Continuing our series of analysis of movies that deal with topics related to physics, let’s understand a little better the physical phenomena of the movie “The Core.”

The movie

Released in 2003, “The Core” is a science fiction movie where the Earth’s core has suddenly stopped spinning because of an unknown force acting on the planet. This ends up causing several disastrous consequences for the planet. Then a team of scientists are sent on a mission to reach the center of the Earth and reactivate the rotation of the planet.

Physical phenomena

The paralysis of the Earth’s core is so disastrous because it provides the deterioration of the Earth’s magnetism and hence the atmosphere. Due to this stop of movement of the materials present inside the Earth’s core, there was a weakening of the Earth’s magnetic field, since it depends on the movement of charges to exist. With this, phenomena such as magnetic storms and auroras begin to occur. In addition, electronic equipment stops working, some people susceptible to them (such as pacemakers) die and even birds begin to fall.

However, in another moment some less scientific ideas are presented in the movie. For example, a crew inside a spacecraft capable of drilling the earth’s crust and goes towards the center of the Earth to reactivate it. In the movie it is passed an idea of a “Sonic Laser” that the ship uses to excavate, in addition to the use of nuclear warheads to boost the movement of the nucleus. In the plot it also is presented a fictitious material for the construction of the ship, named as “unobitainium”, derived from the English word “unobtainable”, that is, that can not be obtained. Thinking about theories, materials, and possibilities, this ship would not be able to withstand the heat and pressure of the center of the Earth, beyond, of course, the non-existence of material for the construction of the ship.

Did you like the analysis of the movie? Enjoy to check the analysis of “Gravity” that we also did here in the blog.