Presentation of the Principles of Science in the Movie Armageddon Essay

People have successfully created an advance and modern attack of imparting to students the principles of and topics relating to science or physics laws. What used to be a general learning course of study present in every curriculum of almost all school facilities was made into an exciting and entertaining education. This is attributed to the fact that the fresh approach utilizes films or movies to present and make students internalize and grasp scientific concepts in depth. This is achieved by studying and connecting every scene of a movie with the pieces of information derived from the important science or physics laws. By making students recognize and understand the effects of movie scenes and relating them to reality aroused the curiosity of students who normally regarded the subject as too difficult and dull when taught in the conventional manner. Ultimately, the presentation and use of the principles of science or physics in a movie have created more options for instructors to boost the improvement and benefits of the course to the studies of students and to the society in general. The 1998 blockbuster movie Armageddon top-billed by Bruce Willis (Harry Stamper), in particular, tells of a large and uncontrolled asteroid as large as Texas, which is bound to collide with our planet in 18 days. Harry, with his group of oil well drillers, is sent to space under a mission to stop this catastrophe from happening and prevent the destruction of the planet and mankind. To achieve this, they have to destroy the asteroid with a powerful nuclear bomb by placing it inside the asteroid (Bruckheimer & Bay, 1998). From the perspective of physical science, it is actually during the drilling scenes of the movie that the principles of science and physics law are likewise being laid out. This explains the logic behind the showing of the horizontal speed and increased velocities of the asteroid, which was blown-up into pieces by the nuclear bomb. These two scientific conditions are actually aimed at showing how a powerful nuclear bomb can greatly destroy the asteroid at that intense speed and resulting its pieces in just avoiding the planet and eventually forbidding a tragic end. A scientific analysis of this condition creates an impression that the movie scenes have effectively presented the use of energy and momentum preservation, addition of vector, as well as the law of gravity. Moreover, the formula and calculations used by the characters in the movie provide an apparent introduction to the students of the principle of devising fair or sensible calculations or approximations. One particular example is the use of the asteroid and making it appear that its size is the same as that of Texas (Bruckheimer & Bay, 1998). With this variable, it is assumed that Texas is a square size the surface area of which is equivalent to this U. S. state. Subsequently, the asteroid’s figure is estimated to be a cube, with each side equivalent to the surface area of the cited state. Therefore, the total mass or physical measure of the asteroid can then be adequately estimated by multiplying the amount of the cube by the normal density or concentration of the planet Earth. Thus, the nuclear bomb employed to detonate the asteroid which is equal to at least 100,000 bombs that were dropped in Hiroshima during World War II gave an estimate of the energy needed by Harry and his team to carry out the heroic task. Further presumption that all of the said energy turned into a kinetic energy separated equally between the two parts of the asteroid, would tell us that the length of the portions of the asteroid can be calculated. Results of the computation conclude that the direction where they are heading would turn perpendicular to its primary route of motion by the time they impact the planet. This could be possible when the energy required to blow up and separate the asteroid into two is ignored. The deflection for each asteroid piece is only a little over 200 meters. This will lead to the scenario that a two half-Texas-size, rather than only a Texas-sized asteroid, will reach and destroy the planet. This concept of physics was what Armageddon effectively presented. This explains why it is practically understandable for the United States, or any nation for that matter, to discover and pursue the movements of any object in the space that is likely to hit the planet or come near its crossing orbits. Armageddon was able to present that the principles of science or physics laws are beneficial to society. This is because the movie succeeded in realizing the purpose of increasing awareness on the said field of study among students. The movie also proved that recognizing the wonders of science can be breathtaking and satisfying especially when presented in the context of an entertaining film such as Armageddon. Reference Bruckheimer, J. (Producer) & Bay, M. (Director). (1998). Armageddon. [Motion picture]. Burbank, CA: Touchstone Pictures.