Buzz
1. The Chloroform Knockout
A staple in many detective thrillers, the old “knock out the victim by pressing a chloroform-soaked cloth to their face” maneuver is often seen on screen. But does this actually work? Not likely. For one, chloroform loses its potency once exposed to oxygen (and many villains seem to linger too long in the shadows with their rag ready). Additionally, chloroform doesn't immediately knock someone out; depending on the person’s body size, it might take up to 10 minutes to render them unconscious.
2. Shattering Through Glass
No action movie is complete without a hero or villain crashing through a plate glass window and walking away unscathed. This injury-free window leap is pure movie magic—don’t try this at home! Glass shards are incredibly sharp and can slice through clothes and skin like butter. Even if someone did survive the fall, they’d likely be covered in enough cuts to make it look like they'd taken a bath in ketchup.
3. Cars Going Boom
Whether in TV shows or movies, it feels like every high-speed chase ends with a car either crashing or bursting into flames. Sometimes, the vehicle even drives off a cliff and ignites out of nowhere. The reality is, gasoline has a very specific flammable range, and the ratio of gas vapor to air needs to fall between 1.4% and 7.6% before an explosion can even happen. While a car can catch fire after a major crash, a full-on detonation is a rare occurrence.
4. The Amnesia Knockout
Classic TV shows and cartoons often depicted characters with amnesia, who could 'recover' their memory with a swift knock on the head. However, doctors would argue that this is about the worst approach to treating someone with memory loss. The brain is already injured, which is the cause of the amnesia, and another blow to the head would only lead to more harm and further brain damage.
5. The Bullet and the Bone
How many times have we seen a character on screen shot and knocked off their feet, instantly dying from a single bullet? In reality, gunshot fatalities depend on the weapon and ammunition used. For simplicity, let’s take a handgun: even if someone is shot point-blank, they won’t be flung through the air. If a handgun had that much force, the shooter would be pushed back too. The only shots that immediately incapacitate—where the person drops and can’t move—are those to the brain or upper spine. Even a direct hit to the heart won’t cause immediate collapse; it would take several minutes for circulatory failure, with the brain still sending out “fight or flight” signals.
6. The Suppressor
In films, James Bond often uses a silencer-equipped handgun to shoot someone in a crowded room, then makes a clean escape. But a silencer only reduces the noise from the expanding gases in the gun; the bullet still travels at supersonic speed, producing a small sonic boom that remains audible. When a gun is fired, the ignited gunpowder in the cartridge produces high-pressure gas, which propels the bullet, and as it exits the barrel, this release of energy creates a loud sound—similar to a champagne cork popping, but much faster and louder. A silencer works by using baffles and an expansion chamber to cool the gas before it exits the barrel, making the shot sound like a car door slamming—quieter than the typical “bang,” but definitely not the soft “whoosh” you hear in spy thrillers.
7. Crime Scene Clean-Up Reality
In many crime dramas, after the big shoot-out, the detectives simply tell the uniformed officers to 'take him to the morgue and clean this up,' and then they're off unwinding at the local bar. In real life, things are much different. Any officer who fires their weapon must stay at the scene until Internal Affairs conducts an investigation. They also have to wait while evidence technicians finish collecting everything. As for the suggestion of 'cleaning up,' the uniformed officers would just laugh. Whether it’s a homicide or a suicide, after the cops gather all their data and evidence, it’s the property owner’s responsibility to deal with the mess. Fortunately, there are companies that specialize in the delicate work of biohazard clean-up.
8. The Movie Hack
Ever noticed how TV detectives can trace a phone call in just a few minutes, but when tracking down a criminal, someone can hack into a computer in even less time? In reality, programming is a far more intricate process, involving steps like modifying existing code, compiling it, testing it, and debugging. Even waiting for a compiler to finish its job can take hours. Even the most skilled hacker can't just tap a few keys and break into someone’s password-protected files within minutes.
9. The Dramatic Drowning
In movies, drowning victims always seem to have time for a dramatic rescue, splashing and flailing while calling for help. In truth, most drowning people don’t get rescued in time because no one notices their struggle. A drowning person usually dies in silence, unable to keep their mouth above water long enough to scream for help. They don’t thrash around either—instinctively, they straighten their body like they're climbing a ladder and spread their arms to push down on the water's surface to lift themselves. This natural response makes it rare for them to reach for a life preserver or extended pole. Small children drown even faster than adults, so it's crucial to use precautions like life jackets when they’re in the water.
10. Graveyard Speed
In movies, showing a completed, personalized headstone at the burial site can add an emotional touch to the scene (often signaling that the character didn’t make it). However, in reality, it typically takes at least four weeks after placing an order to have a grave marker set up. And that’s for one picked from inventory stock; if you want custom designs or special details, it could take 90 days or longer.
