For most of my life, I’ve always had a great appreciation for movies, whether they are big blockbusters or slow methodical films.

Of the many genres in cinema, nothing has captured me more than science fiction. While the stories are great and the characters are fantastic, these movies keep me locked in my seat, often thinking of what the world could be in the near future.

From skaters switching their skateboards for hover boards like in “Back to the Future,” even just reaching the farthest reaches of space like in “Lost in Space,” these movies do more than just tell great stories—they spark ideas, paving the way for scientific progress.

Movies have made small and large impacts on the scientific community. Cinema’s most recent influence on science came as a result of the making of “Interstellar,” the newest movie in Christopher Nolan’s palette.

The movie focuses on a group of humans using wormholes to reach the outer borders of space. To make this movie, artists on the team sought out scientists to get an accurate idea of what a black hole might look like.

After being given several equations from scientists like Einstein on relativity and how a black hole might act, animators working on “Interstellar” made the most accurate depiction of what a black hole might look like.

Not until now has anyone used these equations in rendering software.

This resulted in a major advancement in our understanding of what a black hole looks like.

Movies have also inspired several to create the future we have seen on-screen for years. One of these creations includes the hover board.  Backed up through Kickstarter, the Hendo Hover team has been making great strides to making a real, working hover board.

Currently, the hover board can only work on certain surfaces, but the creators have said much of their inspiration for the invention came from movies like “Back to the Future.”

Movies have even made discoveries of things believed to be impossible, such as in “Star Wars.” When the franchise first came out, it was believed that Tatooine, a planet in a solar system with two stars, was impossible. That is, until two years ago when a planet circling two close stars was found.

Cinema’s effect on the science community should be more exciting to everyone, whether they are just a regular movie goer, or one ingrained in the scientific community. These advancements and inspirations are expanding ideas of those who can put those ideas to the test.

Jarad Jarmon is a senior journalism major. He can be reached at 581-7912 or [email protected]