History Main / EverythingSensor

* ''PowerRangersTurbo'' has the Turbo Navigators. Later, ''PowerRangersInSpace'' would use the [=AmScanners=] for much the same things.

** Invoked in ''[[StarTrekS1E27TheAlternativeFactor The Alternative Factor]]'' when the the ''failure'' of the sensors is sufficient prove that a parallel universe is involved:

* The Robot on ''LostInSpace'' definitely had one installed.
* ''{{Firefly}}'' actually ''didn't'' have an Everything Sensor, interestingly enough. While it was certainly possible to scan ships from a distance, the information provided seemed limited, such as scanning for lifeforms (or rather for heat signatures that ''could'' be life forms), scanning for model/type of ship, and scanning for radiation. [[TheFederation The Alliance]], on the other hand, may have something approaching an Everything Sensor.

** In the episode "Flatline" of the revival series the Doctor was confused because the TARDIS couldn't detect something that was causing weird phenomena. By mentioning the TARDIS was build to detect virtually anything in the known universe he reasoned the phenomena were caused by beings from beyond the known universe [[Spoiler: and he was right of course]].

** In the episode "Flatline" of the revival series the Doctor was confused because the TARDIS couldn't detect something that was causing weird phenomena. By mentioning the TARDIS was build to detect virtually anything in the known universe he reasoned the phenomena were caused by beings from beyond the known universe [[Spoiler and he was right of course]].

In space, no one can hear you scream. Unless they're using an EverythingSensor.

The EverythingSensor comes standard on the CoolShip, and it does what it says on the box: It can detect and analyze anything. Literally ''anything''. The NegativeSpaceWedgie, the LostTechnology, the GreenRocks, or whatever other UnknownPhenomenon our plucky explorers of space happen to run into. (Odd since, if it's an UnknownPhenomenon, how would the ship designers know to install something that could detect it? Those are some CrazyPrepared engineers there...) It can even detect whether the ship is being scanned by someone ''else's'' EverythingSensor.

If for some plot-based reason you need it to ''not'' see something, this is usually excused at the climax by "we didn't set it to scan for that in particular, but now that we know what we're looking for..." In rare cases, the EverythingSensor can't see the TechnoBabble directly, but it can detect some byproduct of it. And if nothing else, you can always recalibrate the sensor by [[ReversePolarity Reversing the Polarity]].

** Interestingly, one episode of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' featured them finding the wreck of an early 21st century Mars mission ship which appeared to be the first to mount an EverythingSensor - that's virtually how it was described!

* ''{{Firefly}}'' actually ''didn't'' have an EverythingSensor, interestingly enough. While it was certainly possible to scan ships from a distance, the information provided seemed limited, such as scanning for lifeforms (or rather for heat signatures that ''could'' be life forms), scanning for model/type of ship, and scanning for radiation. [[TheFederation The Alliance]], on the other hand, may have something approaching an EverythingSensor.
* In ''Series/DoctorWho'' (especially the revival series) the Doctor's sonic screwdriver can act as an EverythingSensor, e.g. as a medical scanner in "The Empty Child", where it also appears to be an UnusuallyUninterestingSight for the contemporary WWII surgeon watching him.

* In ''Manga/SailorMoon'', Sailor Mercury's mini-computer could zero in on pretty much anything you'd call phlebotinum. It came in handy less often than you'd think.

* Heavily lampshaded in the recent Series/RedDwarf revival. The gang are in a TV store (NoFourthWall) where a salesman is discussing the show and talking about how stupid the 'psi scan' Kryten uses is. At the same time Kryten psi-scans him, before telling the others the guy's name, address, clothing size, the fact that he's a jerk and that he has a very small penis as a result of the scans data. Toyed with further - Rimmer asks how the scan could possibly have found that and Kryten explains it was a simple matter of the machine hacking into his email account.

* In the Space Stage in ''{{Spore}}'', your ship is equipped with a scanner that can identify any animal, plant, or vehicle.
** Actually there is more, apparently the scanner already have this info (it can point you towards missing objects, when you don't know where they are) but for some reason you still have to scan it manually.
*** Maybe the long-range sensors can detect unidentified things, but only the short-range scanner can identify them

** Not so cute when used [[http://news.discovery.com/tech/bomb-detecting-dowsing-rod-demonstrates-danger-of-pseudoscience.html here]]

* ''{{Stargate SG-1}}'', when mankind learned to build starships, we also got the bonus package of sensors that can pinpoint life form readings and all energy sources from orbit. It also plays with it a bit, since the initial Earth-designed sensors were rather poor, needing ground teams to tag objects with beacons before they could localise them. An upgrade from the friendly neighbourhood Asgard solved the problem about the time the Daedalus was introduced.

-->'''Technician:''' If I'm readin' this right, UsefulNotes/{{Pittsburgh}} just turned into a crater -- fifty miles across!
-->'''Officer:''' Great Godawmighty! He's right!! That's the only way to interpret that image!
* The LegionOfSuperHeroes use a handheld device called an Omnicom.

* DickTracy's original two-way wrist radio evolved over the decades into the wrist TV, and finally into the "wrist computer," described as a kind of portable crime lab. While not really on par with most of the gizmos on this page, it's still a much nicer portable analyzing device than anything we have yet in real life. The current version is called a "wrist geenee," basically the same thing with a few more bells and whistles.

* Omni-tools in ''MassEffect'' seem capable of scanning and interfacing with anything, from doors, computers and weapons, to 50,000-year-old alien technology that no-one has seen before. They can also be used as a camera, a phone and [[MundaneUtility a flashlight]]. In ''3'' they can also stab things.

[[caption-width-right:280:[[TheSpock Mr. Spock]] can detect anything with the tricorder.]]

The EverythingSensor comes standard on the CoolShip, and it does what it says on the box: It can detect and analyze anything. Literally ''anything''. The NegativeSpaceWedgie, the LostTechnology, the GreenRocks, or whatever other UnknownPhenomenon our plucky explorers of space happen to run into. (Odd since, if it's an UnknownPhenomenon, how would the ship designers know to install something that could detect it? Those are some CrazyPrepared engineers there...)

* In the Franchise/HarryPotter fic ''Make a Wish'', Harry asked a mad scientist friend of his to come up with something that could "detect poisons and things". Upon producing a nifty little doodad called a Hex-Quarter, its inventor said that it also "can detect wards, has several forensic charms, several diagnostic charms, a database of plants and animals, and much much more".