The explanation of the universe starts with the very basics and grows from there. It's a rapidly expanding subject, after all. You probably won’t understand any more about the universe than you did once it’s done, but you will enjoy a few laughs.
And because an explanation of the universe is quite complicated, exurb1a must jump from one subject to another, which is only more opportunities for puns. I mean, really, who thinks of rhyming ebola virus with Miley Cyrus? Physics can be funny, as well as astronomy, biology, geology, etc. -via reddit
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Aside from the fact that shows such as Star Trek are filled with stupid or technologically inferior alien cultures, the implication that this trope should be stopped is kind of silly. Any alien species we are capable of making contact with in the foreseeable future would have to be far more intelligent than us in some way or another - that's not a trope, it's a fact of life which makes the story more relate-able.
Similar issues with things like evil aliens and explaining time travel - there are many, many counter examples and they are plausible or worth exploring, so it seems kind of silly to say they should be stopped altogether. That part of the joy of sci-fi.
I definitely agree that the brain power one needs to die though. It's too completely and obviously false to keep playing with. :)
Also deserving of a mention in the counter-example list is Small Soldiers. The "goodies" turn out to be very nasty humans indeed. Well, humanish.