CSI: Crazy S**t Investigation
Last night I was babysitting for a friend of mine while she and her partner went to the gym. After her 2 year old Josh had gone to sleep I decided to watch an episode of CSI, which I have been known to do on occasion. I'm not a huge fan of the show but I find it entertaining nonetheless.
Now, I'm prepared to put up with as much "Hollywood Science", as many "Acceptable Breaks From Reality" as the next guy but this episode was something else. Aside from the fact that this murder was comitted by a remote control miniature gun turret attached to the underside of a car (which must be some military grade tech at least, and how it got into the hands of who was effectively an ordinary citizen is never even mentioned), but the supposed bullet trajectory would have JFK spinning in his grave.
Basically, the gun was set to lock on to a homing beacon in the back of someone's chair (stay with me on this) so the target would get shot in the chest. However, somebody, who was standing up, got between the gun and the target and got shot IN THE HEAD!!!
Before we delve too deeply into "WTF?" territory, let's break this down a little. The target, the victim and the car to which the gun was attached were all the same height above sea level. The gun was about 6" off the ground, the target's heart about 3' 6" off the ground, and the victim's head about 5' 6" off the ground. Unless the gun was somehow programmed to curve the bullet "Wanted"-style, something doesn't add up.
This whole issue could have been easily "Hand-Waved" with some ridiculously uneven terrain, or even a malfunctioning targetting system. But instead we're left with an episode that has to break the laws of physics in order to hold together. For shame.
Now, I'm prepared to put up with as much "Hollywood Science", as many "Acceptable Breaks From Reality" as the next guy but this episode was something else. Aside from the fact that this murder was comitted by a remote control miniature gun turret attached to the underside of a car (which must be some military grade tech at least, and how it got into the hands of who was effectively an ordinary citizen is never even mentioned), but the supposed bullet trajectory would have JFK spinning in his grave.
Basically, the gun was set to lock on to a homing beacon in the back of someone's chair (stay with me on this) so the target would get shot in the chest. However, somebody, who was standing up, got between the gun and the target and got shot IN THE HEAD!!!
Before we delve too deeply into "WTF?" territory, let's break this down a little. The target, the victim and the car to which the gun was attached were all the same height above sea level. The gun was about 6" off the ground, the target's heart about 3' 6" off the ground, and the victim's head about 5' 6" off the ground. Unless the gun was somehow programmed to curve the bullet "Wanted"-style, something doesn't add up.
This whole issue could have been easily "Hand-Waved" with some ridiculously uneven terrain, or even a malfunctioning targetting system. But instead we're left with an episode that has to break the laws of physics in order to hold together. For shame.