Science Fiction movies have a particular fan base. More often than not, sci-fi movies bring people to the theatre and become blockbusters soon after their release. Hollywood has been using science in a variety of ways to present to us implausible yet believable stories.
Unfortunately, many sci-fi movies get the science wrong. Sometimes the plotline gets too far-fetched or uses the very concept on which it is based wrong. Getting the science right while making a film made for pure entertainment is an art, not every film can claim to have mastered. Here are five science fiction movies that got the science wrong.
Unfortunately, many sci-fi movies get the science wrong. Sometimes the plotline gets too far-fetched or uses the very concept on which it is based wrong. Getting the science right while making a film made for pure entertainment is an art, not every film can claim to have mastered. Here are five science fiction movies that got the science wrong.
Jurassic Park
The widely beloved Jurassic Park franchise is based on the concept of dinosaurs returning back to earth. However, many scientists claim, and rightly so, that cloning dinosaurs is nearly impossible. The reason behind this is pretty straightforward. Cloning requires a whole-genome of the creature that is to be cloned.
Since we cannot find the whole DNA of any dinosaur whose fossils have been unearthed, cloning becomes a far-fetched dream. We can scientifically create DNA, but that would be manufactured and potentially different from the real dinosaur DNA. A whole-genome of any dinosaur is yet to be found in reality, which is why Jurassic Park belongs in the realm of fiction and should not be confused with real science.
The widely beloved Jurassic Park franchise is based on the concept of dinosaurs returning back to earth. However, many scientists claim, and rightly so, that cloning dinosaurs is nearly impossible. The reason behind this is pretty straightforward. Cloning requires a whole-genome of the creature that is to be cloned.
Since we cannot find the whole DNA of any dinosaur whose fossils have been unearthed, cloning becomes a far-fetched dream. We can scientifically create DNA, but that would be manufactured and potentially different from the real dinosaur DNA. A whole-genome of any dinosaur is yet to be found in reality, which is why Jurassic Park belongs in the realm of fiction and should not be confused with real science.
Armageddon
Armageddon threatens the very existence of our planet and includes a group of astronauts who have only 18 days to do something about it. Armageddon means a catastrophic event that will accuse mass destruction and will place the existence of the human race in jeopardy.
The concept of the film hinges on an asteroid which is nearly the size of Texas, that is hurtling towards earth. The film is a favorite of many, but it gets the fundamental concept wrong. An asteroid the size of Texas will not be discovered only when it becomes a serious danger. An asteroid that big would be spotted months before the collision, allowing more time for NASA to deal with it.
Armageddon threatens the very existence of our planet and includes a group of astronauts who have only 18 days to do something about it. Armageddon means a catastrophic event that will accuse mass destruction and will place the existence of the human race in jeopardy.
The concept of the film hinges on an asteroid which is nearly the size of Texas, that is hurtling towards earth. The film is a favorite of many, but it gets the fundamental concept wrong. An asteroid the size of Texas will not be discovered only when it becomes a serious danger. An asteroid that big would be spotted months before the collision, allowing more time for NASA to deal with it.
Lucy
The film Lucy is a great entertainer. The plot of the film includes the titular character Lucy, played by Scarlett Johansson, ingesting a drug that unlocks the part of her brain which was not used previously. This film is based on the myth that humans use only 10% of their brain. This is simply untrue.
Ask any neurologist, and they will tell you that humans make the use of most of their brains at all times. Even though we do not use just 10% of our brain, we don’t use 100% of it either. While the treatment of the character once she uses 100% of her brain might be plausible, the 10% claim is most definitely a myth.
The film Lucy is a great entertainer. The plot of the film includes the titular character Lucy, played by Scarlett Johansson, ingesting a drug that unlocks the part of her brain which was not used previously. This film is based on the myth that humans use only 10% of their brain. This is simply untrue.
Ask any neurologist, and they will tell you that humans make the use of most of their brains at all times. Even though we do not use just 10% of our brain, we don’t use 100% of it either. While the treatment of the character once she uses 100% of her brain might be plausible, the 10% claim is most definitely a myth.
Gravity
Gravity got a lot right and was a blockbuster movie. The filmmakers just were a little blurry on the concept of gravity itself. Ironic as it is, if the concept of gravity was thoroughly understood, George Clooney’s character would have had a better outcome.
The logic behind the events undertaken by Clooney’s character is flawed as nothing has weight in space.
Interstellar
Interstellar had Kip Thorne, CalTech’s theoretical physicist, as its scientific advisor. The film, however, still had some scientific inaccuracies. One of these inaccuracies included the impossibility of pulling quantum data from a black hole.
This is impossible because anyone or anything that nears the singularity of the black hole’s center would be destroyed. The very fact that you are in a black hole negates any possibility of pulling quantum data out of it.
Gravity got a lot right and was a blockbuster movie. The filmmakers just were a little blurry on the concept of gravity itself. Ironic as it is, if the concept of gravity was thoroughly understood, George Clooney’s character would have had a better outcome.
The logic behind the events undertaken by Clooney’s character is flawed as nothing has weight in space.
Interstellar
Interstellar had Kip Thorne, CalTech’s theoretical physicist, as its scientific advisor. The film, however, still had some scientific inaccuracies. One of these inaccuracies included the impossibility of pulling quantum data from a black hole.
This is impossible because anyone or anything that nears the singularity of the black hole’s center would be destroyed. The very fact that you are in a black hole negates any possibility of pulling quantum data out of it.