Says explained
It is a movie. The film states its rules and follows them. A drilled hole of 800 feet is a clear and easily shown goal.
Armageddon (1998)
At 0:46:40
Verdict: Guilty. 62% of viewers say this is dumb. Top defense: The film says the bomb must split the asteroid from the inside, so the crew has to go deep.
780 votes
Dumbness rating
7.0/ 10(780 ratings)Is this scene dumb, or does it make sense?
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NASA's plan is to drill 800 feet into the asteroid to set a nuclear bomb at its center. The film says an explosion on the surface would not split it. Real asteroid-defense plans focus on pushing the object off course.
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Says explained
It is a movie. The film states its rules and follows them. A drilled hole of 800 feet is a clear and easily shown goal.
Says dumb
The plan is a good drama. As science it is silly, and the film does not nod to that.
Says dumb
Splitting a body that large in two so cleanly would take far more energy than a single bomb. Moving it a long time earlier would be a better plan, and the film knows it.
The film says the bomb must split the asteroid from the inside, so the crew has to go deep.
The film says the bomb must split the asteroid from the inside, so the crew has to go deep.
Fixes are written by people. The smallest change, in 200 characters or fewer, that would have fixed the scene. AI is used only for duplicate detection, length and moderation.
Use a series of small charges to push the asteroid off course. No deep drill needed, but the crew still has to place them.