Photo via imdb.com/Six Million Dollar Man TV series
Photo via imdb.com/Six Million Dollar Man TV series

In a funny new segment from NPR’s Planet Money, Robert Smith takes on The Six Million Dollar Man remake — The Six Billion Dollar Man — to see if spending that much is even possible on a bionic man.

Smith asks economics professor Anwar Shaikh from the New School in New York to crunch the numbers on how much the Six Million Dollar Man would cost today.

Shaikh says it depends on how you “classify him.” Is Steve Austin a gadget?

“If you think of him as a product, the number comes down from $6 million to $12,000,” says Shaikh, laughing.

And while they cite better access to cheaper parts, thanks to technology, the rising costs of health care would tack on some dollars to that bill.

“The annual salary of surgeons has gone up about 5 and a half times since 1973,” Shaikh tells NPR. “So, if you took in the salary of surgeons as a cost of the medical care component, you’re back to a $33 million man.”

All told, they couldn’t find a calculation that even comes close to a $6 billion price tag, Smith says in the segment.

Will the new Six Billion Dollar Man, played by Mark Wahlberg, worth it? You’ll have to see the movie for yourself. It’s still in production, no word on when it will be out.

In the meantime, listen to the very amusing NPR Planet Money story below:

Like what you're reading? Subscribe to GeekWire's free newsletters to catch every headline

Job Listings on GeekWork

Find more jobs on GeekWork. Employers, post a job here.