History Main / PhlebotinumDuJour

Here is a rough timeline of phlebotinum through the ages. The decades are very approximate -- [[UnbuiltTrope earlier isolated examples]] may exist. Also, the expiration date of various phlebotinum varies widely; some types wear out in a decade while others are still in use thirty years after their introduction. [[MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness "Soft" sci-fi]] can get away with using scientific theories that "hard" sci-fi has given up on, and of course a particularly clever writer may decide to dig up some rusty old phlebotinum and [[ReconstructedTrope put a new shine on it]], just for kicks. So isolated examples of old phlebotinum in new bottles show up from time to time even though that particular phlebotinum is well past its sell-by date.

-->--'''Jeph Jacques''', ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent''

** ''ChemistryCanDoAnything'', particularly the pharmaceutical type ([[SuperSerum Super soldier serum]]; Dr. Jekyll's formula), although UsefulNotes/{{the Silver Age|of Comic Books}} ComicBook/TheFlash got his powers by having a bunch of random chemicals spilled all over him at the same time he got hit by lightning -- two phlebotina for the price of one! Note that all of the DCU speedsters were later [[RetCon retconned]] into being powered by the mystical "[[MetaOrigin Speed Force]]", probably to stop the endless process of phlebotinum decay going on with their "scientific" origins.

** [[QuantumMechanicsCanDoAnything Quantum mechanics]]: Listen to a believer in some supernatural phenomenon or other explaining why it [[ArtisticLicensePhysics "really" is scientifically plausible]] and the word "quantum" will inevitably come up. Quantum mechanics has the advantage of having been around for 90 years (so everyone has a vague idea of what it is) but still requires advanced [[EverybodyHatesMathematics mathematics]] to actually understand. Even then, due to the existence of several interpretations of QM, some of which seem ''quite'' weird, but are ultimately derived from the same principles as the "most common" (Copenhagen) interpretation, there is fertile ground for quite a few mysteries.

** Eugenics (Made a brief resurgence during this time, with [[YouFailTheIQTest race and IQ]] being a popular discussion in TheNineties. Also, [[strike:sociobiology]] evolutionary psychology explained everything.) Often retitled as "Evolution in action", so as to try to make it seem "[[AllNaturalSnakeOil natural]]" and proper.

Here is a rough timeline of phlebotinum through the ages. The decades are very approximate -- [[UnbuiltTrope earlier isolated examples]] may exist. Also, the expiration date of various phlebotinum varies widely; some types wear out in a decade while others are still in use thirty years after their introduction. [[MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness "Soft" sci-fi]] can get away with using scientific theories that "hard" sci-fi has given up on, and of course a particularly clever -- or lazy -- writer may decide to dig up some rusty old phlebotinum and [[ReconstructedTrope put a new shine on it]], just for kicks. So isolated examples of old phlebotinum in new bottles show up from time to time even though that particular phlebotinum is well past its sell-by date.

** Eugenics (achieved through selective breeding, not via later laboratory methods). [[ThoseWackyNazis The Nazis]] pretty much [[ValuesDissonance destroyed the popularity]] of this phlebotinum, though they had help from {{Social Darwinist}}s in other countries as well. When it resurfaces, it tends to be used by ex-Nazis and other villains or otherwise morally ambiguous.

** [[QuantumMechanicsCanDoAnything Quantum mechanics]]: Listen to a believer in some supernatural phenomenon or other explaining why it [[ArtisticLicensePhysics "really" is scientifically plausible]] and the word "quantum" will inevitably come up. Quantum mechanics has the advantage of having been around for 90 years (so everyone has a vague idea of what it is) but still requires advanced [[EverybodyHatesMathematics maths]] to actually understand. Even then, due to the existence of several interpretations of QM, some of which seem ''quite'' weird, but are ultimately derived from the same principles as the "most common" (Copenhagen) interpretation, there is fertile ground for quite a few mysteries.

** Eugenics (achieved through selective breeding, not via later laboratory methods). [[ThoseWackyNazis The Nazis]] pretty much [[DeaderThanDisco destroyed the popularity]] of this phlebotinum, though they had help from {{Social Darwinist}}s in other countries as well. When it resurfaces, it tends to be used by ex-Nazis and other villains or otherwise morally ambiguous.

* LightningCanDoAnything

* QuantumMechanicsCanDoAnything

* GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke

** [[QuantumMechanicsCanDoAnything Quantum mechanics]]: Listen to a believer in some supernatural phenomenon or other explaining why it [[ArtisticLicensePhysics "really" is scientifically plausible]] and the word "quantum" will inevitably come up. Quantum mechanics has the advantage of having been around for 80 years (so everyone has a vague idea of what it is) but still requires advanced [[EverybodyHatesMathematics maths]] to actually understand. Even then, due to the existence of several interpretations of QM, some of which seem ''quite'' weird, but are ultimately derived from the same principles as the "most common" (Copenhagen) interpretation, there is fertile ground for quite a few mysteries.

** Mathematical formulae (source of the original Johnny Quick's speed, and much of the "magic" in H. P. Lovecraft's works.)

*** [[PsychicPowers Indigo Children]] also tend to be popular in Japanese works, due to a belief that the atomic bomb blasts of WorldWarII altered the DNA of unborn children and subsequent generations.

** ''ChemistryCanDoAnything'', particularly the pharmaceutical type ([[SuperSerum Super soldier serum]]; Dr. Jekyll's formula), although the SilverAge ComicBook/TheFlash got his powers by having a bunch of random chemicals spilled all over him at the same time he got hit by lightning -- two phlebotina for the price of one! Note that all of the DCU speedsters were later [[RetCon retconned]] into being powered by the mystical "[[MetaOrigin Speed Force]]", probably to stop the endless process of phlebotinum decay going on with their "scientific" origins.

** ''ChemistryCanDoAnything'', particularly the pharmaceutical type (SuperSoldierSerum; Dr. Jekyll's formula), although the SilverAge ComicBook/TheFlash got his powers by having a bunch of random chemicals spilled all over him at the same time he got hit by lightning -- two phlebotina for the price of one! Note that all of the DCU speedsters were later [[RetCon retconned]] into being powered by the mystical "[[MetaOrigin Speed Force]]", probably to stop the endless process of phlebotinum decay going on with their "scientific" origins.

*** JulesVerne was ''HUGE'' on electricity, with some of its uses proposed by him not being realized even today — all-electric ship-sized helicopter anyone?[[note]]The largest and heaviest helo now in production, the Soviet/Russian Mi-26, is roughly the size of a railroad car and is far from being electric — it is powered by the two enormous turboshaft engines that guzzle kerosene by the tonne.[[/note]]

-->--'''Jeph Jacques''', ''QuestionableContent''

** ''ChemistryCanDoAnything'', particularly the pharmaceutical type (SuperSoldierSerum; Dr. Jekyll's formula), although the SilverAge {{Flash}} got his powers by having a bunch of random chemicals spilled all over him at the same time he got hit by lightning -- two phlebotina for the price of one! Note that all of the DCU speedsters were later [[RetCon retconned]] into being powered by the mystical "[[MetaOrigin Speed Force]]", probably to stop the endless process of phlebotinum decay going on with their "scientific" origins.

** "Junk" DNA: 95-99% of our DNA is not currently expressed as proteins. Fiction likes to repurpose it as disk space for a message from ancient alien visitors and the like. In reality what we have found so far is old genes we don't use anymore (no longer being, say, fish), ancient malware (viral retrotransposons), code that indirectly controls gene expression, "introns" in the middles of genes that make it harder for viral DNA to latch on to them, and information-poor repeating sections we still don't understand but which might be as unglamorous as physical spacers to aid the gene expression pathway.

** Electricity, particularly [[LightningCanDoAnything lightning]]. (''FrankensteinsMonster'')

** [[SteamPunk steam power]]

*** JulesVerne was ''HUGE'' on electricity, with some of its uses proposed by him not being realized even today — all-electric ship-sized helicopter anyone?[[note]]The larges and heaviest helo now in production, the Soviet/Russian Mi-26, is roughly the size of a railroad car and is far from being electric — it is powered by the two enormous turboshaft engines that guzzle kerosene by the tonne.[[/note]]

*** Although, interestingly it has more recently been discovered that electromagnetic stimulation of the brain can genuinely produce many interesting effects, the equipment available at Mesmer's time simply wasn't advanced enough.

** ''ChemistryCanDoAnything'', particularly pharmaceutical type (Super Soldier Serum; Dr. Jekyll's formula), although the SilverAge {{Flash}} got his powers by having a bunch of random chemicals spilled all over him at the same time he got hit by lightning -- two phlebotina for the price of one! Note that all of the DCU speedsters were later [[RetCon retconned]] into being powered by the mystical "[[MetaOrigin Speed Force]]", probably to stop the endless process of phlebotinum decay going on with their "scientific" origins.

* In 2010, the world's first synthetic organism was created, introducing synthetic biology, which is basically the next step up from genetic engineering, and is creating real life security concerns already. So that will probably be added to the 2010s list sooner or later.