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In MyMemeCards, the meme card game, “The Terrible Secret of Space” is a rare card of the Memes World series 72, number 21540 of the collection, and the 153rd best-known meme of its 300 cards. Here is what the meme means, where it comes from, and how to get its card.
What does the “The Terrible Secret of Space” meme mean?
This meme captures the absurd humor and chaotic creativity of early internet culture. It plays on paranoia regarding futuristic technology presented as ridiculous. The dominant emotion is amused surprise at a fictional threat as silly as domestic stairs. It is used to evoke an illogical situation, imaginary intrusive surveillance, or simply to reminisce about the raw creative madness of the pre-social media era.
Where does the “The Terrible Secret of Space” meme come from?
The phenomenon began in April 2000 through an ICQ conversation between Rich Kyanka, founder of Something Awful, and a New Zealand user named Corn_Boy. Kyanka invented a digital urban legend claiming to build intelligent space robots capable of pushing humans down staircases. This fanciful dialogue was transcribed as 'Space Robot Bonanza!' and posted on April 7, 2000, on the Something Awful forum. A song inspired by this exchange was later composed by The Laziest Men on Mars. Towards the end of 2000, Jonathan Robinson and a friend produced a Flash animation synchronized to this track. The video remained obscure until September 30, 2001, when it was shared on Newgrounds, a key platform for Flash creations, allowing its widespread dissemination to the general public.
- 2000Publication of the ICQ conversation transcript on Something Awful on April 7.
- 2000Composition of the theme song by The Laziest Men on Mars.
- 2000Creation of the Flash animation by Jonathan Robinson and a collaborator.
- 2001Widespread distribution following sharing on Newgrounds on September 30.
How to use the “The Terrible Secret of Space” meme
- Quote 'Do you have stairs in your house?' during a discussion about unsolvable technical problems.
- Share the Flash animation to illustrate bureaucratic absurdity or a senseless social rule.
- Use the space robot image to mock surveillance technology perceived as excessive yet ineffective.
Also searched as
- Space Robot Bonanza
- Do you have stairs in your house?
- ICQ space robot prank
- the terrible secret of space meme
- space robot bonanza explanation
- rich kyanka icq prank
- do you have stairs in your house meaning
The “The Terrible Secret of Space” card in MyMemeCards
| Number | No. 21540 |
|---|---|
| Rarity | Rare |
| Collection | Memes World series 72 |
| Fame | 68/100 · #153 of 300 |
| Recycle value | 10 MemeCoins (30 in Shiny) |
How to get the “The Terrible Secret of Space” card
Every pack holds 5 meme cards, the first 3 of them Common; The Terrible Secret of Space comes out of the Memes World series 72 as a rare card. The pack odds say what each rarity weighs.
Your first pack is free and needs no account. After that a new free pack lands every 10 minutes, up to 3 waiting for you. You can also buy the card with MemeCoins on the market, bid for it at auction, or trade it — and a double recycles into 10 MemeCoins.
Open your free pack
5 meme cards, one of them at least Rare. One free pack per person.
Free · no account needed
Odds per card, averaged over a pack: Common 72%, Rare 23.9%, Epic 3.2%, Legendary 0.56%, Mythic 0.3%, Full Art ≤ 0.1%, Shiny 0.2%. Cards 1 to 3 are always Common, cards 4 and 5 climb the rarities. Rates drop for cards that circulate a lot. Details
Memes like “The Terrible Secret of Space”
More cards of the Memes World series 72
Frequently asked questions
What does The Terrible Secret of Space mean?
It refers to an internet joke from 2000 involving imaginary space robots designed to push people down stairs.
Who created the space robot meme?
Rich Kyanka, founder of Something Awful, initiated the prank via a fake ICQ conversation in 2000.
Where does the phrase Do you have stairs in your house come from?
This absurd question originates from the fanciful conversation between Kyanka and Corn_Boy about manufacturing destructive robots.
How do I get the The Terrible Secret of Space meme card?
Open a pack of MyMemeCards: “The Terrible Secret of Space” is a rare card of the Memes World series 72. Your first pack is free, with no account, and you can also buy, trade or win the card at auction.
How rare is the The Terrible Secret of Space card?
It is a Rare card. Rarity decides which pack slot can deal it, and what it is worth on the market.
Sources: The Terrible Secret of Space · The Terrible Secret of Space: Flash Meme Origin · Something Awful Memories | neOnbubble · checked on October 14, 2026.
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