The Terribly Inaccurate And Bad Science In 6 Of Your Favorite Films

Published June 30, 2014
Updated February 27, 2024

Armageddon

Bad Science Armageddon Cast

Source: Alpha Coders

While this 1998 film about an asteroid the size of Texas hurling its way toward Earth has many improbabilities, it’s also known for its impossibilities – so much so that the film is actually shown to NASA trainees to see if they are able to spot all 168 of them.

To start off the list of the improbable, there is absolutely no way we would only be able to spot an asteroid like this at the last minute. We would know about it, and we’d have been tracking it; with a supposed diameter of 870 miles, the asteroid wouldn’t have many places to hide.

The movie would also have us believe that drilling 800 feet into an 870 mile wide asteroid would do anything at all, as that depth would be akin to barely scratching the surface of a soccer ball. The film’s “experts” try explaining away only drilling this far down with some other bit of fake science, but that only exists to provide a Deus Ex Machina for the plot.

author
Erin Kelly
author
An All That's Interesting writer since 2013, Erin Kelly focuses on historic places, natural wonders, environmental issues, and the world of science. Her work has also been featured in Smithsonian and she's designed several book covers in her career as a graphic artist.
editor
Savannah Cox
editor
Savannah Cox holds a Master's in International Affairs from The New School as well as a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and now serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Sheffield. Her work as a writer has also appeared on DNAinfo.
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Kelly, Erin. "The Terribly Inaccurate And Bad Science In 6 Of Your Favorite Films." AllThatsInteresting.com, June 30, 2014, https://allthatsinteresting.com/bad-science-movies. Accessed April 26, 2024.