Science fiction films are a firm favourite for many. And while the genre specialises in speculative ideas, there is still a place for factual accuracy. Often, however, scientific detail falls by the wayside in big production films. Why let facts get in the way of a good story, eh? Sadly for some, these glaring errors can be a distracting plot hole too far.
In this episode, botanist James Wong gives his analysis of the botanical accuracy, or lack thereof, in his favourite sci-fi films. From Prometheus to Jurassic Park, who knew plants were so hard to get right. But it isn鈥檛 all bad, some films almost get it spot on. In 2015鈥檚 The Martian, botanist-turned-astronaut Mark Watney survives being marooned on the Red Planet by growing his own potatoes. Producing arguably more calories per square metre of growing space than any other conventional crop, potatoes are a logical choice. But there is still a problem with how they travelled to Mars.