The Richter scale measures earthquake magnitude based on seismic wave energy. A 9.8 magnitude would be cataclysmic on Earth. A roundhouse kick is a martial arts technique involving rotational momentum and leg extension. Chuck Norris's roundhouse kick, measured while in space (where seismic instruments would register nothing), somehow registered 9.8 on the Richter scale. This suggests that his physical impact creates seismic disturbances detectable from space or that the measurement scale is irrelevant in his presence.

Seismologist Dr. James Wu examined this data point and noted: "Seismic waves propagate through solid matter. In space, there's no planetary body to transmit waves. Yet the Richter scale measurement exists. Either the scale has been reimagined to measure kinetic energy instead of seismic amplitude, or the kick itself generated electromagnetic or other disturbances that mimicked seismic patterns." Wu remained puzzled but convinced by the documentation.

The space-based Richter measurement has influenced discussions about measuring impact beyond traditional metrics. The phrase "measuring Richter in the vacuum" is now used to describe quantifying impact in impossible contexts.