"The imitation game" and "Interstellar" make engineering sexy again

It’s official: engineering is sexy, once again. At least, that is the impression that several people will have after watching some of the best films released in 2014. Take a look at The imitation game: unlike other projects inspired by World War II, this biopic focuses on Alan Turing, the British computer scientist who is widely considered to be the father of artificial intelligence.

The imitation game tells the story of Alan Turing’s fight against the electro-mechanical machine that enciphered secret messages for German officials. The struggle to intercept Nazi communications was alive in many different countries: Polish military intelligence tried to develop a solution since the 1930s, while French representatives also took part in this monumental effort. (SPOILER ALERT! Ultimately, it was the United Kingdom who was able to solve the challenge, as you will witness by watching The imitation game).

Engineering was also a central element in Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi blockbuster Interstellar. The film tells the epic story of a group of astronauts who travel through a wormhole in search of a new planet that is suited for humans. The complexity of the plot did not stop millions of people from going to the movies: it made 673 million dollars at the box office!

How accurate is Nolan’s latest sci-fi extravaganza? Tim Reyes, a former engineer at NASA, has praised Interstellar, while renowned futurist Michio Kaku argued that the film “could set the gold standard for science fiction for years to come”. Granted, other experts are skeptical or even critical of the effort, yet one thing remains: engineering is all over the plot and problem-solving is a recurrent theme throughout the ups and downs of the film.

Did you enjoy the engineering challenges that develop throughout The imitation game or Interstellar? Join Ennomotive and help us improve industrial operations through innovative challenges! We may not take part in World War II and (so far) we are not involved in space travel… but we guarantee you, Ennomotive is a lot of fun!