One of the most
important aspects of being an adult is being able to distinguish between fact
or fiction, between science and make-believe. Adults use this component when
watching films. Films today can be so scientifically correct but they also can
be so imaginative. Most action packed and sci-fi films do not follow the rules
of physics because they want to show better and exciting visuals to their
audience. So are we saying real life physics and science are boring? No, but
flying space ships, magic, and digital dimensions are a lot cooler. One of the
biggest laws of physics these films break is Conservation of energy, which
states that energy can’t be created or destroyed. In the films “Flubber”, “The
Matrix”, and “Space Jam”, the physics law Conservation of Energy is pushed
beyond its limitations to show the audience a more enticing visual.
“Flubber” is a 1997
Sci-Fi Comedy about Philip Brainard, an absent-minded professor, who has
invented “flubber”, a rubber-like super-bouncy substance. This green goop has
enough energy to send anything soaring through the air. In one scene of
“Flubber” the professor is performing an experiment on his “flubber” with
various types of balls. He has added “flubber” to hand cream and is rubbing the
balls with the cream. Once coated he lets these balls go and each at different
sizes and weights go crazy and bounce at great heights and speeds. Now this
can’t really happen in real life, why? The balls have no energy at all, only
when you apply your own energy do the balls bounce. So according to the law
Conservation of energy “flubber” can’t do this, for energy can only be
converted from one form into another. If
you left a ball in the air just by raising it with you arms, you have transferred
potential energy. Potential energy is
energy stored for later use, and for this example it would be into the ball.
When you eventually drop the ball it will not bounce back higher than the
position you let it go from. This happens because the potential energy you gave
it was converted into kinetic energy.
Kinetic Energy is the energy of motion, which in this case, the ball used to
bounce back up. But, some of the kinetic energy was converted into friction. Friction is the energy of two
substances rubbing together. In this case the ball was rubbing together with
the air molecules and the ball hitting the floor. So the ball’s rebound bounce
is almost and high but not as quite high as the starting position.
“The Matrix” is a 1999
Action Sci-Fi film about a computer hacker named Neo, who learns from
mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality and his role in the war
against its controllers. Humans are no longer the dominant species anymore;
machines have over thrown them. “The Matrix” is one of my favorite Sci-Fi films
and it’s a great film overall. Lots of things in this movie don’t apply to the
laws of science or physics especially inside the Matrix itself, but we can
forgive that, because it’s meant to be a computer simulation. In terms of
breaking the law of Conservation of Energy “The Matrix” just does that. The
film has the idea that humans are kept alive as a sort of electricity
generator. This brings a whole new meaning to the term “battery farming”. This
practice is fundamentally impossible since the humans would need more energy to
create this extra energy. For example, it is like saying you will power your
car with batteries, and keep the batteries charged by running some form of
electricity generator from the wheels. There
is a scene in the film that pretty much shows all that I have explained. Neo is
taking from the simulation he has been living his whole life and is taken into
the real world that he did not know existed. He finds himself in some sort of
incubator that has been keeping him alive all this time. This incubator is how
the machines take his energy and make it into their own.
“Space Jam” is a 1996
Animation Comedy about how Michael Jordan agrees to help the Looney Toons play
a basketball game vs. alien slavers to determine their freedom. As this is an
animated laws of physics are broken a lot, but not too much where the film does
not look realistic. This film is special because it combines animated film and
real-life film into one amazing picture. Towards the end of this film we find
Michael Jordan needing to make the winning shot, he is the only one that can
save them all. In this scene we see Michael making his way to the basket, but
he does this by take a huge leap that turns into this giant flying jump. Not
only is his jump so high and long, his arm stretches like rubber to reach the
final lengths to the basket. He makes the winning basket by stretching his
human arms and taking a giant flying leap. Michael Jordan is an amazing
athlete, but even the best would not be able to perform this stunt. For a
person to jump that high and stretch his arm like rubber is physically
impossible. This also does not follow the law of Conservation of Energy. No one
can produce that much energy for a jump from such a small leap. No way, no how.
These films would not
be the same if they followed the physics rule of Conservation of Energy. They
would not have the comedy like “Flubber”, or the action like “The Matrix”, or
the climatic moments like “Space Jam” has. These films intentionally break the
laws of physics for their audience enjoyment. Breaking this law provides better
visuals that exaggerate the stories in a more fun and entertaining way. It is
one of the main reasons why these films are so memorable. I don’t know about
you but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
