The Epic Sci-Fi Film That Made Such a Scientific Mess, It Caught the Government's Attention
The Core may have gotten the science wrong, but its impact on Hollywood was significant Discover how its flawed science led to positive changes in the industry, and why accurate science in movies matters
The Big Picture
The Core is a poorly made sci-fi disaster film with an absurd plot, amateurish direction, and terrible dialogue.
The movie contains numerous and ridiculous scientific inaccuracies, such as the misuse of terms and absurd consequences resulting from the Earth's core stopping.
These inaccuracies in The Core's science prompted the establishment of The Science & Entertainment Exchange, a program that connects professionals in the entertainment industry with scientists. The aim of this program is to improve the portrayal of scientific concepts in movies and TV shows.
Jon Amiel's 2003 sci-fi disaster The Core can be considered as a failure on multiple levels. The film's plot is nonsensical, the direction lacks finesse, and an overreliance on inadequate CGI undermines its visual appeal. Not even the presence of talented actors like Aaron Eckhart and Hilary Swank can salvage the atrocious dialogue. However, the movie's flaws extend beyond these shortcomings. The Core's portrayal of scientific concepts is deeply flawed, bordering on absurdity. The premise revolves around the idea that the Earth's core has stopped rotating, resulting in widespread chaos. While sci-fi films often rely on implausible premises, The Core's misrepresentation of scientific principles goes far beyond that. Throughout the movie, a group of scientists, engineers, and astronauts embarks on a journey to the Earth's core in an attempt to reactivate its rotation. Along the way, the film manages to inaccurately depict almost every scientific principle it attempts to tackle. The extent of The Core's scientific inaccuracies was so severe that it prompted the establishment of The Science & Entertainment Exchange. This program, initiated by the National Academy of Sciences, aims to foster collaboration between scientists, engineers, and professionals in the entertainment industry. It serves as an effort to promote more accurate and realistic science in movies and television.
Image via Paramount PicturesThe Core
The only way to save Earth from catastrophe is to drill down to the core and set it spinning again.
How Inaccurate Is 'The Core's Science?
The Core's numerous scientific inaccuracies become apparent throughout the movie. One major flaw is the constant reference to the Earth's "electromagnetic" field instead of its magnetic field. The consequences depicted in the film, such as people with pacemakers suddenly dying and lightning strikes causing explosions, are simply ridiculous. It is true that if the core were to stop spinning, the planet would lose its protection from solar radiation, resulting in the death of everything on the surface. However, the way geophysics professor Josh Keyes demonstrates this to government officials is amusingly absurd. Using a peach, a cigarette lighter, and a can of air freshener, he humorously showcases the devastating effects.
The movie further dwells into impossibilities when the scientists and engineers introduce a magical substance called "unobtainium." They use this material to construct a ship capable of vaporizing rock, with the intention of drilling thousands of miles through the Earth's crust and mantle to reach the core. Somehow, this ship is expected to endure extreme heat and pressure while its passengers deploy bombs to create a "controlled" nuclear explosion. This idea is entirely nonsensical, as controlled nuclear explosions do not exist. Furthermore, even if such explosions were possible, they would not be able to manipulate trillions of tons of molten metal in the desired direction and speed. The Earth's core is larger than Mars, and humanity has yet to develop a bomb powerful enough to exert any significant impact on it.
While all of this is happening, the U.S. government decides to hire a solitary teenage hacker (D.J. Qualls) to "control the flow of information" on the internet, in order to avoid causing widespread panic if the public discovers the truth. It is quite ludicrous to think that a single individual, even in the relatively primitive internet landscape of 2003, could effectively prevent the dissemination of news about a particular subject on the internet. This notion is just as absurd as the rest of the movie.
'The Core's Bad Science Inspired The Science & Entertainment Exchange
Image via Paramount Pictures
This movie was widely criticized by many scientists for its inaccurate portrayal of science. In fact, it frequently appears on lists of movies with the worst scientific accuracy and even topped a poll conducted by physics professor Sidney Perkowitz, one of The Exchange's early collaborators. What's even more astonishing and concerning is that the filmmakers actually believed they had gotten the science right. California Institute of Technology planetary scientist David J. Stevenson was brought in to review the script, but it was almost too late as the movie was nearing completion. Stevenson later revealed in an interview with Salon, "I found the scientific content to be subpar and I expressed my concerns to other journalists and individuals. The director, who was in Hollywood at the time, called me and expressed his displeasure because I had criticized the science. It was at that moment that I realized he truly believed the movie was scientifically accurate!"
Meanwhile, Sidney Perkowitz was so frustrated by the film that he took it upon himself to develop a set of guidelines aimed at improving the scientific accuracy of future movies. This initiative gained widespread support within the scientific community. Moving ahead to 2007, Ralph Cicerone, the then-President of the National Academy of Sciences, instructed Ann Merchant, the Deputy Executive Director for the Office of Communications, to investigate other ways in which the NAS could influence the portrayal of science and scientists in entertainment. Merchant sought input from numerous scientists, including Neil Gershenfeld, an MIT professor who had previously worked as a consultant on Steven Spielberg's sci-fi film "Minority Report" in 2002. Together with Cicerone, Merchant reached out to Hollywood and found surprising allies in Jerry Zucker, director of "Airplane!," and his wife Janet Krausz.
The Zuckers became enthusiastic supporters of science due to a personal experience. Their daughter Katie was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at a young age, and the treatment she received at Children's Hospital Los Angeles left a lasting impression on Zucker. This encounter instilled in him a deep appreciation for science and scientists. Zucker even made a point to personally express his gratitude to DNA researcher Paul Berg, who played a crucial role in advancing insulin treatment.
Joining forces with The Exchange was not limited to the Zuckers. Zucker also enlisted the help of his neighbor and friend Dustin Hoffman, who had previously worked as a chemist for Maxwell House coffee before pursuing an acting career. Hoffman believed that filmmakers could incorporate entertaining, action-packed movies while also incorporating accurate science. The Australian reported on his involvement with The Exchange, highlighting his belief in the compatibility of entertainment and science.
