The Wonderful World of Movie Mistakes

Let me start by making a confession—I’m a science geek. I really do love technology and the world of gadgets, and I’m obsessed with science-fiction movies, too. Do you know what makes me smile? Finding basic science errors in these movies. The directors usually don’t know basic science, so they get things wrong. OK, OK, they don’t call it ‘fiction’ for anything. But come on, guys. Do a bit of research.
Now, the thing is, I want YOU to do a bit of thinking. Read about each film and figure out what the problem is with each scenario.
1 The speed of light
How many science-fiction films show heroes firing their laser guns? In the Star Wars movies, the lasers look really cool as they shoot through space like glowing arrows. Except if they had really fired laser beams, you wouldn’t have seen them move at all!!! Why not?
2 And talking of space…
Sound is 50% of a sci-fi movie. And Star Wars must have one of the best soundtracks! Don’t you just love the exciting noises the fighters make as they shoot their way across the universe? But hang on!
3 Boom!
I do like things exploding in movies. But when they happen in sci-fi movies, I have problems. In Starship Troopers and Star Trek II, there are some serious explosions. You hear an incredible noise and see enormous flames. Is this possible?
4 Hair-raising!
There’s a rather hairy problem in Gravity and the clue is in the movie’s title. Gravity stops things from floating away. The thing is, on a space ship, there’s a Zero-G environment. Things float. But actor Sandra Bullock’s hair stays down, and neatly in place. What’s wrong with that?
5 Getting it right!
I guess my favourite science-fiction movie of all time has to be 2001: A Space Odyssey. It was made back in 1968, but it is beautifully filmed, full of ideas and hardly gets anything wrong. Arthur C. Clarke, who wrote the original novel, was a scientist, and he was an advisor during the making of the movie.