic Model Could Fetch $3 Million at Auction
The metallic skeleton, created by special effects pro Carlo Rambaldi in 1981, features 85 movement points
Great Scott! 'Back to the Future' Is Coming to Broadway
Marty McFly, Doc Brown and their iconic DeLorean are heading to New York City this summer
Tom Cruise Might Become the First Civilian to Spacewalk at the ISS
Universal is game to send Cruise into space for a proposed action film, but plans aren't official yet
This Visual Effects Studio Transformed Movies Forever
A new documentary tells the story of Industrial Light and Magic, the pioneering team that brought films like "Star Wars" and "Jurassic Park" to life
The Very Real Effort to Track Killer Asteroids and Comets
In "Don't Look Up," researchers warn authorities about a comet hurtling towards Earth. Such a scenario isn’t just science fiction
If Marvel Obeyed Physics, Thanos Couldn't Have Snapped While Wearing the Infinity Gauntlet
Inspired by the 'Avengers: Infinity War' movie, a group of scientists investigated the friction behind the iconic finger snap
Marty McFly's 'Back to the Future II' Hoverboard Sells for $500,000
Signed by the franchise's star, actor Michael J. Fox, the movie prop easily surpassed its auction estimate
Can Climate Fiction Writers Reach People in Ways That Scientists Can't?
A new subgenre of science fiction leans on the expertise of biologists and ecologists to imagine a scientifically plausible future Earth
'Ammonite' Is Historical Fan Fiction About the World's First Great Fossil Hunter
A new trailer previews the period drama featuring Kate Winslet as pioneering paleontologist Mary Anning
'Joker' Spider Named After Joaquin Phoenix
Loureedia phoenixi’s bold red and white abdomen inspired the researchers’ homage
'The Invisible Man' Isn't Real, but This Invisibility Technology Is
A new take on H.G. Wells' classic novel is in theaters, but how far has real-life cloaking tech come?
The True History of the Aeronauts Who Transformed Our View of the World Above
For early balloonists like James Glaisher, the sky was uncharted—and dangerous—territory
The Science Behind Hollywood’s Movie Monsters
Massive hits at the time, the films that brought Frankenstein, Dracula, the Mummy and more to life also tapped into societal fears and traumas
Ten Things We’ve Learned About Lions Since Disney’s Original 'The Lion King'
Since the animated movie came out 25 years ago, zoologists have expanded our understanding of these fierce carnivores
Fantastic Things We Learned This Year About Fantastic Beasts of the Real World
The second iteration of the “Fantastic Beasts” movie series comes out this week, but why wait for the movie when you can get a glimpse of the real thing?
Smithsonian Curator Reflects on What 'First Man' Gets Right About Neil Armstrong's Journey to the Moon
The new film lays bare the personal sacrifice and peril that accompanied NASA's historic mission
Five Real Life Wasp Superpowers Not in <i>Ant-Man and the Wasp</i>
Bees tend to get all the attention, but Marvel turns the spotlight on one of nature’s most devious masterminds
King T’Challa’s Black Panther Suit, a Bold Statement of Afrofuturist Pride, Comes to the Smithsonian
Pounce on the opportunity to celebrate contemporary African-African filmmaking at the National Museum of African American History and Culture this fall
