So for a lack of things to write about, I thought I should highlight a few famous, terrible, (and possibly justified) misuses of science in movies for your entertainment. I don’t think this topic needs much of an introduction, as it is well known that Hollywood is a little loose with their portrayal of how the world actually works.
1. Air in Space?
I’m sure all science fictions fans are familiar with the hum of hyperspace travel, the blips, zaps, and “pew pew pew” of laser guns. We also can’t forget about the fiery, booming explosions of attack ships (and the occasional planet) in action-packed space movies. As cool as these sound effects are, I think most Trekkies and Star Wars fans alike will have already realized the problem. THERE IS NO SOUND IN SPACE. Sound is a vibration that travels through particles, and since space is a vacuum (therefore no particles), everything that is filmed to occur in outer space should be silent as a grave. Even the explosion of the Death Star would be a soundless affair.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WBG2rJZGW8
Also, since space is just vacuum, we aren’t even supposed to see the laser beams coming out of guns and cannons! First of all, lasers are photons, which travel at the speed of light, so our eyes would never catch it happening. Also, in order for the beams to glow, it must reflect off of surrounding particles. We’ve already established that there are no particles in outer space.
Admittedly, for these movies to be scientifically accurate would be beyond boring, which is probably why the directors can’t afford to do so. (Got to justify that 200 million budget.)
2. The Not-so-Heroic Catch
How many times have we seen the damsel in distress falling from a great height to her certain doom, only for the superhero of the story to swoop in at the last minute and catch her, bridesmaid style?
Superman Catching Lois (Source: Google Images)
Cliche-ness aside, there is actually something completely wrong with this! When an object (such as a human being) travels at a high velocity and comes to a stop suddenly, it would react the same way regardless if it hits the pavement or a superhero’s arms. I’m sure you can all imagine the result.
Of course, if the directors cared more about portraying true science rather dramatized romance, the movie would be rated R for scenes of graphic violence…
3. What happened to Darwinism?
In the ever-so-popular X-Men series, a group of certain individuals labelled as mutants pop up all over the world and display awesome super-human powers including but not limited to: wings, psychic abilities, teleportation, shape-shifting abilities… you name it! In the series they credit it to mutations that occurred randomly in a small fraction of the human population due to evolution.
X-Men characters. (Source: Google Images)
Just…No. That is not how evolution works. It takes thousands to millions of years for any significant change to occur in a species via evolution. That’s because the chances of mutation actually happening is very low, and most are usually harmful. Humans are much more likely to get cancer or harmful genetic diseases rather than develop regenerating cells and eternal youth (looking at you, Wolverine).
These are just a few of the numerous scientific mistakes in popular TV shows and movies. Though these may be cringe-worthy for science-minded folks like us, most people would agree that without certain embellishments, many movies wouldn’t be nearly as entertaining to watch. Do you question why there aren’t more action movies that are exciting while adhering to the laws of physics? Or do you think that movies should have some level of exaggeration, and that whether or not they conform to modern science is irrelevant to their purpose? What kind of an effect will inaccurate science in popular media have on the viewers, particularly the younger generations?
-Daphne Wu
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