History Main / TechnoBabble

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'': In "Get Smart", Mr. Haney introduces a new smartboard with a "14 terabyte CPU". This probably refers to a 14 terabyte hard drive, since CPU power is actually measured in Hertz.

* The ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'' runs on Technobabble, since it's a universe of mutant superheroes and supervillains, with a CosmicHorrorStory backstory. All the major power classifications have their own Technobabble for how they work. There are even rival Technobabble factions: most Psi researchers think that "magic" is just a form of psionics; most magical adepts think that "psi" is just a form of magic; etc.
** One mutant power in particular ''literally'' runs on Technobabble: so-called "devisors" make up a Technobabble explanation on how the piece of wondertech they're building would work, and then impose new physical laws on the device so that it actually does work.

* The writers at ''WebOriginal/OrionsArm'' put a lot of work into producing plausible technobabble, the effect of this is that determining what parts they made up is pretty hard.

Note that the dialogue can be [[ShownTheirWork entirely accurate]] to the real world topic they are describing, but is layered in such a way that there may not be LaymansTerms to make sure the audience is clued in on the basics. Many works have a TechnicalAdvisor to write in the necessary dialogue, while the primary writers may just write "[[TropeName [tech]]]" in the script. Ultimately, it's a lot of jargon used by [[TheSmartGuy smart characters]] to make the next plot point work.

Compare to AppliedPhlebotinum and GreenRocks. When technobabble contradicts itself, well, AWizardDidIt. See also BlahBlahBlah, HollywoodHacking, TechnologyPorn, and AsLongAsItSoundsForeign. MagiBabble for the fantasy version of this trope. Often the source of an ExpospeakGag; may be SophisticatedAsHell. Particularly ridiculous technobabble may appear to someone with actual expertise as being a technical form of DelusionsOfEloquence, or just have a hysterical or horrifying meaning in the real world. LaymansTerms is the opposite trope. Compare and contrast ProverbialWisdom, for wise or spiritual characters who cannot say anything without cloaking it in riddles, [[HurricaneOfAphorisms proverbs]] and [[TalksLikeASimile flowery metaphors]]. If someone is afraid of the technobabble, see ScaryScienceWords.

* ''Anime/TenchiMuyo'': The infamous "Mihoshi's Fairy Tale" episode of the original {{OVA}}s,e in which Mihoshi claims the BigBad in her story was stealing "ultra energy matter" for [[EvilPlan nefarious purposes]]. Scientist Washū demands to know just what the hell "ultra energy matter" is, and Mihoshi nervously {{handwave}}s it away with a ShapedLikeItself explanation that leaves Washū fuming.

* A WesternAnimation/BugsBunny cartoon featured this with Marvin's "illudium Q-35 explosive space modulator", to [[ApocalypseHow blow up the earth]] because it obstructs his view of Venus.

Any impressive and [[SesquipedalianLoquaciousness scientific-sounding]], but [[MeaninglessMeaningfulWords ultimately nonsensical]] utterance, full of buzzwords.

Most common in ScienceFiction (usually the softer kind), but military, medical and PoliceProcedural themed shows can also use it when they want the underlying technology to sound impressive.

* Played to death and lampshaded in ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya''.

* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' is quite fond of this trope, as well as the sister trope {{Magibabble}}. Most of the espers have a somewhat plausible explanation for their powers, but a lot of times when you look too close, the science starts to fall apart. That being said, the fact that every esper is explicitly a RealityWarper with a very limited skillset helps gloss over the physics goofs. And since the method to create espers was literally invented by an evil wizard, [[AWizardDidIt there's another explanation if it's ever needed]].

** {{Deconstructed|Trope}}/PlayedForDrama in this case; Jabir is described as a disturbing thing to witness and suffer from.

[[caption-width-right:208:[-She's going to need some aspirin after listening to these descriptions.]]-]

-->-- ''Series/DoctorWho'', [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E4TheGirlInTheFireplace "The Girl in the Fireplace"]]

** In the 1970s this was made into [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac7G7xOG2Ag a film]] in the 1970s featuring Bud Haggart, who appeared in many industrial training films. The retroencabulator was later featured in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXJKdh1KZ0w The Retro Encabulator a video]] by Rockwell Automation, and updated for the 21st century as the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nKk_-Lvhzo HyperEncabulator]].

* An old electrical engineering joke is a fictional device called the "Turboencabulator". Here's a portion of its description:

** This was actually made into a video: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXJKdh1KZ0w The Retro Encabulator]]".

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'', [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-1417-j SCP-1417-J ("Passive-Aggressive Meteorite").]] During Emergency Procedure 1634-Broadway the Foundation personnel use a torrent of scientific-sounding language.

When technobabble is used to justify a plot development, it's a HandWave. When it is used to solve a problem, it is a [[ReversePolarity Polarity Reversal.]] When it is used to add to the genre feel, it is NarrativeFiligree. Due to its historical use and abuse by sci-fi writers, Technobabble is nowadays played more and more often for laughs or parodied in some way.

* A number of supplements talk about how wonderful it is that they contain DNA. As does every life form on Earth. Inversely, many "natural" foods are claimed to be better than genetically modified ones because [=GMOs=] contain DNA. Same problem.

Compare to AppliedPhlebotinum and GreenRocks. When technobabble contradicts itself, well, AWizardDidIt. See also BlahBlahBlah, HollywoodHacking, TechnologyPorn, and AsLongAsItSoundsForeign. MagiBabble for the fantasy version of this trope. Often the source of an ExpospeakGag; may be SophisticatedAsHell. Particularly ridiculous technobabble may appear to someone with actual expertise as being a technical form of DelusionsOfEloquence, or just have a hysterical or horrifying meaning in the real world. LaymansTerms is the opposite trope. Compare and contrast ProverbialWisdom, for wise or spiritual characters who cannot say anything without cloaking it in riddles, [[HurricaneOfAphorisms proverbs]] and [[TalksLikeASimile flowery metaphors]]. If someone's afraid of the technobabble, see ScaryScienceWords.

* In the first chapter of ''Manga/ShonanJunaiGumi'', Eikichi makes up a bunch of medical-sounding terms to impress some girls who he lied about being a medical student to.

* Alternately played straight and played with in ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans''. You have five teenagers living/fighting crime together. Cyborg is a half-robot and thus knows a ''lot'' about computers and machines, despite not finishing high school; Raven grew up meditating and reading ancient magical scrolls; Starfire is an alien with substantial knowledge of science and her own world's culture but will ultimately be stumped if you ask her a question about ''Earth's'' history, culture, and language; Robin is a BadAssNormal raised by Franchise/{{Batman}} who [[WhereDoesHeGetAllThoseWonderfulToys makes all of his own toys]]; and Beast Boy, as Raven so artfully put it, learned his history from a cereal box -- and the rest from TV. Get this group together and you're in for some pretty interesting conversations.

* In ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' story arc ''ComicBook/TheUnknownSupergirl'', Lesla-Lar poses as a depowered Supergirl and then uses technical-sounding jargon to fool an incredulous Superman into believing she has recovered her powers by inhaling smoke from a frozen-and-overheated rock.
-->'''Superman:''' '''How do you did it?'''\\

'''Capt. Kanril Eleya:''' Ma’am, I have no idea what you just said but I’ll accept the compliment.

-->'''Geordi:''' I’m all out of ideas, sir. Holodeck is just plain busted, there’s not much I can–-\\

'''Geordi:''' Sir, you’re… you’re just randomly stringing together jargon that you’ve overheard in Engineering…

-->'''Miché''': You see, my game needs a lot of memory. We’re talking about preloading over 500 terabytes of data. Dumping it all on one server would leave traces in the tail domain, and render the code vulnerable, so I’ll log into the hotel net, but not the Wi–Fi net. Too risky. I’ll log into the circuit of the time cards. They’re punched every six hours with a deviation of five minutes and 16 seconds. This creates an ultradynamic IP. Even a hacker operating on a low level won’t see it in the net’s upper layers.

Most common in ScienceFiction (usually the [[MohsScaleOfSciFiHardness softer kind]]), but military, medical and PoliceProcedural themed shows can also use it when they want the underlying technology to sound impressive.