In the movie the thing, the authority / experts of the film are the lieutenant and the scientist. The reason why they are the main characters of power is obvious. The lieutenant commands and runs the small base also he has the highest military rank, it being a air force base, it is obvious he was in charge. In addition he took all major decisions. The reason why the scientist holds a position of importance is because, he is the only one that challenges the lieutenant. The scientist also has the more controversial idea. He is the biggest scientist of all the present and even won a Nobel prize. What the movie does with these figures of authority is that they place the leaders in situations where they are or could be responsible for the safety of others. A good example where a decision was made was when the lieutenant chose to kill the thing, this decision was very important. In conclusion I think that the leaders of the film are given great power to shape the future in the film. The power presented to them is present thought the film.