Summary
- Even the most accurate sci-fi TV shows have scientific inaccuracies, highlighting the delicate balance of entertainment and realism.
- From defibrillators to gene editing, TV shows frequently misrepresent scientific facts, leading to misconceptions among viewers.
- Medical dramas often portray CPR and instant diagnoses inaccurately, creating unrealistic expectations of medical procedures.
Science is a complicated and delicate subject, so it makes sense that TV shows often misrepresent these facts. Even the best sci-fi TV shows have their inaccuracies, even in a fictional universe that has its own rules. Although these details, no matter how big or small, don’t generally impact the overall quality of a TV show, eagle-eyed viewers are still quick to point out when something doesn’t add up.
From physics to biology, chemistry to psychology, there is no area of science that TV shows do not cover in some shape or form. However, science isn’t always misrepresented in broadcast media. There are some great examples of movies with surprisingly accurate scientific details, such as 2015’s The Martian, for example. Although science on TV is always fun and enjoyable, getting these details wrong can ruin a show, which is a great disappointment for audiences.
Relevant TV Shows |
Air Date |
---|---|
Breaking Bad |
2008–2013 |
Limitless |
2015–2016 |
Star Trek: The Next Generation |
1987–1994 |
The X-Files |
1993–2018 |
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation |
2000–2015 |
Red Dwarf |
1988– |
The Flash |
2014–2023 |
The Big Bang Theory |
2007–2019 |
Grey’s Anatomy |
2005– |
Chicago Med |
2015– |
House |
2004–2012 |
Scrubs |
2001–2010 |
Baywatch |
1989–2001 |
10 Mercury Can Be Used As A Makeshift Battery
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan, follows a chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin named Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as he attempts to provide for his family following a fatal diagnosis. With nothing left to fear, White ascends to power in the world of drugs and crime, transforming the simple family man into someone known only as Heisenberg.
- Cast
- Dean Norris , Bob Odenkirk , Aaron Paul , RJ Mitte , Anna Gunn , Giancarlo Esposito , Betsy Brandt , Bryan Cranston , Jonathan Banks
- Release Date
- January 20, 2008
- Seasons
- 5
Breaking Bad is generally scientifically accurate, especially in dialogue that explains the chemical process of creating methamphetamines. However, one moment from the show stands out for being incorrect. In the season 2 episode “4 Days Out,” Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) depart to the desert to cook and get stranded because the dashboard indicator lamp drains the RV’s battery. So they can return home, Walter teaches his ex-student how to create a makeshift battery out of mercury.
Although Walter’s thought process makes sense, the outcome is dramatized.
Although Walter’s thought process makes sense, the outcome is dramatized. In reality, the power the mercury creates isn’t strong enough to power most household items, let alone a huge RV. Even though this moment doesn’t add anything significant to the plotline of Breaking Bad, it’s noteworthy nonetheless, especially since Walt is a high school chemistry teacher and should know better.
9 We Only Use 10% Of Our Brains
Limitless
Limitless, a continuation of the 2011 film of the same name, reintroduces the “NZT-48” pill, which allows someone to access the full capabilities of their mind with just one dose. The drug lets users unlock 100% of their brain, whereas the average human, according to the show, can only use a measly 10%. However, the pill only lasts for 12 hours, and once the dosage wears off, those who take it are reverted back to their original state.
The brain is split into different parts, each of which works individually and in tandem depending on someone’s emotions, stress levels, and even the context of the situation they’re in.
Of course, there is nothing like the “NZT-48” pill available worldwide, but that isn’t the issue with this concept. A common misconception is that humans only use 10% of their brains at one time, but this is just a myth (via Medical News Today). The brain is split into different parts, each of which works individually and in tandem depending on someone’s emotions, stress levels, and even the context of the situation they’re in. If the Limitless drug is ever invented, it’s likely to work similarly to ADHD medication rather than as a magical pill that makes users into geniuses.
8 Set Phasers To Stun
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is the third installment in the sci-fi franchise and follows the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew members of the USS Enterprise. Set around one hundred years after the original series, Picard and his crew travel through the galaxy in largely self-contained episodes exploring the crew dynamics and their own political discourse. The series also had several overarching plots that would develop over the course of the isolated episodes, with four films released in tandem with the series to further some of these story elements.
- Release Date
- September 28, 1987
- Seasons
- 7
The most common weapon in the Star Trek franchise is the “phaser,” which is usable as both a handheld weapon and is also built into several ships. The phaser has several adjustable settings, which can be altered depending on what it’s needed for. For example, there are moments in Star Trek: The Next Generation when a phaser is used to cause maximum damage, but also instances when it is “set to stun.”
In theory, a phaser gun is so powerful that it should turn everything and anything to dust the second the beam touches it.
However, it is established that the phaser uses a simple laser beam, which raises some questions about its strength. In theory, a phaser gun is so powerful that it should turn everything and anything to dust the second the beam touches it. According to The Guardian, it’s impossible for Star Trek‘s famous weapon to be adjustable (via The Guardian). Although Star Trek: The Next Generation has its own in-universe explanations for its scientific inaccuracies, the phasers never got one.
7 DNA Testing Is A Quick Process
The X-Files And CSI
Like a lot of crime procedural TV shows from the 2000s, The X-Files and CSI misled audiences on the length of time that DNA testing takes. For example, in The X-Files season 1 episode “The Erlenmeyer Flask,” Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) discovers evidence of an alien race and fears she’s contracted a virus. After gathering the alien fetus, she requests a very specific type of DNA test – the Southern Blotting technique. Although The X-Files isn’t a medical show, Scully getting the results in a mere three hours is completely unrealistic.
In the real world, DNA results take an average of 72 hours.
In the real world, DNA results take an average of 72 hours. CSI also frequently makes this mistake. Although answers ought to be provided to audiences within the 45-minute episode runtime, a crime procedural like CSI needs to be scientifically accurate. There are several instances of characters taking one look at cells through a microscope and magically solving the mystery, but in reality, DNA testing is nowhere near as dramatic as CSI makes it out to be.
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CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
In this long-running, classic crime procedural, a team of investigators searches crime scenes to collect forensic evidence, analyze it, and use it to catch the criminal of the week.
- Cast
- William Petersen , Marg Helgenberger , George Eads , Eric Szmanda , Elisabeth Shue , Laurence Fishburne , Paul Guilfoyle
- Release Date
- October 6, 2000
- Seasons
- 15
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The X-Files
The X-files takes the police procedural formula and applies it to sci-fi mysteries. Conspiracy theorist Fox Mulder and skeptic Dana Scully team up to solve cases surrounding alien invasions and other unexplained, paranormal phenomena.
- Cast
- Gillian Flynn , David Duchovny , Robert Patrick , Annabeth Gish , Mitch Pileggi
- Release Date
- September 10, 1993
- Seasons
- 11
6 Gene Editing
Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf is another show that isn’t as dependent on being scientifically accurate, especially as it is a comedy. However, the season 4 episode “D.N.A.” has several glaringly incorrect scientific facts about how genes work. The gang encounters a “DNA ship,” and after they board, Rimmer (Chris Barrie) and Kryten (Robert Llewellyn) find a mutant human with three heads. Cat (Danny John-Jules) locates a machine, “The DNA modifier,” which allows its user to manipulate and edit the genes of anyone he chooses, rewriting their DNA sequences with any organic matter.
Genome editing is a scientific technique that researchers have been developing for decades.
Genome editing is a scientific technique that researchers have been developing for decades. This technique, which can remove or add certain parts of the DNA sequence, helps scientists better understand complex illnesses like cancer and hereditary genes in medical conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease. However, Red Dwarf‘s execution is extremely over the top in comparison to what scientists can realistically achieve and shows gene editing as a simple and easy process.
5 Cold Things Can Be Detected By Radiation
The Flash
The Flash
After witnessing his mother’s murder, and his father wrongly convicted, Detective West and his family take in Barry Allen (Grant Gustin). Becoming a forensic scientist, Allen tries to uncover the truth about his mother’s murder, which leads him to Harrison Wells’ particle accelerator. When the accelerator causes an explosion, Allen is struck by lightning and enters a coma. When he wakes up, he learns he has the ability to move at superhuman speeds, though he is not the only meta-human created in the wake of the explosion. Based on one of the most popular characters from DC Comics, the TV adaptation of The Flash was developed by Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, and Geoff Johns. The series ran for nine seasons on The CW and is one of the most popular shows in the network’s “Arrowverse.”
- Cast
- Rick Cosnett , jesse l martin , Candice Patton , Tom Cavanagh , Grant Gustin , Danielle Panabaker
- Release Date
- October 7, 2014
- Seasons
- 9
Even though a superhero TV show like The Flash doesn’t need to be scientifically accurate, especially when set in a fictional world different from our own, there is one common complaint from audiences. In season 1, Wentworth Miller is introduced as the villainous Captain Cold, who is based on the character Heat Wave from The Flash DC comics. Throughout the show, Captain Cold carries around a cryonic gun that freezes any object or person instantly, which creates a lot of chaos.
They use the nonsensical logic of that because Captain Cold is exactly that, cold, they can track him using the opposite of infrared radiation.
In the season 2 episode “Family of Rogues,” Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) and his cohort try to track down Captain Cold when he is kidnapped. In order to do this, they use the nonsensical logic of that because Captain Cold is exactly that, cold, they can track him using the opposite of infrared radiation – “ultraviolet cold signatures.” Although the thought process behind this is understandable, there is simply no such thing as cold signatures.
4 Sheldon And Amy’s Asymmetry Theory
The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory first premiered on CBS in 2007 and became one of its era’s most popular and longest-lasting network sitcoms. Running for 12 seasons, The Big Bang Theory focuses on a group of self-proclaimed nerds, Leonard (Johnny Galecki), Sheldon (Jim Parsons), Howard (Simon Helberg), and Raj (Kunal Nayyar), who form an unlikely friendship with their new neighbor Penny (Kaley Cuoco). The series became a ratings giant and took home multiple Emmys. The Big Bang Theory was so successful that it ended up spawning a spinoff titled Young Sheldon, which has also become one of CBS’ most popular sitcoms.
- Cast
- Kaley Cuoco , Johnny Galecki , Jim Parsons , Melissa Rauch , Mayim Bialik , Kunal Nayyar , Simon Helberg
- Release Date
- September 24, 2007
- Seasons
- 12
In The Big Bang Theory’s finale, Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) and Amy Farrah-Fowler (Mayim Bialik) receive the Nobel Prize in Physics for their “super asymmetry theory.” The fictional concept is a form of string theory, which Sheldon quickly pieces together with Amy in the moments before their wedding in the season 11 episode “The Bow Tie Asymmetry.” Although this idea is completely world-changing in The Big Bang Theory, in reality, super asymmetry isn’t possible.
However, the idea of super asymmetry is based on another theory, known as super symmetry, that does very much exist and has kept researchers busy for decades.
There are several science facts in The Big Bang Theory that are correct, but super asymmetry is not one of them. The show states that this idea revolves around subatomic particles and how they react in certain situations, as well as how they react against specific stimuli. However, the idea of super asymmetry is based on another theory, known as super symmetry, that does very much exist and has kept researchers busy for decades.
3 The Use Of Defibrillators
Grey’s Anatomy And Scrubs
The defibrillator is often used in several medical drama TV shows, especially in life-and-death situations. Shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Scrubs frequently use defibrillators, and medical professionals generally use the device as the first or last solution to a problem. However, the defibrillator is also shown to be a piece of equipment that brings a patient back to life, which isn’t correct.
Defibrillators should be used in heart-related emergencies like cardiac arrest, but these shows cause a common misconception that they should be brought out when a patient’s heart has completely stopped.
A defibrillator applies an electronic charge to the heart that helps restore a normal, average heartbeat. Defibrillators should be used in heart-related emergencies like cardiac arrest, but these shows cause a common misconception that they should be brought out when a patient’s heart has completely stopped. Unfortunately, this has led to many false assumptions about when it’s appropriate to use a defibrillator.
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Scrubs
Scrubs is a Sitcom and Medical Comedy/Drama created by Bill Lawrence that follows a group of medical students throughout their daily lives at the Sacred Heart Teaching Hospital. The series stars Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, and Donald Faison, as they work their way up from Medical Interns while juggling all sorts of hospital shenanigans.
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Grey’s Anatomy
Grey’s Anatomy is considered one of the great television shows of our time, winning several awards and four Emmys. The high-intensity medical drama follows Meredith Grey and the team of doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial, who are faced with life-or-death decisions on a daily basis. They seek comfort from one another, and, at times, more than just friendship. Together they discover that neither medicine nor relationships can be defined in black and white.
2 CPR Fixes Everything
Chicago Med And Baywatch
CPR is another medical process that is demonstrated to audiences in a scientifically inaccurate way. In a lot of medical dramas, such as Chicago Med, CPR is often the first thing a doctor will attempt to try and save a patient’s life, but the process isn’t as successful as it seems. CPR can result in other damages to the body, such as bruising and broken ribs. Unfortunately, CPR is only successful between 24 to 40% of the time (via BMJ), whereas, in TV shows, it seems to be a near-perfect solution.
Several scenes from the show make CPR look accurate, but at a closer look, it’s clear that the rhythmic pumping of the chest isn’t in line with official first aid advice.
Even in non-medical shows, like Baywatch, CPR is misused. One of Baywatch‘s best qualities is its various lifeguard characters sprinting across a beach and saving someone from drowning, but how they perform CPR is far from ideal. Several scenes from the show make CPR look accurate, but at a closer look, it’s clear that the rhythmic pumping of the chest isn’t in line with official first aid advice. Much like Chicago Med, Baywatch also makes CPR seem a lot more effective than it realistically is.
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Chicago Med
Chicago Med is a medical drama television series that follows the lives of the doctors and nurses of the fictional Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. Created by Dick Wolf and Matt Olmstead, the show is the third series in Wolf Entertainment’s Chicago franchise. Chicago Med premiered on NBC in 2015, and occasionally has crossover events with Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D.
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1 Medical Diagnosis Are Almost Instant
House
House
House is a medical mystery drama in which the villain is typically a difficult-to-diagnose medical malady. It follows Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie), a world-renowned disabled diagnostician with a notorious substance abuse issue. With his team of world-class doctors, House has built a reputation as one of the most brilliant doctors in the world – an especially impressive feat when taking into account that he rarely actually sees his patients.
- Cast
- Olivia Wilde , Jesse Spencer , Lisa Edelstein
- Release Date
- November 16, 2004
- Seasons
- 8
One thing that happens in every episode of House is that Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) and his cohort of fellow doctors will make a medical diagnosis. Although there is usually a process, with House and his team usually taking four attempts to get the correct diagnosis, they still get to the bottom of the mystery much quicker than in reality. Even though this is dragged out for the sake of drama, House managing to diagnose an illness in a matter of hours correctly is still unrealistic.
In reality, depending on the country, healthcare providers can take weeks or months to come to a conclusion.
In reality, depending on the country, healthcare providers can take weeks or months to come to a conclusion. Of course, there are rare instances where a severe illness is found quickly, but House implies that this happens a lot faster than it actually does. Because House is such a genius, often knowing exactly what is wrong with a patient before they even explain their symptoms, he convinces audiences that this is the same case in real life, which puts unfair expectations on actual medical professionals.