Don’t Look Up: 7 Quotes That Nail The Frustration Of Being A Scientist, According To Reddit

Content Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the Netflix movie Don’t Look Up.

Director Adam McKay’s dark comedy, Don’t Look Up, may be polarizing among fans and critics, but if there’s one thing the film gets right, it’s the frustration of being a scientist. In fact, the sci-fi film has been praised by actual scientists like Neil deGrasse Tyson and Peter Kalmus for its accurate depiction of what it’s like to be a climate scientist in a world that refuses to listen.

Fans on Reddit have similarly expressed their admiration for this aspect of the movie by pointing out the quotes that highlight the struggles of being a scientist. Whether they’re about the nature of the work itself or the undermining of scientific facts, most of the lines pointed out on the site are both funny and sad.

Dr. Randall Mindy:

“I Haven’t Published In A While So You Probably Haven’t Heard Of Me.”

Randall’s quote about how he hasn’t “published in a while” was a little too real for Cararacs, who says “that one cut” them “to the bone.” The user i_made_a_mistake chimes in with a common phrase among academics, “publish or perish,” which references the often unreasonable publishing requirements to maintain and progress one’s career in the field.

It may be a forgettable line for most audiences, but for those in the field, it’s one of the funniest quotes in Don’t Look Up. It underscores the incessant need to get one’s name out there through publishing, or risk fading into obscurity as Randall does before Kate’s incredible discovery.

Kate Dibiasky:

“I’ve Gone Over It Again And Again And Again In My Head And I Still Can’t Make Sense Of It. He’s A Three-Star General. He Works At The Pentagon. Why Would He Charge Us For Free Snacks?”

Kate deals with an absurd situation after she learns a high-ranking general has been charging them for snacks in the White House. MrZombiKilla has a fascinating explanation for why he does this, as they think that “it’s a metaphor for things that should be free or accessible but the elite turns it into profit.”

The hilarious subplot and Kate’s fixation on the situation is the perfect metaphor for the entire movie itself. The general takes advantage of others because he can, just like how President Orlean chooses to twist the scientists’ warnings for selfish reasons.

President Janie Orlean:

“Please Don’t Say 100%.”

President Orlean is one of the least likable characters in the movie, and one annoying exchange underscores exactly why that is. ClassicT4 repeats her line about not saying “100%” when Kate and Randall tell her “there’s a 100% certainty of impact.” Her reason is even more frustrating, as it’s simply because they “cannot go around saying to people that there’s 100% chance that they’re gonna die.”

Even in the face of certain mass extinction, the president’s priority is how it’ll look if they plainly state the truth. She’s more concerned with Public Relations than she is about actually doing something to stop the planet-killing comet, which understandably perplexes the terrified scientists.

Philip Kaj:

“People, They Wanna Manage The Comet To Create Jobs.”

Things become increasingly chaotic when the issue of the killer comet is used by political parties to attack one another. A Redditor quotes a line that happens to coincide with “the moment” their “soul died,” which is when Katie’s ex-boyfriend Philip argues for Peter Isherwell’s plan to mine the comet.

What sets Don’t Look Up apart from other movies with a similar premise is the way people react to the giant rock coming to end all life as they know it. The fact that the government and BASH are able to frame it as a good thing since it’s “to create jobs” is absurd, but isn’t too different from how some powerful figures have excused their inaction around climate change.

Kate Dibiaski’s Mom:

“Your Dad And I Are For The Jobs The Comet Will Provide.”

Things get even worse for Kate when she goes home to find that her parents “are for the jobs the comet will provide.” The user theslothening calls that scene “one of the funniest moments in the last year” and adds how they “had to pause the movie for a bit” because they were “laughing so hard.”

It’s hard to imagine what Kate was feeling at that moment. After being ridiculed by the whole world for her valid fears around a subject she has extensively studied and actually understands, only to find out that her parents agree with her detractors.

President Janie Orlean’s Supporter:

“The Hell Is That? F*****g Lied To Us!”

As GaetanDugas points out, one of the best quotes from Don’t Look Up is said “towards the end of the movie” during the “rally when the one guy looks up, sees the comet, and yells” that President Orlean’s party “f*****g lied to” their supporters.

His moment of fear and realization when he finally decides to look up is both gut-busting and incredibly sad, as it’s obviously too late to do anything about it. It’s arguably one of the clearest parallels with the issue of climate change, as the longer people ignore it, the harder it becomes to save the planet.

Dr. Randall Mindy:

“But It’s All Math!”

When Kate and Randall are about to have their meeting with the president, Dr. Oglethorpe gives them a confusing piece of advice. The user pacmanisfun recalls his line about how the pair should “keep it simple” by avoiding math, but it’s Randall’s exasperated response that makes the scene truly humorous, as he replies with “but it’s all math.”

It’s an exchange that stresses the scientists’ struggle with communicating their findings in a way that is understandable for the layperson, but while making sure they don’t understate the gravity of the situation. It’s a delicate balance that often tips the wrong way, which, just like in Don’t Look Up, often has disastrous effects.

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