History Main / TheSparkOfGenius

Sometimes known as "Super Science" or mad science, it looks like science, but on a fundamental level it works very differently to regular science (or engineering).

One key difference between normal science and The Spark is that, in the former, a scientific experiment can (at least in theory) be reproduced by anyone, while the latter only works because the unique gifts of certain individuals make it happen. Similarly, a device or invention can (at least in theory) be built by anyone with adequate plans (or reverse-engineering ability) and means of manufacturing, while the latter can only be built by the one person who understands it.

In extreme cases, one without The Spark cannot do what a gifted scientist or engineer can; even if they built a copy from the original blueprints, it just wouldn't work for anyone without The Spark. Perhaps because those with The Spark are {{Reality Warper}}s who [[PlacebotinumEffect make their inventions possible]]. Naturally between non-reproducible results and the spark belonging to an elite few, this is entirely incompatible with the scientific method.

In other cases, a sufficiently BadassNormal scientist or engineer could match someone with the spark, in which case the contrast may be one of TechnicianVersusPerformer or HardWorkHardlyWorks. However, in works where this trope applies, sufficiently skilled scientists and engineers are often much rarer than people who have The Spark. While it doesn't automatically conflict with the scientific method, in many works, those with The Spark are {{Mad Scientist}}s and don't often demonstrate scientific rigor. Their toys can be copied exactly, but underlying principles are hard to reuse -- these people run on "either you get it or you don't", without stopping to back up their demonstrable results with a good theory, or unable to explain the ideas they use when they want.

* The world of ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' is based on Science! and the "sparks" who create and operate it; the Spark is both an innate intuition for Science and a charisma that influences people to follow them. Really strong Sparks can warp the laws of physics to their will. Of course, [[CursedWithAwesome there are drawbacks]] as innate to the Spark as genius. And a focused Spark tends to be prone to {{melodrama}}tics and getting ''[[TheMadnessPlace interesting]]'' as they do what they do. Ordinary mechanics and engineers can reproduce their blueprints, but struggle to understand or modify them.

'''Stane''': '''[[SuddenlyShouting TONY STARK WAS ABLE TO BUILD THIS IN A CAVE! WITH A BOX OF SCRAPS!]]'''\\

[[quoteright:600:[[Film/IronMan2 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/badassium_60.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:600:Creating new elements in your home workshop? No problem.]]

'''Obadiah Stane''': Wait, wait, the technology?\\
[puts an arm around him]\\
'''Obadiah Stane''': William... \\
[points at the giant arc reactor]\\
'''Obadiah Stane''': Here is the technology. I've asked you to simply make it smaller.\\

'''Obadiah Stane''': '''[[SuddenlyShouting TONY STARK WAS ABLE TO BUILD THIS IN A CAVE! WITH A BOX OF SCRAPS!]]'''\\

--->'''Head Engineer:''' There's no technology that can power this thing.\\
'''Obidiah:''' I told you, miniaturize the ARC reactor.\\
'''Head Engineer:''' I'm sorry, Mr. Stane, I've tried. What you're asking for can't be done.\\
'''Obidiah:''' Tony Stark was able to do it in a cave -- with a box of scraps!\\
'''Head Engineer:''' Well... I'm not Tony Stark.

* The ''WebOriginal/AcademyOfSuperheroes'' universe has this in the form of Violation Physics and supertech. It can only be created by [[GadgeteerGenius Gadgeteer Geniuses]] and can only be used by people with some level of superpowers. If enough normaltech is incorporated into it, it becomes accessible to regular humans at decreased efficacy.

[[folder:FanWorks]]

* ''Fanfic/{{Ladybird}}'': {{Inverted|Trope}} for Void Cowboy. His modified Tinker power lets him take any piece of Tinkertech, improve it, and create blueprints that will let mundane science reproduce it, but he cannot create original devices.

-->-- ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', "A Clone of My Own"

In extreme cases, one without The Spark cannot do what a gifted scientist or engineer can; even if they built a copy from the original blueprints it just wouldn't work for anyone without The Spark. Perhaps because those with The Spark are {{Reality Warper}}s who [[PlacebotinumEffect make their inventions possible]]. Naturally between non-reproducible results and the spark belonging to an elite few, this is entirely incompatible with the scientific method.

Common in SteamPunk. In some settings often or always combined with ScienceRelatedMemeticDisorder or other [[MadScientist science madness]]. Often combined with NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup, so that kidnapping the scientist themselves is the only way to recreate their work or prevent anyone else from doing so. May justify ReedRichardsIsUseless by providing a rationale for why fantastic technology can't be mass-produced.

Compare FantasticScience, which inverts this trope by making magic work like science rather than the other way around. Also compare ForScience, WeirdScience, and EmperorScientist. The products of The Spark Of Genius are frequently examples of MagicPoweredPseudoscience.

* ''Manga/AhMyGoddess'' features Skuld, a child Goddess whose magical powers are too weak and immature to be useful, and who refuses to be treated as a child, so she builds machines to take the place of her magic powers. She can create machines using whatever scrap metal is at hand, or pulling apart a TV or VCR, to build RidiculouslyHumanRobots. (Nevermind the fact that her machines are assembled in minutes with only the tools that fit in her pockets have perfectly fitting parts, and discarded tin cans can somehow turn into a circuitboard for an InstantAIJustAddWater.) The machines she builds from common household materials also have reality-warping effects, such as the ability to almost-infinitely expand space. This is downplayed, however, in that she's stated to simply use more sophisticated technology than what's available on Earth, and normal humans can reproduce her machines without problem if shown blueprints.

** After about [[LongRunner 265 chapters]] of this, Skuld is ultimately portrayed as [[MagicPoweredPseudoscience unconsciously using magic the whole time]].

* ''Fanfic/{{Ladybird}}'': {{Inverted}} for Void Cowboy. His modified Tinker power lets him take any piece of Tinkertech, improve it, and create blueprints that will let mundane science reproduce it, but he cannot create original devices.

* Tony Stark from the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse has to be the patron saint of this trope. Not only can he create a miniaturised ARC reactor in a cave (from a box of scraps no less!), and situate a 5GW reactor in his chest cavity without cooking himself, but he can forge an entirely new element seemingly from his own badassery. This exchange from Film/IronMan1 sums it up well, and will make any engineers out there feel sorry for the poor Head Engineer character who is basically being asked to do magic.
-->'''Head Engineer:''' There’s no technology that can power this thing.\\

'''Head Engineer:''' I’m sorry, Mr. Stane, I’ve tried. What you’re asking for can’t be done.\\

'''Head Engineer:''' Well...I’m not Tony Stark.
::It's almost a lampshade at that point. "I can't bend the laws of physics because of plot reasons!" Even when others try and recreate the Iron Man suit, they make minimum progress, of course, they're not Tony Stark!
* ''Film/BlackPantherWakandaForever'': Everyone in the world wants to get hold of Vibranium. But apparently only one person in the world can design and build a detector (a 19-year old student, of course). Once the Vibranium prospectors have this device, do they [[NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup look at the plans]] and reverse engineer it? No, they send it out on a mission for it to get captured. The only way to make another one is then to kidnap the student. Apparently there is no other scientist or engineer in the world that can make one, despite how much world governments want to.
* ''Film/JingleJangleAChristmasJourney'': Jeronicus Jangle, his daughter Jessica and his granddaughter Journey. Their unparalleled genius with inventing is implied to be some sort of gift rather than just plain science; when working out equations for their inventions, they write the equations in the air and glowing light surrounds them. They also use fantastical terms such as the 'circumference of spectacular' and 'square root of impossible'. This is compared to Gustafson, who despite stealing Jangle's blueprints did not have this spark.

** Penny's ex-superhero father, Brainy Akk, is unique in that he can translate superscience into something resembling ''actual'' science -- albeit insanely complicated science backed by headache-inducing levels of ultra-complex math. Unfortunately his [[FlatEarthAtheist blind spot regarding magic]] means that he usually has to give up once someone starts mixing MagiTek into their designs... as Bad Penny does with ease.
* ''Literature/TheQuestOfTheUnaligned'': PlayedWith in several different ways. The fire magic of the aeshes can be used to power regular devices, but it also allows the creation of things that are impossible, like flying cars or anti-gravity. On the other hand, many magic items can also be run on mundane electricity.

* ''Series/{{Alphas}}'': The GadgeteerGenius Skylar has this ability. Most of the machines she assembles are impossible to replicate or go way beyond currently-understandable human science, including the incredibly advanced processor core for a device that can track any human in the world that she built for the NSA. She also [[ReedRichardsIsUseless designs custom technology that sells at a premium]]. And her ability is [[spoiler:apparently genetic, as she passed on that ability to her daughter.]]

* ''Roleplay/DawnOfANewAgeOldportBlues'': This is Ivy's superpower. She can create inventions that are far beyond what most are capable of, to a degree that's almost RealityWarping. What stops her from [[ReedRichardsIsUseless complete domination]] is that the spark only works in brief spurts- once she's finished her invention, she returns to her average intelligence and is unable to replicate the creation process.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Deadlands}}'': A MadScientist is a strong version of this trope that believes it's a weak version. They get the mechanical insight for their inventions stolen from the future by evil spirits and it's most likely powered, made out of, or weaponizing the souls of the damned (AKA [[{{Unobtainium}} ghost rock]]). They believe they've just made a better steam engine and don't understand why most of the scientific community can't just follow their plans to the future for science.

* ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'': ''TabletopGame/GURPSSupers'':
** ''Wild Cards'': Characters with super powers are called Aces. Ace gadgeteers often create devices that cannot be duplicated by any other inventor, and will not work for anyone ''but'' the inventor.

* In the ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'' adaptation of ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' the Spark advantage comes in levels from 0-5 and gadgets come in five levels based on complexity, with scientific realism never a factor. Whether non-Sparks are even capable of invention is up to GM fiat but if allowed they operate at a severe penalty to invent even the most simple gadgets.

** ''TabletopGame/MageTheAscension'': In the backstory and in the prequel ''Mage: The Sorcerer's Crusade'', the entire Order Of Reason runs on this. The Order later transformed into the Technocratic Union, which still uses technology enhanced by magic, but is trying to enforce a paradigm closer to real science -- dreaming of a fundamentally democratic world where any mortal will be able to make miracles through technology. In the original version, this was portrayed as [[DirtyCommies an evil goal]], but later versions were a bit more open to BothSidesHaveAPoint. The trope is still played straight by the Sons of Ether, who split off from the Union in the early 20th century. Due to the metaphysics involved, they're all (mostly) replicable with training; while an "Extraordinary Citizen" can't perform as easily or intuitively as an Enlightened Scientist, these technomagical "Sorcerers" can learn to replicate most of these miraculous feats. This doesn't actually require any amount of cosmic understanding or enlightenment, and is implied to be entirely possible for anyone -- though even most scientists don't get to that level.
** ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheApocalypse'': Many in the Glass Walker tribe can make "scientific discoveries" at a whim, such as combining random household chemicals into a powerful explosive. This kind of "discovery" costs [[strike:mana]] gnosis to make, and the effect cannot be reproduced later.

* In ''VideoGame/QuestForGlory'', the local scientists are actually BoomerangBigot wizards who use their technology to tell themselves that what they are doing isn't magic. The protagonist try to argue that magic is actually a form of science, but they simply refuse to accept that magic even exists... even when he levitates and shows off with fireballs and other magic fireworks before their very eyes. [[spoiler:It turns out that they ''do'' know that magic works, its just that they consider it to be a crime against reality. So they just ignore him while he's showing off, and try to assassinate him later.]]
* In ''VideoGame/RemnantFromTheAshes'', the scientist Harsgaard is creating technology that's beyond the understanding of other brilliant scientists in the "Dreamers" project. [[spoiler: Turns out an EldritchAbomination has been feeding him information that only he can decipher.]]
* In ''Videogame/Fallout4'', the robot scientist Curie wants to become human because she feels that as a robot, she can never experience scientific inspiration or make advances, she's limited to calculations and running experiments designed by humans. She even drops the trope name itself, lamenting her lack of "the spark of genius". You can help her [[BrainUploading fix the problem]].

* Riff of ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' is known for creating inventions that can wrap physics around his little finger with little to no assistance. They're next to impossible to reproduce because he often leaves steps out of his notes that he considers "no-brainers". As per this trope, said "no-brainers" involve entirely new interpretations of physics or delicate design details that can stump all but the most brilliant scientists or those intimately familiar with his thought processes. [[spoiler: Unfortunately for the cast, [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor Dr. Schlock]] happens to fit both categories.]]

* The ''WebOriginal/AcademyOfSuperheroes'' Universe has this in the form of Violation Physics and supertech. It can only be created by [[GadgeteerGenius Gadgeteer Geniuses]] and can only be used by people with some level of superpowers. If enough normaltech is incorporated into it, it becomes accessible to regular humans at decreased efficacy.

* ''Website/SCPFoundation'', [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-2801 SCP-2801 ("A Dress-Up Box")]]. A person affected by SCP-2801 temporarily gained [[GadgeteerGenius the ability to create an anomalous device]]. Afterwards, it was determined that the device was non-functional and should not have worked. The only reason it did was because of the anomalous power of its creator.
* In the ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'', ''devisors'' are the strong form (their “devises” can break the laws of physics outright, but may or may not work for others, and will definitely not be replicable), and ''gadgeteers'' (who work within normal physics and chemistry, but can patent and mass-produce their creations) are the weak form; the two talents may be combined in one person.

* This appears to be how Professor Farnsworth's inventions work on ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', as {{lampshade|Hanging}}d in the page quote. It's also lampshaded by Hermes in "Calculon 2.0", who points out the Professor's method to bring a robot BackFromTheDead is basically magic (specifically a satanic ritual) with the word "science" inserted.

Common in SteamPunk. In some settings often or always combined with ScienceRelatedMemeticDisorder or other [[MadScientist science madness]]. Often combined with NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup, so that kidnapping the scientist themselves is the only way to recreate their work or prevent anyone else from doing so.

# New discoveries and inventions are often made independently by multiple people. New frontiers don't stay unlocked until one particular individual (and them alone) comes along.