| abstract
| - Also called simply "Potential Applications". Breaks down into three closely intertwined subtropes:
* Think of the Military Potential!
* Think of the Lives We Could Improve!
* Think of the Money We Could Make! Potential Applications is a trope often used to justify the existence of a dangerous situation and/or provide motivation for a disinterested antagonist, such as a corporation. A character or characters with vision, sometimes representing a large organization, encounters a new, esoteric technology, and suddenly realizes all the Potential Applications it could be put to. The technology can come in any form- maybe a Mad Scientist just constructed a group of Ridiculously-Human Robots, maybe astronauts have brought back a Black Box filled with Imported Alien Phlebotinum, or maybe biologists from an Animal Wrongs Group have just discovered Killer Rabbits in the Amazon. Sometimes happens before the story starts and is implied. Generally then results in one of two plot developments, occasionally both: 1.
* The technology proves to be blatantly dangerous, but the potential for unintended consequences will be entirely ignored. It will be allowed to run rampant, possibly further developed, and the antagonists -- who are staunch believers in the Potential Applications -- will try to prevent any attempts by more sensible characters to stop the disaster by destroying the technology (or just stopping until they can make sure they've identified and can deal with potential dangers). Expect things to Go Horribly Right as a result. 1.
* The technology has just become a MacGuffin, and the antagonists will Lie, Cheat, and Steal (and probably Kill, too) to get it. Alternately, whoever realizes what the technology is worth grabs it and runs -- often having no idea how dangerous it really is. If the protagonist is the scientist responsible for the technology, they may have to run for their lives or destroy their life's work to safeguard humanity -- possibly both. At least one of the subtropes is always present, and often more. If the bad guys are an organization, they always believe in either the Military Potential or the Commercial Applications; if they are a lone Mad Scientist, they can be misled into thinking there are better uses. The good guys almost always believe in the Peaceful Applications or that the technology shouldn't be used at all. The bad guys will more than likely to fail to see legitimate uses for monetary potential. The interplay between the subtropes is therefore often used to illustrate An Aesop. Ultimately, the Potential Applications are rarely realized during the story, and very often turn out to have been a phantom. Even if the technology really could have been used peacefully, it will usually be destroyed by the heroes to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands -- ensuring that even when he isn't, Reed Richards Is Still Useless. Now, if the people involved in the research don't care about the potential applications, it's because they do it For Science!! Just don't think of the other potential applications. This is why the Disposable Superhero Maker is disposable in the first place. Examples of Just Think of the Potential include:
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