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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. Some movies, though, put science front and center in the story and more often than not the science proves to be head-slappingly bad. Here are some of the worst offenders.

Armageddon
We could put together a long list of all the things wrong with Michael Bay's feel-good ode to global destruction, but NASA has already and they counted at least 168 mistakes. But perhaps the biggest problem is that the plot itself -- splitting a Texas-sized rock in two with a single nuke -- has a Texas-sized hole in it. We don't have a nuclear bomb anywhere near powerful enough to do the job. As strange as it might seem, this is a case of a Michael Bay movie not having a big enough explosion.

Independence Day
That mammoth mothership hovering over the earth in geostationary orbit would be doing more than just freaking out the world's population. Because of its close proximity and mass -- 1/4th that of the moon, according to the film -- the flying saucer's gravitational pull would cause massive tidal waves, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. The aliens wouldn't even have to roll out their anti-matter ray to blow up the White House -- it would already be underwater.

Starship Troopers
Could a band of cave-dwelling, preverbal giant insects really have the sophisticated mathematics and technology to hurl a rock millions of miles through space to crash into Earth? Plus, 70% of the planet's surface is covered in water, so they only had a 3 out of 10 chance at even hitting solid ground, let alone a major city like Buenos Aires.

The Day After Tomorrow
Roland Emmerich brought his trademark academic rigor to the realm of climatology and the result proved to be so silly that NASA refused to help with the filming of the movie. For one thing, it would require most of Antarctica to melt in order to submerge New York City to the level it is in the movie. If all the rays of the sun were directed at the South Pole, its ice would melt in about two and half years. This ridiculousness drove Duke University paleoclimatologist William Hyde to publicly state, "This movie is to climate science as Frankenstein is to heart transplant surgery."

The Core
In the movie, the Earth's inner core -- a nickel-iron mass about 1500 miles in diameter -- stops rotating, causing the planet's magnetic field to collapse and microwave radiation from space to blast through the atmosphere. But microwaves aren't affected by magnetism, and the radiation that comes from space is too weak to damage anything here. What's more, if the core did stop rotating for whatever reason, we'd have more to worry about than that. The energy stored in the core would have to go somewhere, and the effect on the planet would be equivalent to five trillion nuclear bombs going off at once.

The Matrix
Much in the way of physics in the Matrix -- like dodging bullets and running up walls -- gets a pass because it's all within a massive virtual world. But in reality, our supposed robot overlords are a bit dim. Humans are a remarkably inefficient energy source. Instead of turning the human race into Duracells, the machines would probably get more energy just setting those goopy people pods on fire.

Jurassic Park
Having a wildlife park full of dinosaurs would be a really cool idea if it weren't for a few problems. No, not imperfect security or the possibility of spontaneous lizard sex changes. The problem is that it would be almost impossible to clone the dinosaurs based on DNA pulled from the guts of a 25 million-year-old mosquito. The dinosaur DNA's double helix most certainly would have been broken down into individual chunks, mixing together with whatever else the mosquitoes might have eaten along with some of the insect's own genetic material. Any creature constructed from that mess might be the stuff of nightmares, but probably wouldn't look like a T. Rex.

Total Recall
The red planet's gravitational pull is roughly 1/3rd that of the Earth's. So if, for example, an Austrian bodybuilder were to visit Mars, he would be bounding across the room like Michael Jordan. Another problem: when exposed to the thin atmosphere of Mars, like bad guy Cohaagen at the end of the movie, you would likely suffer from a raging case of the bends and you would asphyxiate -- both of which are plenty lethal -- but your head wouldn't bulge out and explode like an overused stress toy.

Outbreak
A monkey threatens a small town with a virus that kills everybody in less time than your average DMV visit, and only Dustin Hoffman can stop it. The trouble with a disease that virulent is it kills the host too fast to spread. Otherwise, we would be dead from the Ebola virus. Also, it generally takes longer to make a cure from monkey serum than it does to make a latte. Dustin Hoffman does look great in a hazmat suit, though.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Indiana Jones has survived a lot of improbable adventures, be it fleeing ancient spherical boulders or fighting off cult members while dangling off a rope bridge. But few scrapes have tested the bounds of believability more than Indy's escape from a nuclear bomb blast thanks to a lead-lined fridge. The problem is that, even if he didn't get flattened, horribly burned or suffocated (kids, don't hide in refrigerators), Indy almost certainly would have gotten a lethal dose of radiation from the fallout. And that's a lot scarier than snakes.

yeah thats pretty good
[Edited 7/24/08 18:34pm]

The Matrix is real...the machines just want you to believe it isnt.
brb someones knocking at my door

PleasurePrinciple said:

Did you remember to follow the white rabbit?

The problem is that it would be almost impossible to clone the dinosaurs based on DNA pulled from the guts of a 25 million-year-old mosquito.

SCNDLS said:

Well, duh, the dinosaurs died out 65 million years ago! An article criticizing the science makes a big scientific blunder itself!

National Lampoon's European Vacation:

In the time the Griswolds supposedly took to travel from France to Germany they would had to have averaged over 140 miles per hour. Unlikely on any road let alone the A1/A2, on the assumption that was the route taken.

Independence Day--Will Smith's ability to instantly fly the alien ship was only outdone by Jeff Goldblum's ability to hack into the alien computer systems with his laptop!

The Matrix--Sure neo can dodge a bullet, but kung fu still works on him?

This is really unfair, but WALL-E.

The scene (Which I loved -- I LOVE the entire movie), where he's holding on to the giant space ship, and as he skirts under the rings of saturn, he reaches up and touches the layer of rings -- it moves around like pixie dust.

In reality a particle the size of a grain of sand at that speed would have torn WALL-E to shreds in a violent explosion if it didn't first slice through him like butter.

However, all that aside, WALL-E was a charming movie. I think everyone should see it.

toots said:

I'ma tell Morpheus to shove that pill cuz I'm staying plugged in until they get cuter shoes in Zion.

SCNDLS said:

I heard there isnt even a salon for hair let alone nails there

This is really unfair, but WALL-E.

The scene (Which I loved -- I LOVE the entire movie), where he's holding on to the giant space ship, and as he skirts under the rings of saturn, he reaches up and touches the layer of rings -- it moves around like pixie dust.

In reality a particle the size of a grain of sand at that speed would have torn WALL-E to shreds in a violent explosion if it didn't first slice through him like butter.

However, all that aside, WALL-E was a charming movie. I think everyone should see it.

Superman Returns

Superman is hovering over Earth his cape is flapping. In airless space. The same airless space that he is able to hear voices from Earth below him, despite the fact that sound doesn't travel in a vacuum.

Sci-Fi faux paus

Planets should have diverse climates, instead of one unified climate across a desert planet or forest planet. ( I love ST, but this has always made me scratch my head)

You can’t have fires in space, unless there’s oxygen leaking out somehow.

People shouldn’t be able to dodge lasers and other speed-of-light weapons

toots said:

Awwwww, hell to tha naw. I ain't goin'.

NDRU said:

DUDE! It's a DELL!!!

SCNDLS said:

me either I say this to there so called pills

And have you seen their so called sexy lingerie, O HELL TO THE NO!!!!

morningsong said:

Since you brought up Superman I must say that the inplausible science in movies begins and ends with Superman II when Superman flies around the Earth in the opposite direction to turn back time after Lois Lane dies to bring her back to life.
[Edited 7/25/08 13:16pm]