19 The Core Trivia Questions & Answers

Answer: It stopped moving.

At a previous time (not shown in the film), the U.S. Government had the idea that their enemies were devising some form of seismic weapon of mass destruction. Therefore, Dr. Conrad Zimsky devised DESTINI - Deep Earth Seismic Trigger Initiative. The plan was to send shockwaves to the core of the Earth in order to trigger massive earthquakes to their enemies. However years later, the instability caused by this weapon eventually stalled the core. The core stopped moving, causing weakness in the Earth's electromagnetic field, and therefore dooming life on Earth.

Answer: London

It is in Trafalgar Square, to be exact. Birds navigate using tiny molecules in their brains that are aligned with the magnetic field of the Earth. As this field begins to collapse, the birds lose their long-range sensory perception, and wreak havoc as they collide with cars, people, and buildings.

Answer: Geophysics

After the opening scene of the first sign of core instability, the movie cut to Dr. Joshua Keyes' Geophysics lecture. He was informing the class on how sound waves differed as they traveled through different densities of rock. Also, near the end of the movie, after the core had been fixed, Rebecca Childs was telling Josh that NASA "could really use a few good men." Josh replied that his freshman Geophysics students could as well.

Answer: The Einstein Lectures

Conrad Zimsky, a brilliant but impossibly arrogant scientist, actually tries at first to autograph the files containing Dr. Keyes' results!

Answer: Unobtanium

After Dr. Joshua Keyes presented his research to the Pentagon on why the planet was doomed, Dr. Zimsky and the crew flew out to the desert to meet with Dr. Brazzleton. Dr. Brazzleton and Zimsky were former colleagues, but Zimsky stole Brazzleton's research. The point of the visit was that Dr. Brazzleton was designing a vessel that had the potential of allowing the crew to journey to the core of the Earth. Dr. Brazzleton told everyone how he designed such a material when Serge asked if it had a name. Dr. Brazzleton said that the real name had 37 syllables, but he called it unobtainium to make it easier.

Answer: a peach and a can of air freshener

The peach represents the Earth, and spraying the air freshener across the flame of Zimsky's lighter sets it on fire, which is what the doctors tell the Pentagon will happen to Earth within a year.

Answer: Rat

The U.S. Government sought out this computer hacker because he was convicted of 34 computer fraud indictments and had also crippled the FBI database. Because of the panic that the government knew would occur if info of the Earth's destruction got out, the government needed Rat in order to stop the flow of information on the internet about the mission.

Answer: mouse

Unobtainium is a fictional material Dr. Brazelton created to encase his ship. He only explains it as being a super-cooled titanium matrix, the chemistry of which I can only imagine! It did, however, protect the mouse and astounded the assembled scientists.

Answer: Pong

The team's first plan to fix the core was a failure, because the core material had a much lower density than they first thought. Dr. Conrad Zimsky, being high-strung about his own safety, ordered the plan of DESTINI to begin. The team was unaware of what DESTINI was, but soon realized that it was what caused the disaster in the first place. While the team was busy figuring out a new plan to fix the core, Rat was busy trying to find a way to stop DESTINI from occurring. Frantically searching the entire government database for access to DESTINI, Rat found the access code and diverted power from DESTINI just before it launched. One of the government officials looked to Rat as the first suspect. When he was checked on, he was playing Pong on one of the computers and eating a lollipop.

Answer: Virgil

Virgil was the poet whom Dante Alighieri penciled in as his guide into the depths of Hell, in "The Divine Comedy: the Inferno".

Answer: Cell phone

While Rat was being interrogated, Dr. Keyes thought he might have had a better way of explaining the situation. As he walked by Rat, Rat took his cell phone from his pocket and began working his hacker skills. Dr. Keyes told Rat that they were in trouble and a lot of people were going to die. While Dr. Keyes was telling him this, Rat was using a comb and a bubblegum wrapper to hack the phone. Dr. Keyes also mentioned that they needed him to control the flow of information on the internet. Rat said that was insane because nobody controlled the net. He then tossed the phone back to Dr. Keyes and told him that he had free long distance on the phone forever. He then said that if he was going to do this for them, he would need an unlimited supply of Xena tapes and Hot Pockets, because they helped him concentrate.

Answer: Rat

Rat is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and MIT, and is chosen to "hack the planet", and keep information about the project to restart the core a secret.

Answer: empty space

Dr. Keyes never suspected pockets of empty space (which turned out to be giant geodes) and didn't teach the navigational system how to display them, just as Dr. Brazzleton didn't teach Virgil to fly.

Answer: Alex

Dr. Brazelton was demonstrating the strength of his unobtanium to the crew, when he put a mouse into a small box made of the material. He mentioned the name, Alex, referring to the mouse. After placing Alex into the box, he fired a laser directly into it. The laser disintegrated everything around the box, but after the demonstration was complete, he pulled Alex from the box alive and well.

Answer: Dr. Brazelton

Dr. Brazelton insists that he go, not wanting Virgil to fail. The crawlspace is flooded with core fluid close to 9000 degrees, and the suit he wears is made to withstand maybe half that temperature. Ouch!

Answer: Marianas Trench

The crew was flown, by helicopter, to a launch pad in the South Pacific Ocean. A caption mentioned that the exact location was the Marianas Trench. The reason for this location was that it was the deepest location on the Earth's surface. Therefore, the team would have to travel through less crust material to reach the core. Dr. Zimsky mentioned that he picked that spot because the crust was thin, however the problem was that there was a lot of seismic activity.

Answer: himself

The others on the ship had accused him of trying to imitate Carl Sagan by constantly recording his thoughts on a tape-recorder during the mission. He is talking into the tape recorder just before the ejected compartment he is trapped in explodes. His last words? "What the hell am I doing?"

Answer: Virgil

As the crew was getting ready to board the ship and take the journey to where no man has ever gone, Serge pulled out a bottle of champagne and the crew had a last drink before the journey. Dr. Keyes mentioned that they should give a name to the ship. Dr. Brazelton then said that the name of the ship was Virgil. Dr. Keyes immediately realized the significance. He mentioned that Virgil was a poet who journeyed to the depths of hell. Dr. Keyes found the name fitting.

Answer: ultrasonics

The ultrasonics attract the attention of a large number of whales, which circle the ship and sing.