Indiana Jones is a great movie character, but a terrible scientist.
Here are 19 more for your consideration…
Scientists can get a bad rap in films and TV.
As Sheldon fromThe Big Bang Theoryutters its amazing how many supervillains have advanced degrees.
So, some ground rules first.
The definition of worst in this list can relate to simply being bad at science.
This, then, is my list of my worst scientists in film and mainstream TV.
This list applies only to fictional scientists and excludes medical doctors, engineers and inventors.
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NOTE: This list is looking at the characters of the scientists themselves.
The films and shows concerned, and the characters within them, are often excellent.
However, working at Greendale means that he is hardly at the top of the psychology profession.
However, Ira Kane is portrayed as a generic scientist.
Thats not a specialism Ive ever heard of, anyway.
Every scientist knows to test out a hypothesis on a small scale first.
If Kanes prediction had been wrong, which is entirely possible, the Earth would have been doomed.
Dr. Nefario,Despicable Me
Dr. Nefario, voiced by Russell Brand, doesnt seem to be inherently evil.
Maybe hes just doing it for kicks, which does put him in a sketchy place, ethically speaking.
The nature of the research that he does is vague and he does invent quite a few things.
At least hes less of a jackass than Wernstrom.
Walter White,Breaking Bad
Theres no denying that Mr. White is a brilliant chemist.
That blue meth is good stuff.
And its nice to see someone getting out of tricky situations using the power of science.
But, as you well know, sketchy they were.
Sorry, Mr. White…
14.
At least I hope no-one is trying to do this …
13.
The science portrayed in the film is realistic to a point.
However, Dr. Octavius actions and his stubbornness are what eventually leads to his transformation and downfall.
He is also the strongest embodiment of the megalomaniac brand of supervillain scientists commonly shown in films.
However, the likelihood of such a pandemic being triggered by human genetic engineering of the virus is tiny.
This episode is about how the military can use scientific techniques against their enemies.
I would hope that its fairly unlikely that there are rogue scientists routinely testing horrible hallucinogens on innocent people.
This scene reveals that the scientists have created a glowing green rabbit.
The scientist kidnapped this rabbit from her daughter, just to hammer home how unethical she is.
They certainly wouldnt be allowed to test it on kidnapped domestic pets.
Im pretty sure in real life shed have ended up dead or at least in horrible pain.
However, his appearance inJurassic Worldramps him up a notch on the outright evil scale.
Hes an awful scientist.
He spends far too much time being a hero and not enough time studying things and thinking.
Im also not entirely sure why an archaeologist has to be quite that handy with a whip.
He also seems to go instantly evil the minute he turns into a lizard for some reason.
The science behind this transformation is also laughable.
The idea behind limb regeneration is an interesting one.
This would all need to connect back to the existing body parts in order for the arm to function.
This is an enormously complex ask, especially for something as large and detailed as a human.
They do end up saving the world though so Ill give them some points for that.
For starters, undertaking an expensive scientific mission on what is essentially a whim?
Yeah, thats sensible.
Interfering with the local flora and fauna?
Bringing potentially hazardous materials on board your ship in an improper container?
The list just goes on and on.
