Physics Says No, and other scientific anomalies

[T'Pau]

After watching many, MANY science fiction and other types of programming (movies and television) with a certain ex-physics teacher...ehem...anytime an action that was clearly not 'possible' happened, commentary about WHY it couldn't occur was spoken about (aka preached) ad nauseum. I came to call this phenomenon "Physics Says No!". Now, when the same thing happens, those three words take the place of long discussions mid-show.

What are your most favorite PSN moments in film or television?

[Graham Kennedy]

I rather like The Core, which is pretty much one big PSN moment from beginning to end.

Favorite moments

The idea that the Earth's magnetic field deflects microwaves. Or that without this, the sun is powerful enough to melt a large part of the Golden Gate bridge.

The fact that the mole ship is laid out horizontally, yet spends virtually the whole movie heading straight down - and everyone still walks around it as if it's horizontal.

The idea that you can enhance the yield of a nuclear bomb by just sticking reactor fuel rods to the exterior of the casing.

The idea that the Earth's core could simply stop rotating - where did the energy go to?! (There's a very easy way around this, too!)

[T'Pau]

I'll agree with the PSN moments, but they didn't stop my enjoyment of the film, in all it's terrible glory.

[Mikey]

Every external spaceship shot ever with the sounds of the engines, weapons, et. al. blaring.

[T'Pau]

Every terribly awful wonderful shark movie, where the fish or something it is fighting, growls. Oh the horror, the horror!

[Graham Kennedy]

In the Matrix, the idea that the machines use human body heat as a source of energy. Ripped me right out of the movie. Thermodynamics and the law of diminishing returns would like a word with you - and the word is "NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!"

Oddly, I later had the wonderful idea that it would have been better if the machines had been using human brains as processors, not energy. And then later still, I discovered that that is exactly what the original script DID have, but the studio execs thought it would be too complicated for audiences to understand, and forced it to be changed.

[stitch626]

Loved The Core for its PSN. Made it better IMO.

90s disaster films. Most relied on their PSN for the plot.


Also this line from one of said films. Think it may have been about ice tornadoes or something.
"Physics doesn't work that way."
"It does now."
Literal PSN right there acknowledged by the film itself.

[Coalition]

In the Matrix, the idea that the machines use human body heat as a source of energy. Ripped me right out of the movie. Thermodynamics and the law of diminishing returns would like a word with you - and the word is "NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!"

Oddly, I later had the wonderful idea that it would have been better if the machines had been using human brains as processors, not energy. And then later still, I discovered that that is exactly what the original script DID have, but the studio execs thought it would be too complicated for audiences to understand, and forced it to be changed.

Or it could have been:

Morpheus: "The Matrix is a computer-generated dream world built to keep us under control in order to change a human being into this. [holds up a Duracell battery]"

Neo: "No, that is wrong. Physics doesn't work that way."

Morpheus: "Where did you learn that?"

Neo: "In school, same as everyone else!"

Morpheus: "Where did you learn that?"

Neo: [suddenly realizes]"In the Matrix"

[Graham Kennedy]

In the Matrix, the idea that the machines use human body heat as a source of energy. Ripped me right out of the movie. Thermodynamics and the law of diminishing returns would like a word with you - and the word is "NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!"

Oddly, I later had the wonderful idea that it would have been better if the machines had been using human brains as processors, not energy. And then later still, I discovered that that is exactly what the original script DID have, but the studio execs thought it would be too complicated for audiences to understand, and forced it to be changed.

Or it could have been:

Morpheus: "The Matrix is a computer-generated dream world built to keep us under control in order to change a human being into this. [holds up a Duracell battery]"

Neo: "No, that is wrong. Physics doesn't work that way."

Morpheus: "Where did you learn that?"

Neo: "In school, same as everyone else!"

Morpheus: "Where did you learn that?"

Neo: [suddenly realizes]"In the Matrix"

Heh, that would also work!

[Varthikes]

Every external spaceship shot ever with the sounds of the engines, weapons, et. al. blaring.

That only bothers me if the characters react to the sounds, like Uhura reacted to the sound of the second torpedo fired at Kronos 1 in Star Trek 6.

For me...

Jurassic Park--the first and each subsequent movie, whenever they introduce a new genuine dinosaur species (not genetically-engineered). According to the first movie, all of their original dinosaurs were created using DNA they find in mosquitoes stuck in amber. That's a lot of mosquitoes stuck in amber. Then, it takes a few years for those tyrannosaurs and brachiosaurs to reach full size. One has to wonder how long before the first movie they started working on the project. And just how big those islands are to be able to support all those beasts.