5 Things Interstellar's Science Gets Right (And 5 It Doesn't)

2. That's Not How Black Holes Work

The ultimate depiction of the cosmic marvels that appear in Interstellar is pretty far from the accepted, real life iteration, from minor quibbles all the way up to what happens when McConaughey purposefully flings himself into one and the film goes full 2001. Remember the planet that was right next to a black hole? Landing there wouldn't only be dangerous, but night impossible. No way that planet would be stable. Plus the planet should be in pitch blackness, since there's no sun nearby and black holes absorb light rather than release it. Worst of all, though, is the tesseract. The fifth dimensional construct Cooper winds up in is closer to magic than science, according to one expert. Apparently you can find some equation where time manipulation though a black hole "sort of, maybe works", but all the time travel malarkey has absolutely no scientific backing, and is more in line with a silly Hollywood plot device than anything approaching reality. Nobody knows what happens when you enter a black hole - nobody's been brave enough to leap in first - but it's probably not that. Speaking of pseudoscience...