Spectacular and exciting films impress not only notorious moviegoers. Those who are well versed in history, physics, and other sciences also watch modern colorful blockbusters and films based on real events with enthusiasm. Still, these people will never miss the opportunity to tell where the filmmakers went seriously wrong.
In our today’s selection, there are myths that we all came to believe in thanks to cinema.
When deciding the outcome of gladiatorial battles, the emperors did not put their fingers down. This myth appeared because of the painting “Police verso” by Jean-Leon Jerome. Later, the filmmakers developed it. According to some historians, a different gesture was used in real life: the finger was extended to the side and touched the neck, the arm being bent.
In case of cardiac arrest, chest compressions are done first to start blood circulation. They are followed by defibrillation, which allows eliminating ventricular fibrillation, which in 10% of cases causes cardiac arrest. Thus, cinematic scenes in which the heart is triggered by a single defibrillator shock without indirect massage are unrealistic.
When opening the parachute, it is impossible to hear the noise of the wind. On the contrary, there is absolute silence. Talking to another skydiver during the flight is also impossible.
Myth: if you work in the media, you can buy a pair of Manolo Blahnik once a month, and money and time will be enough for gatherings with friends in a cafe. The earnings of journalists around the world vary, but they are not always high. For example, the average salary of a journalist in Manolo Blahnik’s home country, Spain, is $1,800, while Manolo Blahnik shoes will cost about $995.
Of course, a successful journalist can earn much more but do not forget about utility bills and other compulsory expenses. They make it hardly possible to please yourself with expensive shoes every month.
By pretending to be insane, you cannot escape punishment for a crime. No matter how many films about serial killers show this, lawyers almost never use the version that the criminal is insane, and it is extremely rare to achieve acquittal verdicts. Moreover, insane people are usually sent to compulsory treatment, and they spend about the same amount of time in the hospital as they would spend in prison.
A blow in the head cannot cause instant amnesia, just as a second blow will not restore memory.
A machine gun cannot fire for more than a minute. Loading cases of some of them can hold only 30 shells, which are shot in just 4 seconds.
The silencer does not make the shot completely silent. It makes the sound safer for your hearing.
Quicksand does not suck in a minute. They mix with water and can float for a while. Besides, sands tend to liquefy.
A drowning person will not wave his hands and loudly call for help. After all, he needs air in his lungs to breathe, and his hands help him stay above water.
Although the ventilation ducts are spacious, they are unlikely to be navigated. Firstly, they are not designed for a person’s weight, and secondly, screws stick inside.
If you throw a working hairdryer into the bathtub, it will just swim peacefully. If you are not bathing in distilled water, the current will flow from the hairdryer to the ground through the water, bending around your body. This is due to the conductivity of the bath water.
Falling from a height, you cannot cling to something. The thing is that a person picks up speed when falling, so the strength of the fingers is not enough.
Chloroform is not able to put anyone to sleep instantly, so it is useless to put it on a rag and apply it to the face. This substance can really deprive a person of their senses, but this will take at least 5 minutes.
Movie heroes often talk near a helicopter that has just landed. But the noise level of the engine and the sound of the rotating blades leave no chance of hearing anything.
A lie detector does not detect whether a person is telling the truth or lying. It just helps measure excitement, and it sometimes arises even when the suspect is not lying. Besides, you can see in many films how the character deceives the lie detector by putting a sharp pin in the boot and pressing on it with each answer. Allegedly, the pain will interrupt the brain’s reaction to truth and untruth. This is only partly true: a pin, a nail, or any other sharp object must be so long and sharp that the subject would be hurt even at the slightest pressure. In this case, movements should be barely noticeable, otherwise the motion sensors will notice such a reaction against the background of tremors caused by heartbeat and breathing.
