Factual error: Dr Scott's official personnel record shows that she received her only medical degree, an MD, from Cambridge University. However, British universities do not award an MD as a first medical degree; in Britain, unlike the USA, this is a very prestigious (and rare) postgraduate research degree only awarded to very highly-qualified doctors. The medical qualification degree at Cambridge is an MBBChir (Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery), which is equivalent to an American MD. Although Americans expect doctors to have an MD, it is extremely unlikely that an official personnel record would give false information. The record also shows that her first degree was a BS in chemistry from Oxford. Oxford does not award a BSc degree (as they are called in Britain); most of its undergraduate degrees, even in science, are BAs.
Factual error: Ruskov introduces himself as a vice-admiral. However, he wears the sleeve insignia of an admiral of the fleet, two ranks higher: a wide stripe and four regular stripes (instead of the wide stripe and two regular stripes of a vice-admiral). On his epaulettes he wears the four stars worn by an admiral of the fleet until 1962, instead of the single large star of a modern admiral of the fleet or the two regular stars of a vice-admiral. Given Ruskov, it is inconceivable that he would reduce his own rank or wear the insignia of a higher rank but not use it.
Factual error: A projectile is shown being loaded for firing. It has a light blue casing. Light blue casings denote a practice shell, not a live shell. (00:05:05)
Factual error: After the nuclear detonation LT Alisha Granderson reports the ship's fuel reserves as 11% and states they will run out of fuel in less then 6 hours, even at maximum conservation. Working from published specifications (Wikipedia and www.globalsecurity.org) 11% should last them for more than 24 hours operating normally at 20 knots and one would think that maximum conservation extends this timeframe. (00:27:15)
Factual error: When Chandler is looking through his rangefinder at the Italian passenger liner, the lat-long coordinates indicated in the lower left corner of the display are quickly decrementing, meaning they couldn't possibly indicate a current GPS location. In addition, the numbers are nowhere near the coordinates Chandler gives when he attempts to hail the passenger liner ("48° north, 15° west").
