The 8 movies and TV shows President Obama thinks will 'expand your mind'

Nathan McAlone


President Obama loves sci-fi — not necessarily for the tech, but for what it can tell us about humanity.

In an interview with Wired, Obama talked about his favorite show growing up: "Star Trek."

"What made the show lasting was it wasn't actually about technology," he said. "It was about values and relationships. Which is why it didn't matter that the special effects were kind of cheesy and bad, right? They'd land on a planet and there are all these papier-mâché boulders. But it didn't matter because it was really talking about a notion of a common humanity and a confidence in our ability to solve problems."

Obama put together a list of his eight favorite sci-fi movies and series that "will expand your mind."

See photos of President Obama and his family throughout his presidency:

Here they are:

No. 8 — 'Cosmos: A Personal Voyage' (1980)

PBS

Reason: "It fed my lifelong fascination with space."


No. 7 — 'The Matrix' (1999)

Warner Bros.

Reason: "It asks basic questions about our reality—and looks very cool"


No. 6 — 'The Martian' (2015)

20th Century Fox

Reason: "It shows humans [are] problem solvers."


No. 5 — 'Star Trek' (1966-69)

WatchMojo.com/Youtube

Reason: "It uses science fiction to promote a humanist ethnic."


No. 4 — 'Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope' (1977)

Lucasfilm

Reason: "It was fun and revolutionized special effects."


No. 3 — 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' (1977)

"Close Encounters of the Third Kind"/Columbia Pictures Corporation

Reason: "It is fundamentally optimistic."


No. 2 — 'Blade Runner' (1982)

Warner Bros.

Reason: "It asks what it means to be human."


No. 1 — '2001: A Space Odyssey' (1968)

YouTube screenshot

Reason: "It captures the grandeur and scale of the unknown."


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