MovieChat Forums > The Cable Guy (1996) Discussion > Chip is smarter than me

Chip is smarter than me

posted 11 years ago by avortac
3 replies | jump to latest

I mean, what the heck is "Osmosis"?

I checked it out in wikipedia, and the first describing sentence reads like this:

"Osmosis is the spontaneous net movement of solvent molecules through a partially permeable membrane into a region of higher solute concentration, in the direction that tends to equalize the solute concentrations on the two sides."

As english is not my first language, I found this to be a bit difficult to comprehend. Anyone, who didn't grow up with english but who can understand that definition of 'osmosis' after reading the above description only once, is smarter than me.

How on Earth would Osmosis even be applicable to moving home theater, karaoke and sound/stereo equipment into an apartment? Chip obviously figured it out, but I sure can't.

Thus, Chip must be smarter than me - thank goodness, he's only a character..

(Another language's definition of 'Osmosis' is a lot shorter: "Osmosis is the diffusion of water through a half-permeable membrane". I didn't really get that one, either - especially in the context of moving the equipment into the apartment)

[–] Icecutter 11 years ago

truly classic movie moment

[–] michaelnyholt89 10 years ago

Getting the home theater equipment into the apartment "by osmosis" was a joke meaning that without having the key to the apartment, Chip would have to phase the equipment through the walls to get it into the apartment. Like Shadowcat Kitty Pryde from the X-Men. Kitty Pryde can walk through walls by moving her particles between those of the wall, similar to how cells let particles through their cell walls.

[–] avortac 10 years ago

"Like Shadowcat Kitty Pryde from the X-Men. Kitty Pryde can walk through walls by moving her particles between those of the wall, similar to how cells let particles through their cell walls."

Ah, thanks.

I was sure it had something to do with being able to transfer something through some kind of substances, but from the descriptions, it's not really clear what 'osmosis' actually is. Actually, I am still not completely clear on it, although I think I got the general idea now.

Your explanation actually helped me grasp as to how it would be signifigant to the situation, and plausible as an explanation.

But it's still pretty smart to be able to use that as an explanation - I wouldn't be able to wrap my head around as to how exactly the concept of osmosis could transfer to moving equipment through walls.

I mean, the concept of making the equipment 'less solid', so it can travel freely through walls and furniture is easy. But actual osmosis, which seems to be a lot more complex a process, just seems slightly difficult to apply to the equipment.

Would be pretty kewl, though .. I know Kitty Pryde from the old comics (haven't really watched the movies or TV shows or whatnot), and her ability is pretty neat.

I guess it's one of those human dreams, together with flying, invisibility, super strength, teleportation and all kinds of interesting rays and beams, like X-Ray and such.

I wonder if some day in human development cycle, there will be a race of such super-beings, that can do all those things (outside the comics, movies and TV shows, I mean)..