Them TL^ words [Superscience] . . .

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Smart matter. I have no idea what that is, but I'm sure someone could come up with something.

Usually it refers to molecular scale nanomachines controlled by a distributed computer with nano-scale elements, IME.

[Ze'Manel Cunha]

Ectoplasm - for all your transitional energy and matter needs.

Plasma X - for all your high powered needs just add plasma as a modifier, plasma gun, plasma rifle, plasma force field, etc.

[nerdvana]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Unobtainium didn't originate with Avatar.

It was used on the silver screen in 2003's The Core if not prior to that...

[cptbutton]

Somewhere around here I've got a couple of books about Timothy Leary's 8-Circuit Model of Consciousness, which might be useful. Mundane humans only use the first 4, the next 4 give you various cool mental stuff.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by nerdvana

It was used on the silver screen in 2003's The Core if not prior to that...

According to Wiki, the term was in use in the aerospace industry by the late 50s.

[vicky_molokh]

Mnemocrystals
A naturally occurring but uncommon type of crystals that has peculiar metaelectromagnetic properties. Specifically, it is not normally possible to find the state or the pathways EM radiation moves along within the crystal, at least without disrupting them. Certain inputs (in the form of focusing a LASER or other EM source onto the surface of the crystal) will result in certain outputs (in the form of one or more beams exiting the crystal at other places), and may or may not alter the crystal's future reaction to inputs. This alteration can be predicted intuitively by highly-trained specialists to some extent, making it possible to 'program' the crystals to some extent. Interestingly, they are easier to 'program' to make them behave similarly to a sentient mind (though self-awareness is a dream of the next TL) than to make them perform complex digital functions.
Another interesting aspect of mnemocrystals are spooks. The word is used to describe phenomena where the output beam is emitted in less time than it takes light to travel from the input point to the output point. Spooks are only meaningfully detectable with relatively small numbers of input beams, but are postulated to occur to some extent even when undetected.
Their effect is of little relevance for small crystals, but as the size of the crystal increases, so does the frequency of spooks appearing (per unit of volume, that is). Thus, they are essential for improving the processing power of large mnemocrystalls.

This superscience technology is intended for settings where small computers are slow and inefficient, but robot brains capable of visual perception and the like are relatively easy to make (but have low skills!), and megacomputers can do enormous tasks and/or house fully-aware SAI.

[vicky_molokh]

Yliaster blades. Essentially a 'star metal' that is given increased destructive abilities through the focus of a living soul. This is a more choppy research that chops through stuff better.

Arc-Ray Cannon. A Tesla Cannon-like weapon that has enormous potential range, but requires a Forward Observer to actually use it.

Nebulonic Jets. A jet/turbine employing small amounts Nebulonic fuel in a controlled reaction with air, functioning similar to a Fission Air-Ram (Spaceships 7), but cheaper and less ecologically harmful.

Mono-Polarized Displacer. A divergent development similar to the Magnetic Planetary Drive. Unlike the Drive, it does not require a pre-existing magnetosphere to function. Instead, it creates ætheric 'bumps' and 'dents', which create a polarized magnetic displacing force acting upon the propulsion system's main body. The device's side effects are similar to that of the MPD found in Spaceships 7, but are localized to a small 'exhaust' cone.

[Astromancer]

Many modern New Agers say that real Alchemy is simply science that recognises the spiritual as part of reality. Thus if your mystic builds a doohickey of any kind, just add mystic to it.

And speaking of new age, try Transpersonal Psychology both for you telepaths and for all occult and mythic beings.

[robkelk]

Originally Posted by lwcamp

I'm rather fond of corrective phrenology for the pathologically clueless, myself.

That would explain how the Clue-Bat (and its larger cousin, the Clue-by-Four) work... <g>

Originally Posted by Ze'Manel Cunha

Ectoplasm - for all your transitional energy and matter needs.

The name implies a spiritual component to the technology. (Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, depending on the setting.)

Originally Posted by Ze'Manel Cunha

Plasma X - for all your high powered needs just add plasma as a modifier, plasma gun, plasma rifle, plasma force field, etc.

However, plasma televisions actually do use more power than other televisions of the same size. This one might - just might - be real science... although probably not in the way you intended.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by robkelk

The name implies a spiritual component to the technology. (Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, depending on the setting.)
.

Or a squishy component. Ectoplasm is after all, the outer portion of the cytoplasm of a cell.