# You could, dare I say it, "Take over the world". **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 11, 2011, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-could-dare-i-say-it-take-over-the-world/599240 "2011-10-11T01:03:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ruh-roh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ruh-roh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruh-roh)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-could-dare-i-say-it-take-over-the-world/599240/1 "2011-10-11T01:03:24Z")
Theoretically, four items are for sale on eBay. At the Buy It Now price you can only afford to purchase one. Support equipment not included, just the base device. Not the movie prop, the real thing. Which one do you buy, and why? 1. Jedi lightsabre 2. Flux capacitor 3. Oscillation Overthruster 4. The recipe for Flubber ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-could-dare-i-say-it-take-over-the-world/599240/2 "2011-10-11T02:06:21Z")
Well, the oscillation Overthruster would just give Lord John Whorfin another chance to take over the world, so that’s out. The Flux Capacitor is too limited in usage and denies causality, so that’s out too. The lightsaber is tempting, but Flubber is too much potential fun to resist. ---
**Author:** ![Makeitstop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@Makeitstop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Makeitstop)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-could-dare-i-say-it-take-over-the-world/599240/3 "2011-10-11T05:23:42Z")
Ditto. Gotta go with Flubber. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-could-dare-i-say-it-take-over-the-world/599240/4 "2011-10-11T05:52:22Z")
I want a lightsaber, but I know I’d cut off my arm within 30 seconds. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-could-dare-i-say-it-take-over-the-world/599240/5 "2011-10-11T06:40:42Z")
I’d go for the Flubber recipe. I have no idea what the overthruster is, but the other two are more difficult to use to their full potential. The recipe doesn’t require any reverse engineering, and getting use out of it is as simple as sticking it in a motor and hitting it with a hammer. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-could-dare-i-say-it-take-over-the-world/599240/6 "2011-10-11T07:39:31Z")
I’d have to take Flubber, because with a real lightsabre I’d treat that thing the way Homer Simpson treats firearms ownership. [Like so](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIpLd0WQKCY). ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-could-dare-i-say-it-take-over-the-world/599240/7 "2011-10-11T16:04:30Z")
The flux capacitor is pretty useless without a Mr. Fusion (which I’d take over the other four items in a heartbeat). Since I couldn’t use it, I also wouldn’t trust the authorities with it. So, yeah, Flubber. ---
**Author:** ![runcible\_spoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc29f/32.png) [@runcible\_spoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/runcible_spoon)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-could-dare-i-say-it-take-over-the-world/599240/8 "2011-10-11T16:16:02Z")
1. A lightsaber without jedi powers is pretty useless. Sure you could maybe cut your way into a bank vault, but you can still get shot. 2. For a valid time machine you need a whole lot more than just the flux capacitor. For one thing, the power source is tricky as hell, and for another, there’s more to the time machine than just the capacitor; I sure don’t know how to build the rest. 3. Like the lightsaber, I could see this being useful for a bank robber, but not for taking over the world. 4. Now we’re talking; infinite energy supply, flying cars, and super-powered jumping? Best by far. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-could-dare-i-say-it-take-over-the-world/599240/9 "2011-10-11T16:18:01Z")
Do I get some plutonium with the Flux Capacitor? It’s not like I can just go into a store and buy plutonium, and the Libyans are a bit busy right now. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-could-dare-i-say-it-take-over-the-world/599240/10 "2011-10-11T16:46:14Z")
Light saber by all means, but only if I got a Wookie costume as a bonus. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-could-dare-i-say-it-take-over-the-world/599240/11 "2011-10-11T17:03:41Z")
Flubber, no question. As others have pointd out, the infinite clean energy is too good to resist. I do wonder how long it’ll take to weaponize flubber, though: could it not, given proper conditions (e.g., an orbital platform), create a weapon to put an H-bomb to shame? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-could-dare-i-say-it-take-over-the-world/599240/12 "2011-10-12T07:43:19Z")
Which flubber? The original, of the comic one? Because I’d take the former, but not the latter. I guess I’d go with the Oscillation Overthruster. Being able to go through solid objects sounds neat. The lightsaber seems too dangerous, and, as mentioned, the flux capacitor isn’t enough to have time travel on its own, and I’m not brave enough to do the tests necessary nor get the fuel necessary. Though I did like the idea of a Flubber powered time DeLorean…