Neil DeGrasse Tyson says THIS film has dethroned Armageddon as biggest violator of physical laws

In a recent appearance on SiriusXM's The Jess Cagle Show to promote his latest book, To Infinity and Beyond, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson didn't shy away from critiquing the scientific accuracy of popular Hollywood blockbusters. Notably, he declared that Armageddon, long considered a poster child for cinematic scientific inaccuracy, has now been dethroned by a newcomer in the field of violating the laws of physics on the silver screen.

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Moonfall: A new challenger takes the crown

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Tyson's criticism extended to Moonfall, a film directed by Roland Emmerich and released in January 2022. The movie's plot revolves around Earth's moon suddenly leaving its orbit, revealing its hollowness and the presence of a moon-sized structure made of rocks within. Tyson expressed his incredulity at the notion that the Apollo missions were, in reality, intended to feed this lunar structure, a concept far removed from scientific fact.

"It [Moonfall] was a pandemic film that came out, you know, Halle Berry, and the moon is approaching Earth, and they learned that it’s hollow and there’s a moon being made out of rocks living inside of it and the Apollo missions were really to visit, to feed the moon being, and I just couldn’t, so I said, “Alright, I thought Armageddon ‘had a secure hold on this crown, but apparently not," he said.

He also pointed out a specific scene in Moonfall involving asteroid manipulation, emphasising that, in space, subtle adjustments could change an asteroid's trajectory without the need for extravagant measures. This cinematic exaggeration, Tyson suggested, typifies the tendency of movies to opt for hyperbolic solutions to scientific problems.

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The impact of scientific inaccuracies on cinema

While Tyson acknowledged that both Armageddon and Moonfall are fictional works meant for entertainment, he underscored a broader issue within Hollywood — where the allure of entertaining storytelling often takes precedence over scientific accuracy. While cinematic exaggerations can captivate audiences, they can also propagate misunderstandings about science and technology.

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