10 Ridiculous Movie Myths About Explosions

6. Explosive Shockwaves Can't Kill You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTx9g5GkRYo One of the things movies are most selective about is whether or not a massive explosion has a shockwave or not; in reality, any sizeable explosion would be accompanied by a shockwave big enough to cause serious bodily harm, knocking the recipient unconscious, and failing that, catapulting them into the air at which point they would suffer a serious head injury upon landing. Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, shrapnel being catapulted into the air along with you is a massive danger, as its trajectory can easily cause it to find its way into your skull or chest. In films, it seems to largely be a rule that if you've evaded the primary blast radius, you're probably OK.