History Main / AllTheoriesAreTrue

* That´s part of how [[AppliedPhlebotinum Wonders]] work in ''TabletopGame/GeniusTheTransgression''. The other parts are ''[[ClarksThirdLaw actual]]'' [[SubvertedTrope science]] and [[MagicPoweredPseudoscience Mania]].

* {{Animorphs}} used this trope sometimes. In the case of Area 51...I mean, Zone 91...it was heavily {{Lampshaded}}. It was more moderately lampshaded when an Atlantis-type lost civilization turned out to be real. And there are also the Skrit Na, whose main purpose for being in the books was to be an alien race fitting the description of TheGreys. Subverted, though, when Erek is telling the story of how his Chee race arrived at the right time to be AncientAstronauts. When asked about the concept that they might have been the ones to design the pyramids, Erek clarifies that the Chee didn't interfere with human society in ways like that, just as they don't do things like that in the present day. Also, the series' treatment of [[PsychicDreamsForEveryone psychic phenomena]], and of the question of dolphin and whale intelligence, seems to be based on this trope.

* ''{{The X-Files}}'' uses the premises of innumerable fringe and obsolete theories as the premises of episodes and the show's sprawling MythologyArc. A partial list:

* A big part of the [[MadScientist Sons of Ether]] brand in MageTheAscension is science that go beyond conventional ideas of the "possible".

* "[[SteamPunk Gaslamp fantasy]]" ''GirlGenius'' is all about this, but then, at least one character states that a strong spark is actually a RealityWarper.

* Several short works by Hugo-winner Ted Chiang follow this formula, including one in which the tower of babel does in fact reach the sky (Tower of Babylon), and another exploring the ultimate consequences in a world where the theory of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preformationism preformation]] is accurate (Seventy-Two Letters).

* Many short works by Hugo-winner Ted Chiang follow this trend, including one in which the tower of babel does in fact reach the sky (Tower of Babylon), and another exploring the ultimate consequences in a world where the theory of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preformationism preformation]] is accurate (Seventy-Two Letters).

* That´s part of how [[AppliedPhlebotinum Wonders]] work in GeniusTheTransgression. The other parts are ''[[ClarksThirdLaw actual]]'' [[SubvertedTrope science]] and [[MagicPoweredPseudoscience Mania]].

* {{Animorphs}} used this trope sometimes. In the case of Area 51...I mean, Zone 91...it was heavily {{Lampshaded}}. It was more moderately lampshaded when an Atlantis-type lost civilization turned out to be real. And there are also the Skrit Na, whose main purpose for being in the books was to be an alien race fitting the description of TheGreys. Subverted, though, when Erek is telling the story of how his Chee race arrived at the right time to be AncientAstronauts. When asked about the concept that they might have been the ones to design the pyramids, Erek clarifies that the Chee didn't interfere with human society in ways like that, just as they don't do things like that in the present day. Also, the series' treatment of [[PsychicDreamsForEveryone psychic pheomena]], and of the question of dolphin and whale intelligence, seems to be based on this trope.

** "Jersey Devil," "Quagmire," "Detour," and many others - Cryptids

* ''{{The X-Files}}'' is perhaps the MostTriumphantExample of this trope, using the premises of innumerable fringe and obsolete theories as the premises of episodes and the show's sprawling MythologyArc. A partial list:

* A big part of the [[MadScientist Sons of Ether]] brand in [[MageTheAscension]] is science that go beyond conventional ideas of the "possible".

The scientific counterpart of AllMythsAreTrue, this is when long-obsolete, fringe, or disproven scientific theories are considered true for the purposes of either RuleOfCool or ArtMajorTechnology. Examples should be distinguished from ScienceMarchesOn, as in this trope's case the use of dodgy science is quite deliberate. This is sometimes a supertrope of AncientAstronauts, LamarckWasRight, GeneticMemory, PsychicDreamsForEveryone and many other tropes found right here on this wiki, and arguably underpins most modern uses of alchemy in SpeculativeFiction. It's also rampant in SteamPunk, which is often set universes where, for example, the theory of the aether is true.

* In ''{{Sliders}}'', the existence of the Kromaggs (humanoid creatures that evolved instead of ''Homo sapiens'' in various parallel universes) is ascribed to "Killer Ape Theory," which was a theory held by many 19th century naturalists about early ''human'' evolution. Notable in that in the real world, Killer Ape Theory tried (very inadequately) to explain the divergence between humans and the other apes, in the show the theory was appropriated to explain the divergence between Homo sapiens and Kromaggs from a common stock. [[DarthWiki/WallBanger And guess where the name "Kromagg" comes from?]]

* That´s part of how [[AppliedPhlebotinum Wonders]] work in GeniusTheTransgression. The other parts are ''[[ClarksThirdLaw actual]]'' [[SubvertedTrope science]] and [[MagickPoweredPseudoscience Mania]].

* The ''{{Fallout}}'' series

The trope comes in one of two flavors: Obsolete science may be used to evoke associations with the past in a manner resembling ZeerustCanon; alternately, fringe or obsolete science may be used to evoke the notion that all manner of far out ideas are really true in this particular fictional universe. More generally, it covers fringe or obsolete scientific concepts that are just part of a story's premise and aren't used to evoke anything.

* ''[[TheXFiles The X-Files]]'' is perhaps the MostTriumphantExample of this trope, using the premises of innumerable fringe and obsolete theories as the premises of episodes and the show's sprawling MythologyArc. A partial list:

** "Humbug" - [[spoiler: Sentient]] fetus in fetu.

** The show also used most of UFO lore, especially the Roswell and [[TheGrays Gray aliens]] theories.

* Ditto the short-lived series ''DarkSkies'', based on UFOlogy and other 1960s ConspiracyTheory lore.
* In ''{{Sliders}}'', the existence of the Kromaggs (humanoid creatures that evolved instead of ''Homo sapiens'' in various parallel universes) is ascribed to "Killer Ape Theory," which was a theory held by many 19th century naturalists about early ''human'' evolution. Notable in that in the real world, Killer Ape Theory tried (very inadequately) to explain the divergence between humans and the other apes, in the show the theory was appropriated to explain the divergence between Homo sapiens and Kromaggs from a common stock. [[WallBanger And guess where the name "Kromagg" comes from?]]

* The Fallout series

The scientific counterpart of AllMythsAreTrue, this is when long-obsolete, fringe, or disproven scientific theories are considered true for the purposes of either RuleOfCool or ArtMajorTechnology. Examples should be distinguished from ScienceMarchesOn, as in this trope's case the use of dodgy science is quite deliberate. This is sometimes a supertrope of AncientAstronauts, LamarckWasRight, GeneticMemory, and many other tropes found right here on this wiki, and arguably underpins most modern uses of alchemy in SpeculativeFiction. It's also rampant in SteamPunk, which is often set universes where, for example, the theory of the aether is true.

* {{Animorphs}} used this trope sometimes. In the case of Area 51...I mean, Zone 91...it was heavily {{Lampshaded}}. It was more moderately lampshaded when an Atlantis-type lost civilization turned out to be real. And there are also the Skrit Na, whose main purpose for being in the books was to be an alien race fitting the description of TheGreys. Subverted, though, when Erek is telling the story of how his Chee race arrived at the right time to be AncientAstronauts. When asked about the concept that they might have been the ones to design the pyramids, Erek clarifies that the Chee didn't interfere with human society in ways like that, just as they don't do things like that in the present day.