Technobabble: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 18:27, 14 September 2005

Technobabble is language so full of technical terms or jargon that it is incomprehensible to those unfamiliar with the words being used. It usually sounds like random technical words strung together in a syntatically correct but semantically meaningless way. It is sometimes employed as a plot device in science fiction, "explaining" some technical difficulty which puts the characters in danger. Technobabble is usually meaningless, if examined closely.

Fan opinions on technobabble vary; some think it is a necessary evil, others consider it pretentious and unacceptable, and still others have fun trying to "make sense" of it.

Dr. Baltar was accused by Col. Tigh of spouting off useless technobabble when attempting to bluff his way out of the apparent failure of the Cylon detector to detect Sharon Valerii. ("The Farm")

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-Technobabble is language so full of technical terms or jargon and buzzwords that it is incomprehensible to those unfamiliar with the words being used.  While what is said is clearly heard, what it means is not.  To some it sounds like random technical words have been strung together in a syntatically correct and consistent but semantically meaningless way.  It is often considered to be meaningless or irrelevant nonsense by those who hear it.
+'''Technobabble''' is language so full of technical terms or jargon that it is incomprehensible to those unfamiliar with the words being used.  It usually sounds like random technical words strung together in a <i>syntatically</i> correct but <i>semantically</i> meaningless way.  It is sometimes employed as a plot device in science fiction, "explaining" some technical difficulty which puts the characters in danger. Technobabble is usually meaningless, if examined closely.
-Authors and others who wish to convey a feeling of technical sophistication may write or talk in technobabble.  They may use the jargon without considering what it actually means in order to give an impression that they know things that their readers or listeners do not.  However, if the jargon is decoded it becomes apparent that the originator does not really understand what has been said or is deliberately being unclear.  When used in this way, technobabble is considered pretentious and often unacceptable.
+Fan opinions on technobabble vary; some think it is a necessary evil, others consider it pretentious and unacceptable, and still others have fun trying to "make sense" of it.
 Dr. Baltar was accused by Col. Tigh of spouting off useless technobabble when attempting to bluff his way out of the apparent failure of the [[Cylon detector]] to detect [[Sharon Valerii]]. ("[[The Farm]]")