Technobabble

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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")