The Equation Changes (05/2013)

ZEIGARNIK EFFECT
A form of memory bias, this psychological theory implies that people remember unfinished tasks more effectively than those that have been completed.

NEPENTHE
A potion prepared in ancient times to induce forgetfulness of pain or sorrow; something capable of causing oblivion to suffering.

DUNBAR'S NUMBER
The suggested upper-limit of people with whom one can maintain a stable relationship. This group defines one's primary social network, and thus are the primary influences on an individual's thinking and behavior.

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POSTHUMAN
A hypothetical future being whose basic capabilities would radically exceed those of a human.

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CONGLOMERATE
A group of corporations pursuing different businesses that are bound together under a single parent company.

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EIDOS
The distinct expression of the intellectual character of a culture or group.

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HYPERREALITY
A hypothetical inability to differentiate reality from a simulation of reality.

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LODESTAR
A guiding principle or light.

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COEVOLUTION
The influence of two species upon each other's evolution caused by their intertwined relationship.

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PANOPTICON
A circular building with a central viewing station from which an observer may monitor every inhabitant without them knowing if they are being watched.

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RENAISSANCE
From the French 're-birth,' and Italian 'to be reborn.' A cultural movement beginning in the 14th century where art and literature flourished across a large section of Europe.

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GRAPHEME
The smallest meaningful unit within a system of writing.

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CONNECTIONISM
A system of thinking that models mental and behavioral phenomena as emerging from networks of simple units.

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MEMORY HOLE
A mechanism for altering or removing evidence from a public repository in such a manner as to suggest it never existed. A concept popularized by George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.

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PROGRESS TRAP
A condition societies experience when unsolvable problems are introduced through the pursuit of progress, leading to social collapse.

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EYEWALL
A ring of towering thunderclouds surrounding the eye; a region where the most severe weather in a storm occurs.

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PRESCIENCE
The power to see the future.

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HABITATION
The process of adapting to an environment.

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LONG-TERM POTENTIATION
A long-lasting enhancement in transmission between neurons resulting from stimulating them simultaneously.

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RINT
RINT, or Radiation Intelligence, is information gathered by exploiting the unintentional radiation created by computers, data connections and electrical equipment.

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IN THE BLACK
From the intelligence world. To be surveillance-free for a period greater than a few seconds.

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RHIB
Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat. A light-weight, high performance and high-capacity inflatable boat frequently used for military and intelligence operations.

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ESCHATOLOGY
A branch of theology concerned with the final destiny of humankind.

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FERMI'S PARADOX
The contradiction between the high probability estimates for the existence of other intelligences, and humanity's lack of contact with, or evidence for, such.

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CUNEIFORM
A language expressed as a series of pictographs. The earliest known form of writing.

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MEDIOCRITY PRINCIPLE
The philosophical principle that there is nothing unusual about the evolution of the Solar System, Earth, humanity, or any nation of people.

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PSYCHOLINGUISTICS
The study of the relationships between language and psychological processes.

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BLACK SWAN THEORY
A metaphor describing an event that is unexpected and has a major impact on the course of history, and is incorrectly rationalized as something predictable in hindsight.

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CENOTAPH
A tomb erected for individuals buried elsewhere.

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VIRAL PHENOMENON
An object or pattern able to replicate itself or convert other objects into a copy of itself when they are exposed to it.

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NEXUS
A connection or series of connections between multiple ideas or things.

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