A science writer has taken aim at Hollywood for making minor scientific errors in blockbuster films, arguing that while plot-driven liberties are acceptable, sloppy details are not. Helen Pilcher, author of Life Changing: How Humans are Altering Life on Earth, was particularly incensed by a scene in the recent film Project Hail Mary, where the main character, a molecular biologist, placed two plastic tubes next to each other in a centrifuge rather than balancing them symmetrically.
Pilcher, who describes herself as dying on this hill, said such mistakes are unnecessary and jarring for viewers with scientific knowledge. She noted that even the most junior lab technician knows to place two tubes on opposite sides of the machine to avoid strain on the central spindle. While she accepts that films often bend reality for narrative purposes, she draws the line at trivial inaccuracies that could easily be corrected.
Other examples that irk her include the mosquito in Jurassic Park, from which scientists extract dinosaur DNA. She pointed out that the insect's downturned proboscis indicates it is a nectar feeder, not a blood-sucking species. Similarly, she winces when starships in space roar, despite the fact that sound cannot travel in a vacuum. However, she has no issue with the Millennium Falcon travelling faster than light, as it serves the plot.
Pilcher's plea to filmmakers is clear: sweat the small stuff. She argues that scientific knowledge is hard-won and deserves respect, even in fiction. 'When it comes to seemingly trivial specifics, don't take the easy option just because it looks or sounds good. Get it right instead,' she said.
