Unobtainium

The term Unobtainium (also: Unobtanium ) is an English portmanteau word from the Word unobtainable ("non- procurable " ) and the suffix - ium which a metallic chemical element usually signaled (eg plutonium). Unobtainium refers to a material that is practically not procurable, either because it does not ( in the required amount ) exists, is prohibitively expensive or are located on an inaccessible place. Literally, one could simply " Nichtzukriegium " or translate " Unbeschaffbarium ".

Etymology

The term appeared first written in the 1950s, as in space flight program employed engineers frequently found structures which, although elegant seemed, but material properties needed that were so absent - particularly with regard to the question of how to produce sufficiently hard and heat- resistant material, according to one of the orbital flight reentry protrudes into the atmosphere.

Use

The term became widespread in the vernacular of Hollywood. He referred to a fictitious ( non-existing ) substance makes their existence adopted the plot of a screenplay at all possible, and is often used disparagingly. In the movies, even the name Unobtainium is not normally used, a corresponding fabric is provided with a sound fuller name. Exceptions are the films The Core and Avatar - Pandora.

Unobtainium has as a term for a material a good recognizable proximity to the systematic element name IUPAC for elements with atomic numbers in the range 100 to 199, in which the introductory "un - " for the " 1", each name in "- ium " for element characterization, while a total of five syllables contain (see Elementnamensgebungskontroverse and the elements Ununoctium/118, Ununennium/119 as well as the non-existent Unoctennium/189 etc ). It has so supplanted other synonyms, such as " buzzwordium " ( Buzzword ) or " flangium " (with verb "flange " derived from " flange " in the sense of " just do not have matching "). In film and other media a hypothetical material is often constructed with quite similar conditions as the dilithium in the Star Trek universe to have a phonetic approximation to existing elements or minerals that are also happy derived from known concepts ( abundant examples can be found in the list of fictional elements, materials, isotopes and atomic particles ).

Awareness of Unobtainium in American life - synonymously Unattainium with the same meaning - has brought out the use also the term for an item. The most obvious is still a scientific article titled Towards unobtainium [new composite materials for space applications ] (eg " forward to Unobtainium - new composite materials for use in space " ), which uses it as a meme for materials with unprecedented properties, here currently already existent.

Some companies have even gone here the step to market actual sales products under the title of " Unobtainium ". So there is a registered trademark " Unobtainium " by Oakley Inc. for a special rubber coating of temples and nose bridges to spectacles, or it is specified as part of a pair of jeans. The company Northstar Glass refers to a special type of glass with blue glitter effect as " Unobtainium " - all uses that are inconsistent with the actual definition. In the private sector, it is, however, become a placeholder that designates an object, which is practically not procured because of Unobtainiumanteils, about a special replacement part for a historic car.

In German-speaking countries there is usually only the use described in the film. In American literature, however, the term has found a way into the colloquial language and is often used as an excuse for poor performance: " If only I had something Unobtainium, all this would not be a problem. "