Most of us watch TV shows in our free time. We browse the content on different streaming platforms, check their reviews and are often hooked with all the cliffhangers and narrative arcs of our favourite TV show characters. While TV shows are fun, they often misrepresent science, and in particular medical science to suit their narrative. Although it is important for the writers of these shows to take creative liberties, the audience is not always able to distinguish between fact and fiction. Take for example, the highly popular show, Game of Thrones. When Melisandre brings the lead character, John Snow played by Kit Harrington, back to life, it is not depicted as a ‘scientific breakthrough’. On the other hand, when Walter White, the lead character of the equally famous series, Breaking Bad, claims ‘blue’ colored crystal meth is the purest form of the drug, you may be tempted to believe him, because in the show, he plays a ‘chemistry professor’. Sorry to spoil it for you, but Walter’s claim has no scientific evidence to back it.
Here Are Five Medical Myths Presented As Facts On American TV
CPR Is A Magic Wand
Contrary to what you see on TV, CPR is neither a magic wand you can wave to save someone, nor as common as TV makes you believe. How many times have you seen the lead actress almost drowning and our protagonist blowing air into her lungs and saving the day, and apparently rekindling flames of romance as well. There is a scene in the show, Stranger Things, when Chief Hopper (David Harbour) performs CPR on Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) after finding him unconscious in the Upside Down. The CPR saves Will, however, in real life, it is not as simple. CPR is not administered as the first response as is depicted on TV, and neither is it as successful. If administered wrongly, it can damage or break someone’s ribs, and the actual success rate of CPRs is less than 40 percent. So, next time you binge watch Baywatch, don’t be swayed by the glamour of giving CPR.
Defilibrators Bring People Back To Life
A defilibrator is a piece of equipment used in hospitals to control the movements of the heart muscles by giving the heart a controlled electric shock. It is often portrayed in TV shows as the last resort to ‘bring’ people back to life. Quite famously, the show, Grey’s Anatomy, based on the life of medical professionals, uses defilibrators to bring the almost dead back to life, which, again, you guessed it right, is not entirely true. This equipment is only used in severe heart conditions, but the show presents it as a device that is used to revive a patient whose heart has just stopped. This has made the device into a pop culture myth.
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Gene Editing
Gene editing is one of greatest innovations in modern medical science. This technique can be used to remove or add certain parts of the DNA sequence, which helps scientists better understand complex illnesses like cancer or Parkinson's Disease and potentially enables scientists to remove hereditary genes that carry a threat in an embryo. Red Dwarf, another popular show, misrepresents genome editing by showing a lead character discovering a ‘DNA Altering Machine’ that gives him the leeway to manipulate anyone’s gene sequence, which is, well, scientifically inaccurate to say the least.
Instant DNA Results
If you are a Sherlock Holmes fan, or like watching crime thrillers, this one is for you. You must have seen countless times, a detective or a cop asking for the DNA results at the crime scene itself, and before our protagonist reaches their office, boom, the results are right on his table. That’s not how it works. Even the most advanced lab in the world takes 72 hours to identify a DNA. That is if you are lucky. The process of DNA analysis is a complex one and takes years to understand, let alone master.
The ‘10 Percent Of Brain’ Myth
How many times have you heard the phrase, ‘Our brains only work at a 10% capacity’? 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%. The film Lucy, featuring Scarlet Johanson makes the same claim. Let me break the bubble for you, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that. The fact is more of an urban myth than real science. The barin is in reality, split in two parts and functions differently for each individual. There is no device that measures the percentage of its activity.
Conclusion
Increasingly, for audiences it has become more and more difficult to differentiate between fact and fiction. However, it is important to remember to watch a show purely for entertainment and not take the ‘Science’ of them on its face value. It stands true for shows based on politics, history and more importantly, medical science as well.