Science writer criticizes small scientific errors in Hollywood films

The Story

In an opinion piece published by The Guardian, science writer Helen Pilcher describes her frustration with minor scientific inaccuracies in Hollywood blockbusters. Pilcher, who watched the film Project Hail Mary on the advice of her teenage son, says she was angered by a scene in which the main character, a molecular biologist, places two plastic tubes next to each other in a centrifuge instead of balancing them symmetrically. She states that even the most junior lab technician knows the correct way to load a centrifuge is to place samples on opposite sides. Pilcher notes that she does not object to larger scientific liberties that serve the plot, such as fictional alien species or spaceships made from solid xenon. However, she argues that small, sloppy mistakes, such as the sound of a starship in the vacuum of space or inaccurate depictions of insects, undermine scientific credibility. She also cites Jurassic Park, pointing out that the oldest retrieved DNA is 2 million years old and dinosaurs died out 66 million years ago, making de-extinction impossible. Pilcher concludes that scientific accuracy in seemingly trivial details matters because such knowledge is hard-won.

Key Facts

• Helen Pilcher is a science writer and author of Life Changing: How Humans are Altering Life on Earth and This Book May Cause Side Effects.
• She watched Project Hail Mary after her teenage son recommended it.
• She was angered by a scene where the main character, a molecular biologist, loads two plastic tubes next to each other in a centrifuge rather than on opposite sides.
• Pilcher states that even the most junior lab technician knows the correct way to load a centrifuge is to balance samples symmetrically.
• She does not object to larger scientific inaccuracies that serve the plot, such as the alien Rocky, a spaceship made from solid xenon, or vacuum-thriving microorganisms called astrophages.
• She also objects to the starship Millennium Falcon roaring through space because there is no sound in a vacuum.
• Regarding Jurassic Park, she states that the oldest DNA retrieved is 2 million years old and dinosaurs died out 66 million years ago, making de-extinction impossible.
• She criticizes the film’s mosquito, whose downturned proboscis indicates it is a nectar feeder, not a blood-sucker.

Conflicting Reports

No conflicting reports identified in the source article.

Still Unclear

No open questions identified in the source article.

Misconceptions

The article addresses the misconception that dinosaur DNA can be obtained from fossils, stating it is impossible because the oldest retrieved DNA is 2 million years old and dinosaurs died out 66 million years ago. It also corrects the depiction of a mosquito as a blood-sucker when its proboscis indicates it feeds on nectar.

Key Figures

Helen Pilcher – science writer and author

Sources: The Guardian