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Measurement in the Movies

The reality behind onscreen metrology

Ben P. Stein
Mon, 03/25/2024 - 00:03
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Body

Many critics and movie fans alike name 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark as one of the best films of all time. But watching the movie as a 12-year-old, I didn’t realize that it has what some consider to be a major flaw, pointed out in a 2013 episode of The Big Bang Theory. 

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As the argument goes, Indiana Jones, the main character, made no difference in the outcome of the film. With or without him, the movie would have played out the same: The Nazis would have found the Ark of the Covenant and opened it, triggering their demise. 

While Indy’s effect on the plot has now become the subject of endless internet debate (what hasn’t?), I can still hold onto one fact as a proud employee of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Measurements play a key role in the plot—with one inaccurate measurement nearly killing Indy.

 …

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Comments

Submitted by Mike (not verified) on Mon, 03/25/2024 - 20:04

Measurements (Ancient traps in the IJ temple)

"[A] temple laced with ancient mechanical traps".  My take was always that those mechanical traps had to be fabricated with a fairly high level of precision.  And after lying dormant for centuries the precision of the components (many made from organic materials) would have likely deteriorated to the point that the intricate traps would fail to function.  Thousand year old rope and pulleys?  Would they run or break?  Thousand year old wooden rollers? Still round?  Would they roll?

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