We know Hollywood exaggerates today’s technology and science principles. Here are a few good ones that crop up from time to time.
Whenever someone gets the smallest scratch, the hero rips strips of cloth from his flannel shirt using his bare teeth. Then, he wraps it around the injured limb, above or below the flesh wound.
Turns out in real life a tourniquet stops blood flow resulting in serious injury to the affected limb. Plus, by restricting fresh blood flow, toxic substances quickly form. Once the blood flow is restored, these toxins are released into the system, a potentially life-threatening affect from a tourniquet.
Tourniquets are controversial at best. Many countries have banned teaching this measure in first-aid classes. Only in extreme cases, when there is no other alternative, should a tourniquet be applied.
When a villain uses “gene therapy” to replace his DNA, he changes his appearance. Geneticists everywhere cringe. DNA can’t be replaced. It’s what’s in every cell of your body, making you, you.
So many movies portray someone getting shot by them flying backwards. This is scientifically impossible, as a bullet weighs very little, not enough to cause a person to fly backwards. Also bullets don’t spark upon impact.
The first thing people in movies do with a severed limb or digit is to stick it on ice. Freezing cells causes irreparable damage. While you should keep it cool to prevent the growth of bacteria, such as in a fridge, you don’t want to put it on ice.
There are so many movie scenes in which a wrecked car explodes into a ball of fire. In real life, it seldom occurs because of the mix of fuel and air in the tank.
This over exaggeration has lead to a number of problems in real life. Mainly, good Samaritans cause more harm to crash victims with potential spinal cord injuries when they pull them out of their car thinking it could explode.
GPS tracking devices are often downsized to the equivalent of a watch battery in film. Moreover they supply the tracker with exact locations and even work indoors. All three of these are impossible.
While GPS trackers can be small, they are bigger than a watch battery. They require a power source and radio transmitter in order to send data, which would be impossible to include in something the size of a watch battery.
As far as accuracy, 100% accuracy is impossible. There is a margin of error in the technology that ranges between 13-328 feet. Plus, they are never accurate indoors as GPS tracking is impossible indoors.
Top Science and Technology Errors in Film
Quick! Get a Tourniquet!
Whenever someone gets the smallest scratch, the hero rips strips of cloth from his flannel shirt using his bare teeth. Then, he wraps it around the injured limb, above or below the flesh wound.
Turns out in real life a tourniquet stops blood flow resulting in serious injury to the affected limb. Plus, by restricting fresh blood flow, toxic substances quickly form. Once the blood flow is restored, these toxins are released into the system, a potentially life-threatening affect from a tourniquet.
Tourniquets are controversial at best. Many countries have banned teaching this measure in first-aid classes. Only in extreme cases, when there is no other alternative, should a tourniquet be applied.
Just Replace your DNA to Change How you Look
When a villain uses “gene therapy” to replace his DNA, he changes his appearance. Geneticists everywhere cringe. DNA can’t be replaced. It’s what’s in every cell of your body, making you, you.
Bullets are Incredibly Strong … and Bright
So many movies portray someone getting shot by them flying backwards. This is scientifically impossible, as a bullet weighs very little, not enough to cause a person to fly backwards. Also bullets don’t spark upon impact.
Get that Toe on Ice
The first thing people in movies do with a severed limb or digit is to stick it on ice. Freezing cells causes irreparable damage. While you should keep it cool to prevent the growth of bacteria, such as in a fridge, you don’t want to put it on ice.
The Car could Explode any Second
There are so many movie scenes in which a wrecked car explodes into a ball of fire. In real life, it seldom occurs because of the mix of fuel and air in the tank.
This over exaggeration has lead to a number of problems in real life. Mainly, good Samaritans cause more harm to crash victims with potential spinal cord injuries when they pull them out of their car thinking it could explode.
GPS Tracking Devices are 100% Accurate, Work Indoors, and are Incredibly Tiny
GPS tracking devices are often downsized to the equivalent of a watch battery in film. Moreover they supply the tracker with exact locations and even work indoors. All three of these are impossible.
While GPS trackers can be small, they are bigger than a watch battery. They require a power source and radio transmitter in order to send data, which would be impossible to include in something the size of a watch battery.
As far as accuracy, 100% accuracy is impossible. There is a margin of error in the technology that ranges between 13-328 feet. Plus, they are never accurate indoors as GPS tracking is impossible indoors.