Wordsmith collection

Modern Science & Tech

by Wordsmith @wordsmith

The vocabulary of popular science and technology: 77 words from hypothesis and entropy to neural, quantum and encryption.

• algorithm A precise set of ordered steps for solving a mathematical problem.
• algorithmic Based on a fixed set of steps for solving a problem.
• anecdotal In the form of short personal stories, or full of them.
• anomaly Something that differs from the rule or from what is seen as normal.
• artificial intelligence Intelligence exhibited by an artificial (nonnatural, manmade, humanmade) entity.
• automation Switching the control of a machine over to computer or electronic systems.
• autonomous Acting on one's own, independently of others.
• bandwidth The rate at which data flows through a digital network.
• behavioral Having to do with the way a person or animal acts.
• bias A leaning toward something that sways how you judge it.
• biodiversity The number and variety of plants and animals living in a region.
• causation The act of making something happen, and the link between cause and effect.
• chaotic Extremely disorganized, with no order at all.
• climate The usual weather of a place over a long period.
• cognitive Connected with the mind's thinking, as opposed to feelings.
• complex Made up of many parts and not simple or straightforward.
• conditioning Training that makes a person or animal behave in a certain way.
• correlation A close link or match between two or more things.
• cortex The outer layer of an organ, especially of the brain.
• cybersecurity Protection against electronic attacks such as online warfare or terrorism.
• data Facts and numbers collected and used for reasoning or calculation.
• dataset Alternative form of data set.
• disruption A break in the normal flow of something, or the disorder that follows.
• DNA The part of a living thing that carries its genetic information.
• dopamine A chemical messenger in the body that is also a building block of adrenalin.
• ecosystem All the living things in a place plus their surroundings, working as one unit.
• efficiency How well time, energy or other resources are used for their intended purpose.
• emergent Just starting to appear or come into existence.
• empirical Based on what is seen, tested or experienced, not on theory.
• encryption Turning information into code so it cannot be read without a key or password.
• entropy A measure of how much disorder there is in a system.
• equilibrium A state of balance where opposing forces cancel out and nothing changes.
• ethical Connected with the accepted ideas of what is right and wrong.
• evidence Facts or observations that support a claim.
• evolutionary Connected with the theory that living things change gradually over time.
• evolve To change and turn into something different.
• experiment A test done under controlled conditions to check an idea or see what happens.
• feedback loop A self-reinforcing or self-weakening effect.
• gene A part of DNA, passed from parents, that shapes traits like hair color.
• genetic Having to do with genes or caused by them.
• genome The complete set of genetic information carried by a living thing.
• greenhouse A building for growing plants, often with large glass windows that trap heat from sunlight.
• hypothesis An idea that tries to explain something and can be tested by further study.
• innovate To bring in something new or do something in a new way.
• iterative Done by repeating steps again and again to reach a result.
• mechanics The way something works, or the practical details of doing it.
• model A simulation used to study how a real system or event works.
• mutation A change in the genetic material of a living thing that can be passed on.
• neural Having to do with the nerves and the nervous system.
• neuron A cell of the nervous system that carries signals to other cells.
• neuroplasticity The brain's ability to change and adapt to experience.
• neuroscience The scientific study of the nervous system.
• objective A goal that someone works hard to reach.
• optimize To make something as good or as efficient as it can be.
• outlier A person or thing set apart from the main group, an exception.
• outpace To go faster than someone or something else.
• phenomenon A thing, event or process that can be noticed through the senses.
• placebo A dummy medicine with no active ingredients, given as an inert treatment.
• probability How likely it is that something will happen.
• psychology The study of the mind and behaviour.
• quantum Involving the smallest possible units of a quantity, as studied in physics.
• random Happening for no particular reason, in a way nobody can predict.
• renewable Able to be restored or regrown, with a continuous source of supply.
• robust Strong enough to stand up to hard conditions without failing.
• sample A small part of something, taken to show what the whole is like.
• significant Having a noticeable or major effect.
• simulate To copy the way something behaves, looks or works.
• simulation Something that copies a system or environment to predict how the real one behaves.
• statistic A single piece of numerical data from a study.
• statistics The study of collecting, presenting, analysing and making sense of data.
• surveillance Close, continuous watching of people or places, often by police or the state.
• sustainable Able to continue for a long time without harming the environment or using up resources.
• systematic Done according to a planned, ordered method.
• systemic Spread through a whole system, group or body and affecting all of it.
• theory A set of ideas that explains observed facts.
• variable Able to change, or likely to change, and not staying the same.
• visualize To form a picture of something in your mind.

Definitions from Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0) and Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).