In proposals for using science fiction in physics classes, the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, directed by Stanley Kubrick, appears as more or less mandatory. In this paper we intend to argue that the interest of the community of physics educators about this film is the result of a narrative choice of Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, the renowned science fiction writer who, along with the director wrote the screenplay. We show, using theoretical tools derived from Greimasian semiotics, which in this particular segment of the movie picture, the choice was to express a particular view about humanity and its relationship with the physical world through science. We conclude that a work like Kubrick's film goes beyond the potential for a mere attractive teaching resource, being an important cultural reference on the role played by science in the socio-historical context.
Movies; Science fiction; Physics teaching; Space exploration; Semiotics
