"Now I just don't believe that."
``
Now
I
just
do
n't
believe
that
.
''
Surely all of us, at some point, have watched a movie and thought: It's simply badly researched, or, the makers must think we're fools.
Surely
all
of
us
,
at
some
point
,
have
watched
a
movie
and
thought
:
It
's
simply
badly
researched
,
or
,
the
makers
must
think
we
're
fools
.
If movies were completely scientifically accurate, they'd probably be as interesting as a Physics 101 lecture.
If
movies
were
completely
scientifically
accurate
,
they
'd
probably
be
as
interesting
as
a
Physics
101
lecture
.
In real life, there are no explosions in space, gas usually doesn't explode from a lit cigarette, and Bruce Willis / Jackie Chan / Will Smith would most likely be in a coma after getting kicked in the head.
In
real
life
,
there
are
no
explosions
in
space
,
gas
usually
does
n't
explode
from
a
lit
cigarette
,
and
Bruce
Willis
/
Jackie
Chan
/
Will
Smith
would
most
likely
be
in
a
coma
after
getting
kicked
in
the
head
.
Recently, the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph ran a humorous piece on unconvincing tech moments from some top movies.
Recently
,
the
British
newspaper
The
Daily
Telegraph
ran
a
humorous
piece
on
unconvincing
tech
moments
from
some
top
movies
.
Let's see what they are all about.
Let
's
see
what
they
are
all
about
.
Telegraph writer Tom Chivers' first example is from the end-of-the-world movie Independence Day, in which a character comes up with a virus capable of destroying Windows, the computer system the alien spacecraft uses.
Telegraph
writer
Tom
Chivers
'
first
example
is
from
the
end-of-the-world
movie
Independence
Day
,
in
which
a
character
comes
up
with
a
virus
capable
of
destroying
Windows
,
the
computer
system
the
alien
spacecraft
uses
.
"It's a good thing they didn't have Norton antivirus," jokes Chivers.
``
It
's
a
good
thing
they
did
n't
have
Norton
antivirus
,
''
jokes
Chivers
.
It's just one case of a movie that takes a lot of license with its science.
It
's
just
one
case
of
a
movie
that
takes
a
lot
of
license
with
its
science
.
Another one Chivers mentions is from Star Wars, where glowing beams of light traveling through space look very impressive.
Another
one
Chivers
mentions
is
from
Star
Wars
,
where
glowing
beams
of
light
traveling
through
space
look
very
impressive
.
The problem is that in space there are no air particles for the light to reflect off.
The
problem
is
that
in
space
there
are
no
air
particles
for
the
light
to
reflect
off
.
In reality, they'd not be seen, which wouldn't look so cool on the big screen.
In
reality
,
they
'd
not
be
seen
,
which
would
n't
look
so
cool
on
the
big
screen
.
Chivers' second piece of Star Wars nonsense is the sound the fighters make in the movies: "the bellow of an elephant mixed with a car driving on a wet road".
Chivers
'
second
piece
of
Star
Wars
nonsense
is
the
sound
the
fighters
make
in
the
movies
:
``
the
bellow
of
an
elephant
mixed
with
a
car
driving
on
a
wet
road
''
.
But sound needs a medium to travel through, like air.
But
sound
needs
a
medium
to
travel
through
,
like
air
.
In space, there wouldn't actually be any sound at all.
In
space
,
there
would
n't
actually
be
any
sound
at
all
.
Few people would deny that the mind-bending Matrix films make for great viewing, but for Chivers, the science in the movies is a little silly.
Few
people
would
deny
that
the
mind-bending
Matrix
films
make
for
great
viewing
,
but
for
Chivers
,
the
science
in
the
movies
is
a
little
silly
.
And finally: as Chivers points out, DAN is not replaceable.
And
finally
:
as
Chivers
points
out
,
DAN
is
not
replaceable
.
But this bit of elementary genetics passed the makers of the 2002 Bond film Die another Day by.
But
this
bit
of
elementary
genetics
passed
the
makers
of
the
2002
Bond
film
Die
another
Day
by
.
In the film the villain has "gene therapy" to change his appearance and his DNA, which is completely impossible.
In
the
film
the
villain
has
``
gene
therapy
''
to
change
his
appearance
and
his
DNA
,
which
is
completely
impossible
.
"Now I just don't believe that." Surely all of us, at some point, have watched a movie and thought: It's simply badly researched, or, the makers must think we're fools.  If movies were completely scientifically accurate, they'd probably be as interesting as a Physics 101 lecture. In real life, there are no explosions in space, gas usually doesn't explode from a lit cigarette, and Bruce Willis / Jackie Chan / Will Smith would most likely be in a coma after getting kicked in the head.  Recently, the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph ran a humorous piece on unconvincing tech moments from some top movies. Let's see what they are all about.  Telegraph writer Tom Chivers' first example is from the end-of-the-world movie Independence Day, in which a character comes up with a virus capable of destroying Windows, the computer system the alien spacecraft uses. "It's a good thing they didn't have Norton antivirus," jokes Chivers.  It's just one case of a movie that takes a lot of license with its science. Another one Chivers mentions is from Star Wars, where glowing beams of light traveling through space look very impressive. The problem is that in space there are no air particles for the light to reflect off. In reality, they'd not be seen, which wouldn't look so cool on the big screen.  Chivers' second piece of Star Wars nonsense is the sound the fighters make in the movies: "the bellow of an elephant mixed with a car driving on a wet road". But sound needs a medium to travel through, like air. In space, there wouldn't actually be any sound at all.  Few people would deny that the mind-bending Matrix films make for great viewing, but for Chivers, the science in the movies is a little silly.  And finally: as Chivers points out, DAN is not replaceable. But this bit of elementary genetics passed the makers of the 2002 Bond film Die another Day by. In the film the villain has "gene therapy" to change his appearance and his DNA, which is completely impossible.