Bus Remote

The Bus Remote is the Magic School Bus's remote controller that replaces the Portable Shrinkerscope in The Magic School Bus Rides Again. It can be used to change the size and appearance of the Bus or its passengers, as well as other features not seen on its predecessor.

It débuted in Frizzle of the Future, but it didn't receive the "Bus Remote" name until "Kids in Space".

Features[]

Portable Shrinkerscope[]

The Portable Shrinkerscope (shortened to Porta-Shrinker) is a feature on the Remote which can shoot a laser beam to shrink objects. It is used whenever the kids are in a "large" situation, or by taking a closer look without the Bus. It was first used in "Frizzle of the Future," but the term didn't fall into usage until Kids in Space, when the feature was named after its prototype. Its polar opposite is the Bigifier. Wanda was given the bottom half of the Remote as a spy gadget, her undercover Porta-Shrinker, in “Goldstealer”.

In Gets Ready, Set, Dough, the part of the Bus that does this is named the Shrinkerscope.

Bigifier[]

Whilst the Porta-Shrinker can shrink, the Bigifier does its opposite: it can enlarge objects. It can return the students and Bus back to normal size, or shoot a laser beam that can enlarge something, notably a certain tardigrade. This feature was first used in "Frizzle of the Future," but it was named in Kids in Space.

In Gets Ready, Set, Dough, the feature that does this on the Bus is named the Enormomometer.

DNA Mesmerglober[]

The Bus Remote can also change the kids' DNA and transform them into different plants and animals. This feature was first used in "Frizzle of the Future."

Bus-o-Matic Pause Button[]

The Bus-o-Matic Pause Button is one of the recently-added (at the time of the episode) features that can stop or start the flow of time at the will of the Bus Remote's user. It can be used to take a break and think about the task the children are doing, especially during a performance. It was only used in Ralphie and the Flying Tennellis.

Shriekamaker[]

The Shriekamaker plays a loud sound that terrifies whoever hears it, making that person scream loudly. It is seen in Kids in Space.

Remote Controls[]

As this happens to be a remote for the Bus, it can activate some of its features:

Shrinkerscope and Enormomometer
Mesmerglober
Nocanseealyzer

Trivia[]

It can be seen as a Bowdlerization of its prototype, the original Portable Shrinkerscope, due to it resembling a gun or pistol.