The 21 best science movies and shows streaming on Netflix that will make you smarter

Sometimes, the best way to spend a long weekend or a hot summer day is to curl up on the couch and enjoy a film.

If you're looking for something entertaining and beautiful that'll also make you knowledgeable, there's an incredible variety of science- and nature-focused documentaries and TV episodes streaming on Netflix right now.

You can find compelling documentaries that'll captivate you with the beauty of the planet, you can delve into the details of how food arrives on your plate, or you can explore the mysterious and alien world that exists in oceans around the globe.

But there's a downside to all of that choice: It's a lot to choose from. So to make it easier, we've asked our colleagues to pick out some of their favorites from the Netflix documentary selection.

Here are our favorites, listed in no particular order:

Films come and go from Netflix every month, but as of the date of publication, all these films should be available on Netflix.