Says dumb
Phone microphones and speakers are not built for ranging at that scale, and the film skips how the data is gathered. It is closer to a comic-book idea than a technical one.
Is the sonar surveillance device in The Dark Knight possible?
The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight (2008)
At 1:45:00
Verdict: Contested. 59% of viewers say this is dumb. Top defense: Fox objects to the device in the film and insists it be destroyed after one use.
Contested
59% dumb41% explained
960 votes
Dumbness rating
6.6/ 10(960 ratings)Broken scienceProfessional error: tech
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What happens in this scene
Batman uses a device that turns every phone in Gotham into a sonar sensor, giving him a map of the whole city. Lucius Fox agrees to help once and says the device should be destroyed. The film does not explain how phones could work as a sonar system.
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Reviews 2
Says explained
The film treats the device as a moral problem rather than a technical one. Fox's objection is the point of the scene.
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Actually, it’s explained
Fox objects to the device in the film and insists it be destroyed after one use.
- DumbScenesStaff13 months ago
Fox objects to the device in the film and insists it be destroyed after one use.
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Also asked as
- Could phones be used as sonar?
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