Unobtainium
The term Unobtainium (also: Unobtanium ) is an English suitcase word made up of the word unobtainable (“not procurable ”) and the final syllable -ium , which usually indicates a chemical element (e.g. Pluton ium ). Unobtainium describes a material that is practically impossible to obtain, be it because it does not exist (in the required quantity), is prohibitively expensive or is located in an inaccessible place. Literally one could translate it as “not to warrant” or “not to be procured” .
etymology
The term first appeared in writing in the 1950s, when engineers employed in the space flight program often found designs that seemed elegant, but required material properties that were not available - especially with regard to the question of how to make sufficiently hard and heat-resistant material, that survives re-entry into the atmosphere after an orbital flight .
use
The term found widespread use in the colloquial language of Hollywood . There it describes a fictional (non-existent) substance, the assumed existence of which makes the plot of a script possible in the first place, and is often used derogatory. The name Unobtainium is usually not used in films themselves, a corresponding substance is given a more sonorous name. Exceptions are the films The Core and Avatar - Aufbruch nach Pandora .
Unobtainium as a term for a material has a clearly recognizable proximity to the systematic element names of the IUPAC for elements with ordinal numbers in the range 100 to 199, in which the introductory "un-" stands for "1", the names in each case on "-ium" for element characterization, and contain a total of five syllables (compare element naming controversy and the elements Ununennium / 119 as well as the non-existent Unoctennium / 189 etc.). It has displaced other synonyms, such as “buzzwordium” (from Buzzword ) or “flangium” (with the verb “flange” derived from “flange” in the sense of “just not fitting”). In film and other media, hypothetical material is often formed according to a very similar scheme, for example the dilithium in the Star Trek universe, in order to have a phonetic approximation of existing elements or minerals, which are also often derived from known terms (plenty of examples can be found in the list of invented elements, materials, isotopes and atomic particles ).
The popularity of the unobtainium in American everyday life - synonymous with unattainium with the same meaning - has led its use beyond the name for an element. The closest is a scientific contribution under the title Towards unobtainium [new composite materials for space applications] (for example "Forward to the Unobtainium - new composite materials for space applications "), which uses it as a meme for materials with previously unattainable properties are just in existence.
Some companies have even taken the step to market actual sales products under the title "Unobtainium". There is a registered trademark “Unobtainium” from Oakley Inc. for a special rubber coating of temples and nose bridges on glasses, or it is stated as part of jeans. Northstar Glass calls a special type of glass with a blue glitter effect “Unobtainium” - all uses that contradict the actual definition. In the private sector, on the other hand, it has become a placeholder that denotes an item that is practically unobtainable due to the unobtainium content, such as a special spare part for a historic car.
In German-speaking countries, there is usually only the described use in the film. In the American-speaking world, on the other hand, the term has found its way into everyday language and is often used as an excuse for poor performance: "If I only had a little unobtainium, none of this would be a problem."
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ ENGINEER IN CHARGE A History of the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory, 1917-1958 Chapter 12 ("Hypersonics and the Transition to Space") English
- ^ Misra, Mohan: Towards unobtainium [new composite materials for space applications] Archived from the original on April 24, 2009. In: Aerospace Composites and Materials . 2, pp. 29-32. Retrieved May 21, 2009.