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.
Rob
@rocketry_rob
Level 143,050 reputationSelf-declared: Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineer by day. Self-declared, not verified yet, but I will show my working.
Huntsville, US · Joined February 2025
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Physics Pedant
Calls out broken science and explains why.
On Is the sonar surveillance device in The Dark Knight possible? in The Dark Knight
On How does a fusion reactor turn into a bomb in The Dark Knight Rises? in The Dark Knight Rises
Says dumb
Fusion reactors do not turn into bombs by being switched off and re-purposed. The film uses the word 'fusion' as a magic label and then fills the rest with plot.
On How could a superstorm flash-freeze New York in a matter of hours? in The Day After Tomorrow
Says dumb
The effect is based on a real idea about air at high altitude, but the speed is out of proportion. Nothing in the real climate moves like this.
On How did Cooper send data through the bookshelf and the watch? in Interstellar
Says dumb
The idea that gravity can carry a message back through time is the film's central claim. The film then uses it to deliver a very specific signal through a watch. Too convenient.
On Why does the bomb have to be set 800 feet deep inside the asteroid? in Armageddon
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.
On Could a Martian dust storm really damage the Ares 3 rocket? in The Martian
Says dumb
The thin atmosphere would make the wind much weaker, and the novel's author has said so. The film needs the storm to start the story.
On Does the Tyrannosaurus in Jurassic Park see things that stand still? in Jurassic Park
Says dumb
The idea is stated as a rule and then broken within the same sequence. The film would work with either version, but it should pick one.
On Why would one bomb split the asteroid evenly so both halves miss Earth? in Armageddon
Says dumb
Fragments of a split asteroid would keep most of their speed and direction, and many would still hit Earth. The film's clean split does not reflect that.
On Why did NASA send humans instead of robots to the candidate planets? in Interstellar
Says explained
The earlier missions were crewed and sent back a signal that they were alive. Sending a robot to check the same thing would not give the same data, and the colony plan needs people.
On How did Cooper survive falling into the black hole? in Interstellar
Says explained
In the film's story, Cooper survives because the tesseract was built for him. Whether the physics is right is a different question. The film sets it up as a loop and follows through.
On How did a Mac laptop upload a virus to an alien mothership? in Independence Day
Says dumb
A short line about how the signal is interpreted would have helped. As it is, the film skips straight to the screen full of progress bars.
The Martian
6.5/ 10(4 ratings)
The Dark Knight Rises
How does a fusion reactor turn into a bomb in The Dark Knight Rises?
The Dark Knight Rises (2012) · 1:30:00
Guilty
7.7/ 10(640 ratings)
Armageddon
Why would one bomb split the asteroid evenly so both halves miss Earth?
Armageddon (1998) · 2:25:00
Guilty
7.3/ 10(870 ratings)
The Day After Tomorrow
How could a superstorm flash-freeze New York in a matter of hours?
The Day After Tomorrow (2004) · 1:00:00
Guilty
7.4/ 10(700 ratings)
Armageddon
Why does the bomb have to be set 800 feet deep inside the asteroid?
Armageddon (1998) · 0:46:40
Guilty
7.0/ 10(780 ratings)
Interstellar
6.8/ 10(780 ratings)
The Dark Knight
Is the sonar surveillance device in The Dark Knight possible?
The Dark Knight (2008) · 1:45:00
Contested
6.6/ 10(960 ratings)
Swap a detail
Armageddon (1998)
Why does the bomb have to be set 800 feet deep inside the asteroid?Use a series of small charges to push the asteroid off course. No deep drill needed, but the crew still has to place them.
Would this fix it?78% say yes (102 votes)
1 month ago
Add a line
Interstellar (2014)
How did Cooper send data through the bookshelf and the watch?Add a line from TARS: 'Gravity is the only signal that crosses the barrier, and the watch is the only mass Murph still keeps near her.'
Would this fix it?80% say yes (98 votes)
1 month ago
Add a line
Interstellar (2014)
How did Cooper survive falling into the black hole?After the fall, have TARS say, 'Cooper, there is a structure here that was built for us.' The rescue is announced, not just shown.
Would this fix it?77% say yes (78 votes)
2 months ago
Add a line
Armageddon (1998)
Why would one bomb split the asteroid evenly so both halves miss Earth?Truman says the halves will still be dangerous, but small enough for defense systems to handle. The film shows that after the split.
Would this fix it?77% say yes (78 votes)
2 months ago
Swap a detail
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
How does a fusion reactor turn into a bomb in The Dark Knight Rises?Make it a stolen fission core. The countdown becomes a decaying core with a failing cooling system, and the science sounds right.
Would this fix it?83% say yes (120 votes)
2 months ago
Swap a detail
The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
How could a superstorm flash-freeze New York in a matter of hours?Stretch it to three weeks, with a title card for each stage. The ice age still arrives, and the science only has to bend a little.
Would this fix it?80% say yes (88 votes)
2 months ago