# Factual Scientific errors in movies... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 27, 2004, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factual-scientific-errors-in-movies/261704 "2004-08-27T00:20:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factual-scientific-errors-in-movies/261704/61 "2004-08-27T13:32:04Z")
> [@](#): > > Naw. I’m pretty sure that (like the black hole thing) was just made up later by the Lucas Cult when people noticed the silly error. Either way its become totally official and actually was a minor plot point in several books. > [@](#): > > - the whole X-men thing Look, we don’t know for a fact that Neanderthals did or didn’t interbreed. Right now, we think they didn’t. A few ago we did. A few years before that we didn’t. I’d be extremely surprised if they never ever did, even if it didn’t leave a large genetic legacy. But look, Marvel mutants have already established (A) not to be a separate species: in several potential futures mutants did not comprise the whole populatiopn, although they were more common, and (B) that everyone is actually already a mutant, and its as much chance or genetic luck that causes a given person to get mutant superpowers (as opposed to some other source, such as radiation superpowers or techno-superpowers) Its even possible, albeit difficult, to activate said super-powered genes. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factual-scientific-errors-in-movies/261704/62 "2004-08-27T13:33:49Z")
Quote: Originally Posted by CalMeacham In The Flight of the hoenix they say that “Henson an Stringfellow built the first heavier-than-air flyer powered by rubber bands”. as I noted in a pice I wrote for Teemings, this is grossly in error. Henson had long been out of the project by the time a flyer had been built. Stringfellow never ued rubber bands – he built his own stea engine(!!) His flying machine – a onoplane – looked a lot more modern than he rght Brothers Flyer, which it predated by a century. It undenabl flew, but t was not a manned craft. And it woulda worked a lot better if he’d pt a tail on it (something obvious in hindsight – but Stringfellow knew that he had no lteral stability, and I’m still surprised he didn’t think of it.) You could argue that this is a historical error, but mixing up rubber bands and steam engins is a big tech error. Do you have a copy of that article? I’d love to read it. Here it is from Teemings #15: [http://www.teemings.com/issue15/calmeacham.html](http://www.teemings.com/issue15/calmeacham.html) ---
**Author:** ![jeevmon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@jeevmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeevmon)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factual-scientific-errors-in-movies/261704/63 "2004-08-27T13:50:40Z")
Gravitation and the conservation of momentum are often sacrificed in movies. Example of gravity - when Batman saves both Nicole Kidman and Robin, they were dropped down the shaft about a second or two before he dove in. Somehow, he was able to pass both of them on the way down. Galileo proved a long time ago that it don’t happen that way. Example of conservation of momentum - in Jurassic Park, when our heroes are being chased by the raptors, they somehow manage to force a door closed despite a raptor charging against it. So, some adult humans and a couple of kids, combined weight probably no more than 500 lbs and moving at a net speed of, oh 2-3 miles an hour, are somehow able to close a door against a half-ton dinosaur running at a clip of 30-40 m.p.h.? Um, no- the door would be wide open and they’d be on the wall. ---
**Author:** ![Ross](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@Ross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ross)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factual-scientific-errors-in-movies/261704/64 "2004-08-27T14:32:49Z")
You should all enjoy this site: [The Insultingly Stupid Movie Physics Pages](http://intuitor.com/moviephysics/index.html) By real physicists. And they have a special place in their hearts for _The Core_. Here’s their [movie review section](http://intuitor.com/moviephysics/mpmain.html#reviews). ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factual-scientific-errors-in-movies/261704/65 "2004-08-27T14:56:20Z")
My favorite is how in space, if you turn off your thrusters, you stop. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factual-scientific-errors-in-movies/261704/66 "2004-08-27T15:00:33Z")
In _Forbidden Planet_, the monster withstands being blasted with an energy bombardment of “3 billion electron volts”. Electron volts are utterly miniscule units of energy, used primarily in particle physics and quantum mechanics. 3 billion electron volts would amount to, well, basically nothing. A rather pitiful method of attack, methinks. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factual-scientific-errors-in-movies/261704/67 "2004-08-27T15:15:34Z")
[QUOTE=Chronos] One that I like to jump on, because it was otherwise such a good movie: In _Deep Impact_, the orbit of the comet is determined from only two (to be charitable) observations (Elijah Wood’s and the professional astronomer’s), while in actuality it takes at least three. But when that’s the worst science blunder in a science fiction movie, they’re doing pretty good. Also, the Starfury fighters from _Babylon 5_ are one more to add to the sparse list of realistic space maneuvers. They maneuver by means of thrusters mounted on long torque arms, and whenever a Starfury changes orientation, you see the appropriate thrusters firing. You also hear them, of course, but I’m willing to justify that by saying that the microphone is on board the ship (where sound could be transmitted through the structure). [\QUOTE] That’s the ONLY mistake in _Deep Impact_? Granted, I agree it’s much better than _Armageddon_, especially the science, but I find it hard to believe just one mistake was made. I’m even willing to forgive the almost impossible logistics of building a brand-new, state of the art, never before even THOUGT OF spacecraft in the span of a year. Still better than the other movie, where TWO shuttles launch at the SAME TIME, and are done so with but a few DAYS notice. I don’t work for NASA, I’ve only ever taken one astronomy course, but I’m pretty sure things like a shuttle launch take months to plan. I was also going to add the B5 has some of the best science if any sci-fi series. The starfuries are the coolest fighter, BECAUSE they obey the laws of physics. Of course, in the same series, all the alien fighter bank and fly like jets on earth, but I chaulk that up to advanced alien technology. I mean, if you had thousands of micro-jets covering the entire hull, and a sophisticated computer controlling them, banking in space is technically possible. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factual-scientific-errors-in-movies/261704/68 "2004-08-27T15:19:30Z")
> [@Dr. Rieux](#): > > Tom Sizemore, as the biologist in _Red Planet_, made at least two ridiculous mistakes (three, if you count trying to play a character with a graduate degree): > [ul] > [li]Referring to the Martian creatures as “nematodes” when they were obviously arthropods (i.e., they were like insects–not worms).[/li][li]Stating that the four letters that make up DNA are “C, A, T, and P.”[/li][/ul] DNA is made up of Cat Pee?! 😃 Man, I have a lot of DNA around my house. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factual-scientific-errors-in-movies/261704/69 "2004-08-27T15:21:04Z")
> [@Maus Magill](#): > > My favorite is how in space, if you turn off your thrusters, you stop. Space ship physics is actually quite easy to explain. In the future, the [luminiferous aether](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminiferous_aether) is a lot denser than it is today. Hence, space ships can make hand brake turns, you can here the sound of engines and laser weapons are both visible and travel at fifty miles an hour. Easy when you think about it 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Kilt-wearin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kilt-wearin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilt-wearin_man)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factual-scientific-errors-in-movies/261704/70 "2004-08-27T15:27:38Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > No one thinks of tripe like **Battlestar Galactica** as good SF, but it still bugs the hell out of me to hear them saying that “the enemy is 5 microns away!” A micron is a millionth of a millimeter (missed it by _that_ much). If yu’re going to suddenly use a real measure of distance, don’t make it comically small. Maybe you should re-watch the tripe before you criticize - in the Colonies, “microns” were a unit of time. Centons = seconds, microns = minutes, I don’t remember what hours, days, weeks or months were, yahrens = years. They never overtly explained it, they just substituted it for the real word. I don’t remember what they used for distance measurements, but saying the Cylons were “5 microns away!” means “Crap! They’re gonna be here in five minutes!” They also had their own safe “swear” words. And they were consistent with it, too. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factual-scientific-errors-in-movies/261704/71 "2004-08-27T16:02:36Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > One that I like to jump on, because it was otherwise such a good movie: In _Deep Impact_, the orbit of the comet is determined from only two (to be charitable) observations (Elijah Wood’s and the professional astronomer’s), while in actuality it takes at least three. Interesting. But why do they sometimes call comets by two hyphenated names instead of three? Haley-Bopp comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factual-scientific-errors-in-movies/261704/72 "2004-08-27T16:29:19Z")
> [@jeevmon](#): > > Example of gravity - when Batman saves both Nicole Kidman and Robin, they were dropped down the shaft about a second or two before he dove in. Somehow, he was able to pass both of them on the way down. Galileo proved a long time ago that it don’t happen that way. Unrelated to your point because the distance Batman et al. fell was too short to be relevant, but I hate it when people say that everything falls at the same rate. For instance, in Goldeneye, James Bond skydives off a cliff to catch an airplane (yeah, I know). They bitch and moan that “you can’t fall faster than something”. Of course you can, it’s called aerodynamics! Plus, the plane was falling at an angle, 007 headed straight down. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factual-scientific-errors-in-movies/261704/73 "2004-08-27T16:45:32Z")
> [@smiling bandit](#): > > Look, we don’t know for a fact that Neanderthals did or didn’t interbreed. Right now, we think they didn’t. A few ago we did. A few years before that we didn’t. I’d be extremely surprised if they never ever did, even if it didn’t leave a large genetic legacy. Nobody said there was a slam-dunk proof or refutation. However, no one can credibly claim that the mtDNA evidence can be interpreted as supportive of interbreeding. It is the opposite, as I said. Given that, I have no idea why Schoolmarm Storm was scripted as saying, quite specifically, that DNA evidence supported the interbreeding hypothesis. Was it just sloppy research on the scripwriter’s part? Were they trying to suggest something that necessitated the distortion? If they’re gonna throw bloopers like that in there, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to be called on it. Again, it’s a blooper not in the same league as Storm brigning down fighter jets with a swarm of tornados. But, having said that…_A swarm of tornados_??? One thing about this film I could never understand is how everybody was making such a big deal of Jean Grey’s burgeoning powers. Yeah, she can take out a missle telekinetically. Hell, she can even crack up a big ole’ dam. Pretty scary, I’ll concede. But Storm can instantaneously summon a frickin’ _swarm of tornados_!!! I can’t even imagine what the energy requirements for such a feat must be. Storm is apparently by far the most kick-ass mega-boss powerful mutant on the planet, could, with complete control, wreck entire cities with the aforementioned _swarm of tornados_, and could flood the ruins with a monsoon before the dust settled. Ho-hum. But that Wolverine, hoo-boy, what a stud. He can _scratch you with his CLAWS_. Oooo, that’s way more scary than torrential rains, lightning, and a muther-humpin’ _swarm of tornados_… ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factual-scientific-errors-in-movies/261704/74 "2004-08-27T17:24:15Z")
> [@Loopydude](#): > > But, having said that…_A swarm of tornados_??? One thing about this film I could never understand is how everybody was making such a big deal of Jean Grey’s burgeoning powers. Yeah, she can take out a missle telekinetically. Hell, she can even crack up a big ole’ dam. Pretty scary, I’ll concede. But Storm can instantaneously summon a frickin’ _swarm of tornados_!!! I can’t even imagine what the energy requirements for such a feat must be. Storm is apparently by far the most kick-ass mega-boss powerful mutant on the planet, could, with complete control, wreck entire cities with the aforementioned _swarm of tornados_, and could flood the ruins with a monsoon before the dust settled. Ho-hum. But that Wolverine, hoo-boy, what a stud. He can _scratch you with his CLAWS_. Oooo, that’s way more scary than torrential rains, lightning, and a muther-humpin’ _swarm of tornados_… [hijack] Actually, in the comics at least, it’s pretty much a given that Storm is recognized as one of the most powerful mutants, because of those very reasons. She could win in a fight against most other mutants if she tried. I’d like to see Magneto try to fly while he’s getting whipped about in a hurricane getting blasted by lightning bolts. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Mullinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factual-scientific-errors-in-movies/261704/75 "2004-08-27T17:29:28Z")
**Predator** So Arnold learns that while mud covered, the Predator can’t see the heat of his body. Fine, I can live with that. But, his breath isn’t covered. His eyes aren’t covered. And if mud works, why not their clothes? Boots? Plus, how poorly thought out is a system of viewing where the flaw in it could potentially allow a 3 year old beauty queen covered in mud to come leisurely strolling up next to you and put a bullet in your brain all because you can’t see through mud? ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factual-scientific-errors-in-movies/261704/76 "2004-08-27T17:44:35Z")
> [@Mullinator](#): > > And if mud works, why not their clothes? Boots? Plus, how poorly thought out is a system of viewing where the flaw in it could potentially allow a 3 year old beauty queen covered in mud to come leisurely strolling up next to you and put a bullet in your brain all because you can’t see through mud? I wish that was how the movie actually ended. Hell, I wish that was how \*Aliens vs. Predator \* ended. It would’ve made more sense. Most movie science allows tires to squeal on a dirt road. It’s a minor thing, but that always bugs me. ---
**Author:** ![PussyCow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/22d042/32.png) [@PussyCow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PussyCow)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factual-scientific-errors-in-movies/261704/77 "2004-08-27T17:45:25Z")
_Lost In Space_ A terrestrial planet supernovas and turns into a black hole. Priceless. ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factual-scientific-errors-in-movies/261704/78 "2004-08-27T18:16:32Z")
> [@PussyCow](#): > > _Lost In Space_ > > A terrestrial planet supernovas and turns into a black hole. > > Priceless. What? WHAT?! :smack: In Superman 3, the plot revolves around a scheme to (among other things) reprogram a weather satellite to control the weather. No wonder people were scared of computers. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factual-scientific-errors-in-movies/261704/79 "2004-08-27T18:36:15Z")
> [@Loopydude](#): > > Oooo, that’s way more scary than torrential rains, lightning, and a muther-humpin’ _swarm of tornados_… Speaking of tornadoes, _Twister_ was good for a yuck or two. Especially because my landlord was in our apartment watching it with us. At one point, doesn’t an entire two storey house blow across the road on which they’re driving? “Good traction, those tires.” said my landlord of their truck. And with all the debris that would inevitably be blasting through the air, as they drove up close and personal to the funnel could, he’d sigh and say “well, there goes the paint job!” So by the time it go to the climax and they lashed themselves to plumbing, we all sort of look at each other. Okay, so we’ve see a house blow past, a cow spinning around… Sadly we were disappointed, we wanted to see them get sucked into the vortex with their arms staying behind. Or at least see them look like little pincushions with debris of all kinds poking out of their bodies. Am I wrong in thinking they should have been little else than squishy, red blobs with all the other crap that would’ve been flying into them? ---
**Author:** ![PussyCow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/22d042/32.png) [@PussyCow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PussyCow)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factual-scientific-errors-in-movies/261704/80 "2004-08-27T18:44:46Z")
Not only was _Twister_ bad for all the reasons mentioned by **Eats\_Crayons** , but the plot was horrible! The acting was bad, the science was bad, the direction was bad. The only thing that was good about it was some footage (most fake, I hear some was real) of the tornados. BTW, I do have something that beats _The Core_: _10.4_ The whole theory the lead geologist had about what was causing a trend of earthquakes was that the San Andreas fault and other nearby faults were all connected at depth - 700 km depth!! Yah, real brittle down there below the 670 km discontinuity. :shudder: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factual-scientific-errors-in-movies/261704.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factual-scientific-errors-in-movies/261704.md?page=5)