Glossary/Key Words

anthropic principle
In physics and cosmology, the anthropic principle begins with the observation that the universe appears surprisingly hospitable to the emergence of life, even complex multicellular life, in at least one particular place and time, namely the Earth. Given the extreme simplicity of the universe at the start of the Big Bang, the friendliness of the universe to complex structures such as galaxies, planetary systems, and biology, is unexpected by any normal model of turbulence driven structuring that we have ever been able to derive. The anthropic principle is a convenient heading for physical and cosmological reasoning that takes into account the existence of a biosphere on Earth in an essential way.
The anthropic principle is in part a truism, since any valid cosmology must be consistent with the existence on Earth of biochemistry and human beings. It is the balanced nature of the evolutionary physics defining anthropic significance that stands out. Similarly, all anthropic coincidences are balanced between the extremes of a spectrum, ranging from the Earth’s ecosystem, to the near-perfect balance between the strength of gravitation and the cosmological constant governing the expansion of the universe.
Attempts to invoke the “principle” to develop scientific explanations has led to more than a little confusion and controversy.

anistrophic
Of a material, a body: having physical properties which s have different magnitudes in different directions.

amemliorating
To make or become better; improve.

cartooning
To enter a liminal trance, to become part of the space, to become part of a stereotype representation of the stimulus being watch or seen.

colloquial
Characteristic of or appropriate to the spoken language or to writing that seeks the effect of speech; informal.
Relating to conversation; conversational.

conflates
To bring together; meld or fuse: “The problems [with the biopic] include… dates moved around, lovers deleted, many characters conflated into one”
To combine (two variant texts, for example) into one whole.

conundrum
a riddle, the answer to which involves a pun or play on words, as What is black and white and read all over? A newspaper.

denouement
the final resolution of the intricacies of a plot, as of a drama or novel.
the place in the plot at which this occurs.
the outcome or resolution of a doubtful series of occurrences.

eidos
(anthropology) the distinctive expression of the cognitive or intellectual character of a culture or a social group

epistemes
a system of understanding or a body of ideas which give shape to the knowledge of that time

explicit
Fully and clearly expressed; leaving nothing implied.
Fully and clearly defined or formulated: “generalizations that are powerful, precise, and explicit” (Frederick Turner).
Forthright and unreserved in expression: They were explicit in their criticism.
Readily observable: an explicit sign of trouble.
Describing or portraying nudity or sexual activity in graphic detail.

her·me·neu·tics hûrm-ntks, n. (used with a sing. or pl. verb)
Interpretive; explanatory. The theory and methodology of interpretation, especially of scriptural text.

heu·ris·tic hy-rstk adj.
O solution of a problem: “The historian discovers the past by the judicious use of such a heuristic device as the ‘ideal type’” (Karl J. Weintraub).
Of or constituting an educational method in which learning takes place through discoveries that result from investigations made by the student.
Computer Science. Relating to or using a problem-solving technique in which the most appropriate solution of several found by alternative methods is selected at successive stages of a program for use in the next step of the program.
A heuristic method or process.
heuristics (used with a sing. verb) The study and application of heuristic methods and processes.
From Greek heuriskein, to find.]f or relating to a usually speculative formulation serving as a guide in the investigation.

hyperbolic
Of, relating to, or employing hyperbole.
Mathematics.
Of, relating to, or having the form of a hyperbola.
Of or relating to a geometric system in which two or more lines can be drawn through any point in a plane and not intersect a given line in the plane.
Of or relating to a hyperbolic function: hyperbolic cosine.

imperative
Expressing a command or plea; peremptory: requests that grew more and more imperative.
Having the power or authority to command or control.
Grammar. Of, relating to, or constituting the mood that expresses a command or request.
Impossible to deter or evade; pressing: imperative needs.
A command; an order.
An obligation; a duty: social imperatives.
A rule, principle, or instinct that compels a certain behavior: a people driven to aggression by territorial imperatives.

implicit
Implied or understood though not directly expressed: an implicit agreement not to raise the touchy subject.
Contained in the nature of something though not readily apparent: “Frustration is implicit in any attempt to express the deepest self” (Patricia Hampl).
Having no doubts or reservations; unquestioning: implicit trust.

isotropic
Physics. of equal physical properties along all axes. Compare anisotropic.
Zoology. lacking axes that are predetermined, as in some eggs.

juxtapose
To place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast.

manifold
Many and varied; of many kinds; multiple: our manifold failings.
Having many features or forms: manifold intelligence.
Being such for a variety of reasons: a manifold traitor.
Consisting of or operating several devices of one kind at the same time.
A whole composed of diverse elements.
One of several copies.
A pipe or chamber having multiple apertures for making connections.
Mathematics. A topological space or surface.

mendacious
telling lies, esp. habitually; dishonest; lying; untruthful: a mendacious person.
false or untrue: a mendacious report.

modal claims/modal logic
is any logic for handling modalities: concepts like possibility, impossibility, and necessity
In philosophy and logic, the concept of possible worlds is used to express modal claims. In philosophy, the term “modality” covers such notions as “possibility”, “necessity”, and “contingency”. Talk of possible worlds is very widespread in contemporary philosophical discourse (especially in the English-speaking world), though much about them is disputed.

nomological
the science of law or laws.
the science of the laws of the mind.

ontology
The branch of metaphysics that deals with the nature of being.

paradox
a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.
a self-contradictory and false proposition.
any person, thing, or situation exhibiting an apparently contradictory nature.
an opinion or statement contrary to commonly accepted opinion.

pedagogy
The art or profession of teaching.
Preparatory training or instruction.

praxis
Practical application or exercise of a branch of learning.
Habitual or established practice; custom.

a priori
Proceeding from a known or assumed cause to a necessarily related effect; deductive.
Derived by or designating the process of reasoning without reference to particular facts or experience.
Knowable without appeal to particular experience.
Made before or without examination; not supported by factual study.

promulgate
To make known (a decree, for example) by public declaration; announce officially.
To put (a law) into effect by formal public announcement.

poiesis
From Greek poisis, creation, from poiein, to make.
Production; creation; formation: hematopoiesis.

posteri

postulate
To make claim for; demand.
To assume or assert the truth, reality, or necessity of, especially as a basis of an argument.
To assume as a premise or axiom; take for granted.

recherche (ruh-sher-SHAY\, adjective:
Uncommon; exotic; rare.
Exquisite; choice.
Excessively refined; affected.
Pretentious; overblown.
recherche topics interesting only to university specialists.

sagacious
Having or showing keen discernment, sound judgment, and farsightedness.

salva veritate
(Leibniz) interchangeability without loss of or compromising the truth

sequitur
a logical conclusion from the premises; a logical consequence
Etymology: Latin ‘it follows’

solicitous
Anxious or concerned: a solicitous parent.
Expressing care or concern: made solicitous inquiries about our family.
Full of desire; eager.
Marked by or given to anxious care and often hovering attentiveness.
Extremely careful; meticulous: solicitous in matters of behavior.

solipsism
The theory that the self is the only thing that can be known and verified.
The theory or view that the self is the only reality.

stochastic
Of, relating to, or characterized by conjecture; conjectural.

statistics
Involving or containing a random variable or variables: stochastic calculus.
Involving chance or probability: a stochastic stimulation.

syllogism
Logic. A form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion; for example, All humans are mortal, the major premise, I am a human, the minor premise, therefore, I am mortal, the conclusion.
Reasoning from the general to the specific; deduction.
A subtle or specious piece of reasoning.

synesthetes
A person who experiences synesthesia, as by having a secondary sensation of sound as color or of color as sound.

tacit
Not spoken: indicated tacit approval by smiling and winking.
Implied by or inferred from actions or statements: Management has given its tacit approval to the plan.
Law. Arising by operation of the law rather than through direct expression.
Archaic. Not speaking; silent.

temporal http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/temporal
Of, relating to, or limited by time: a temporal dimension; temporal and spatial boundaries.
Of or relating to the material world; worldly: the temporal possessions of the Church.
Lasting only for a time; not eternal; passing: our temporal existence.
Secular or lay; civil: lords temporal and spiritual.
Grammar. Expressing time: a temporal adverb.

temporal Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, (2002) 5th Edition, New York.
Of, pertaining to, or concerned with secular as opp. to sacred or religious matters, lay (of law) civil or common as opp. to canonical; (of rule, government etc.) civil as opp. to ecclesiastical.
Lasting or existing only for a time; passing, temporary. Now rare exc. As passing into sense 3.
Of or pertaining to a present life as distinguished from a future existence; concerning or involving material as opp. to spiritual interests; worldly, earthly.

Bibliography for Glossary

Ed; Lesley Brown, Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, (2002) New York,
http://dictionary.reference.com/search
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

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