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Sp to Sr

Space Adapted Human

Interplanetary age microgravity adapted humans (Homo sapiens cosmoi), these were among the first completely new species of human designed for space. Racist and ludd reaction led to their withdrawing to the outer solar system; many later joined the ranks of hiders.

Space Amoeba, Giant

Cosmoamoeba gigas lagoonensis
One of the curious phenomena discovered in the Lagoon Nebula (and later in the Trifid Nebula) are a population of amorphous blobs that vary in size from 500 meters when contracted to several tens of kilometers when extended.

In their normal state they are semi-transparent, becoming opaque when contracted and almost completely diaphanous when extended.

Their biochemistry and composition is based on trillions of microscale nodules, not unlike foglets. These nodules exist in various specialized subtypes, and are able to catch and metabolize micrometeors slowly. They have a kind of silicon-ice metabolism that is highly redundant. They use stellar winds not only to move, but also to feed on dust following their magnetic fields.

It is still not clear whether they are a natural lifeform that evolved from organic molecules in comets or protostellar nebula, or a neogen adapted to space by an unknown alien race. No trace of any alien ruins have been found in region, not surprising given that it mostly consist of young stars and few planets, and no relic ships or alien artifacts have been discovered either.

Extended space amoebas appear to catch the solar wind from a number of nearby bright O- and B- class stars, ultimately attaining velocities (according to doppler shift analysis) of several tens of thousands of km/sec. In this way, the giant space amoebas appear to be migrating through the galaxy.

There is still some controversy over the Lagoon and Trifid populations belong to two different species, two subspecies, or simply the same species that has modified itself according to local conditions

What appear to be similar space amoebas have been observed by long range sensors in the nearby Omega and Eagle Nebulae, but this still has to be confirmed. It has also been suggested that the Lagoon Nebula Amoeba is related to the ***nebula*** Amoeba - despite the latter's larger size. However, this is just speculation.

M Alan Kazlev

Space Deterioration Syndrome

Medical condition that develops as a result of long-duration exposure to microgravity and stellar radiation by organics who have not been augmented to deep space conditions.

Victims suffer a gradual change in cardiovascular, skeletal and endocrine functions as their physiology adapts to a weightless environment, making it more difficult for them to function in normal gravity. In advanced stages the condition is irreversible, and the victim is permanently unable to tolerate the physical stresses associated with gravity or acceleration above 0.25 G. The condition is incurable without nanomodification of skeleton and muscles. Most human derived clades have neogen modifications to avoid these problems, as do many other biont Terragen clades. Somatic personal treatments are typically available for those lacking such a heritage.

Alan Kazlev, inspired by original entry by Kevin Self; additional comments by Stephen Inniss

space fountain

vertical stream of magnetically accelerated pellets reaching out into space, where a station held aloft by its momentum reverses the direction and directs it towards a receiver on the ground. Essentially a simpler version of a Lofstrom loop.

Transhuman Terminology

Space Frontier Epics

Popular interplanetary through to late and post- first federation age fabulist genre, featuring a romanticised interpretation of the deep space frontier. Replaced both the Western and Science Fiction as Important archetypal narratives of the pre-consolidation age.

M. Alan Kazlev

Space Hulk

Generic term for abandoned or derelict ship. Fairly rare and highly prized for both salvage and novelty value.

spacelike, space-like

A path through spacetime that always has a local velocity greater than the speed of light, and hence points in the spatial direction(s) of a Minkowski diagram. Spacelike paths are not possible for physical objects.

Anders Sandberg

Space People

[1] (archaic) A common early term for Space Adapted Humans, still used by some descendants of the original clade.

[2] (Second Federation era) A term for vacuum adapted tweaks. (rarely used)

Space Spiders

Vacuum and zero gee adapted, sentient or semisentient spidersplices, from microscale to giant; usually capable of producing buckyfibre silk. Contribute to many megascale building projects, sometimes controlled directly by transcended postspiders.

Steve Bowers

space-time

In physics, space and time are not disparate but interrelated and in some particle diagrams even under quantum conditions interchangeable dimensions of a single reality. This is often represented in terms of a space-time diagram.

space-time diagram (simple version)

A simplified chart in which time is represented as the y coordinate and space as the x coordinate, with the three spatial dimensions collapsed to one dimension. It reflects the fact that events must be specified in time and space. Used for flat surface representations, or by nearbaselines and other simple beings who find it difficult visualizing more than two dimensions

Space Warfare

spacer

[1] a crewmember of a ship, who spend eir entire existence in space, and usually suffers from agoraphobia or other chronic anxieties at the thought of being on a planetary surface or even in a large habitat.

[2] any species or clade of tweaks especially adapted for a microgravity, and partially or even totally for a vacuum, environment

M.Alan Kazlev

spacesickness

microgravity nausea common among gravity -adapted or dependent bionts. Analogue of motion sickness produced by confusion of the human vestibular system in the absence of a gravitational vertical.

Spaceweed

Bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosus) - modification that can develop in Gas Giant rings,

with a small (100-200m) bladder full of breathable air, and edible fruit and nuts growing on the inside
The bladders are loosely connected, with insulated flexible corridors between the bladders, and all the ice and rock of the rings incorporated into the spaceweed to avoid collision damage.

Steve Bowers and John B

SpamShield

used to protect against unwanted memetic and/or advertising.

The SpamShield can be set to several modes, depending on just how masochistic the user is - No shielding, rewording, or deleting are the 3 most common. No shielding is just that - everything comes through

Rewording prepares a one- or two- sentence precis of the communication that is engineered to be memetically null. This is spotty at lower levels of AI, but higher ones may choose to subvert you. Ya pays yer money, ya picks yer choice.

The third goes through and deletes anything which references unwanted subjects. This again is flaky until higher-level AI's kick in.

John B

the Sparks

IC 4756 - - stellar cluster, in the Serpens sector, home to The Grand Confluence, a Multi-clade civilisation.

speakers, implanted

Speaker implants do away with the need for external musicboxes and speakers, since all music can be beamed into the listener's head directly.

Thus you could listen to your favourite anti-splice tekmetal outfit, BWB (Baselines With Balls) at a simulated 6000dB without ever having to worry about ear damage. (BOOO!)

Ernst Stavro Blofeld

special theory of relativity

Theory formulated by Old Earth physicist Albert Einstein that deals with relative motions, and takes as its starting point the fact that the speed of light is a universal constant. During the late industrial and early atomic age, Special relativity supplanted Newtonian mechanics, yielding different results for very fast-moving objects. Special Relativity is based on the idea that speed has an upper bound; nothing can pass the speed of light. The theory also states that time and distance measurements are not absolute but are instead relative to the observer's frame of reference. Space and time are viewed as aspects of a single phenomenon, called space-time. Energy and momentum are similarly linked. As a result, mass can be converted into huge amounts of energy, and vice versa, according to the formula E=mc². Contrast with general theory of relativity

The Specialist

quasi-mythical individual (or group of individuals?), wandering the Wormhole Nexus and nearby worlds largely incognito getting involved in local issues of great potential relevance.

(first sighted 4958)

Specialist Nodes

Some node-based intellects organize their personalities in a format often referred to as 'specialist nodes', more technically 'pansentient dispersion'. This sophic organization requires the creation of specific areas of expertise with all their supporting knowledge bases in a physical sense, allowing each to act with utmost skill in minimal time. Note that the choice of which skills to nodify or specialize in is a highly individualistic choice, and can greatly affect the capabilities of any given sophont.

While these nodes are capable of independent action, they are usually designed to require input from some overall-controller-node as to the goals they should be working towards, which can be a weak spot in their intellectual architecture. This has evolved into the Specialist/Generalist Node Blend.

John B

Specialist/Generalist Node Blend

The Specialist/Generalist Node blend is a hybrid intellectual structure attempting to gather the benefits of both sub-models of structure (see Specialist Node, Generalist Node) while incurring the least number of negative traits from either. This appears to be a basic structural design criteria for many higher intellects from the limited design information available, but not all.

John B

Species

In the Linnean and neolinnean systems of biological classification, a taxonomic ranking between genus or subgenus and subspecies.

It comprises related organisms or populations that are reproductively distinct and cannot produce fertile offspring by natural reproduction. The concept of a species is difficult to apply to prokaryotes (which reproduce asexually) and has also been rendered irrelevant by DIY germline engineering, tweaking and other forms of biotech. Nevertheless, the term is still popularity used as a convenient label for types of organic lifeforms.

M.Alan Kazlev

specific impulse

I_sp - the measure of efficiency of rocket (does not apply to reactionless drive); how much impulse (thrust multiplied by time) is produced per unit mass of propellant.

Specific Impulse is also equivalent to exhaust velocity, but by convention is measured in units per second (which means dividing exhaust velocity by 1g (9.81 meters/sec.)

Chemical propellants and rockets are the most inefficient, in terms of I_sp, although giving a very good thrust, and being free of harmful radioactive particles. Nuclear and Ion propulsion both have a higher I_sp, but either produce insufficient thrust for planetary lift-off (nuclear fusion and ion) or create harmful radioactive articles (nuclear fission). Amat and GUT-drive are more efficient again (reaching the maximum possible I_sp) but produce an even more deadly radioactive exhaust. Hence high I_sp rockets are only used in deep space, away from biont inhabited areas

spectral class

A class to which a star belongs because of its spectrum, which in turn is determined by its temperature. The spectral classes are O, B, A, F, G, K, and M, from hottest to coolest.

spectrum

Light from an object arranged in order of wavelength; specifically, the colors of visible light, arranged in this order.

speed of light

Designated as c, the speed of light is about 300,000 km/s and is constant as perceived by all observers.

sphere of gravitational influence

The region in which the gravitational influence of a body is the dominant influence on a passing small body's motions.

The Spindle

Alien artifact discovered by Metasoft in 7432.

The Spindle is a tapered cylindrical object approximately one-half million kilometers in length and 10000km in diameter at its widest point. The artifact is constructed of exotic matter similar to that used in the construction of stargates and is rotating at approx. .96c. Approx. every .678 seconds an intense burst of gravitational energy is generated from each of the endpoints of the cylinder. Space-time in the vicinity of the Spindle is heavily distorted, making study of the object both hazardous and difficult. Theories about the origin and purpose of the Spindle range from a failed attempt to create a Tipler time machine to a beacon signalling some distant portion of the universe to a gateway into some hypothetical other continuum.

Todd Drashner

spiral arm

In spiral galaxies, a long spiral pattern of bright stars (including O and B stars), interstellar matter, open clusters, and nebulae; extending from the center to the galactic disk. In our Milky Way galaxy, the spiral arms are the Norma, Scutum-Crux, Sagittarius Orion-Cygnus (or Local), Perseus, and Outer Arms.

spiral galaxy

A disk-shaped galaxy with a spiral pattern of arms, typically containing 10¹⁰ to 10¹² M of stars, dust, and gas.

spiritualist phenomena

paranormal or religious phenomenon, such as clairvoyance, telepathy, automatism, hauntings, faith healing, possession, reincarnation, psychometry, mediumship, and stigmata, that cannot be reduced to or explained in terms of hallucination or fallacy, or picotech or femtotech devices. See also psychic phenomenon.

Splice

(1) a humanimal;
(2) a neospecies that incorporates the genomes of two or more species

Generic term for an animal-human hybrid; specifically, an animal given enough human genome to raise it to the level of basic sophonce, but kept as a servant or plaything for the faddish, the idle rich, and the socially incompetent.
Almost all splice genotypes date originally from the late information and early and middle interplanetary period. Since that time, splicing of animals for subservience to humans has been frowned upon, although it is still believed to occur widely, especially outside the Nexus, and to a lesser extent in the parts of the NoCoZo and some of the other free zones. Since the early consolidation period provolving has replaced splicing as the preferred augmentation of the animal kingdom, while the many splice clades themselves have established, or more often been provided with, their own polities, worlds and habitats, mostly in the Utopia Sphere.

definition 1 from Paul Di Filippo - text by M.Alan Kazlev

Splicegeneer

designs new splice types (speciality subtype of gengineer)

Donna Hirsekorn and M.Alan Kazlev

Splice and Provolve Universalist Church

Major religion derived from the Universal Church

The Splice and Provolve Universalist Church split from the Universalist Church in 3994, in the system of Ahag and its 11 neighboring systems (which also contain notable amounts of provolves). Heavily influencing the Splice and Provolve Universalist Church are both Interplanetary Age Catholicism and Buddhism. The 12 Primuses of the Splice and Provolve Universalist Church are located on the 12 founding systems, and once every 12 years for 12 weeks they meet in the Council of Popes, where they make official church decisions. They can also call an emergency meeting, but this has rarely happened and they do not have very much to decide, even in the Council of Primuses, because most decisions are made by the cardinals and bishops.

D. David Barbeau

Sports science

Regimen intended to enhance the biont body's cardiovascular and respiratory systems, prevent injuries, and enhance physical health and athletic performance, either with or without the use of customised bionano, specialised biomechanic applications, phenotypic tweaking, and subtle bioborg augmentations.

Spox

hyperratiocintative neogen clade, created by the Typers of Gilbert

Following the disbanding of the Institute of Baseline Psychotypology at Junna, the Typers, being unable to adapt to the larger galaxy, were given haven at Gilbert, a run down orbital around the planet Hansin (YTS 2193 098 170 - I) by a friendly monastic AI (known simply as "The Brother"). The Brother was quite intrigued by the Typers skills and asked them to create some neogens - each corresponding to one of the four neojungian typologies - who could renovate the run down orbital, and care for it when e embarked on a pilgrimage to the important Sophic Centers. The only neogens to be successful in the long term in this environment were the Spox, who were based in part on the Pozer's "spockbot" template (which had by now become public domain).

All in all two dozen Spox were made, in physiology not unlike the phenotypic template of early first federation neotrekkist mythology.

For some two thousand years the race of Spox cared for and renovated Gilbert Orbital (renaming it "New Vulcan"), discussed psychology with the Typers, and philosophy and metaphysics with The Brother.

In 7902, The Brother announced eir decision to Transcend to Second Singularity "having explored and exhausted all the meditative possibilities of the First Toposophic" and handed over ownership of New Vulcan to the Spox.

In the centuries immediately following, the Spox built New Vulcan into a small but thriving center of analytical philosophy. It has also become a pilgrimage center for The Terran Federation Orthodox Church of Trek. (The Spox find such adoration "illogical"). Possibly inspired by a message received by the Transcended Brother (although this is controversial) the Spox also began increasing their numbers and have been sending representatives throughout the Nexus. There they are bemused by the "highly illogical" activities of other clades, especially the Empaths, although they find the approach of the bureaucrats of Gegton to be "Highly Logical and hence very efficient"

While in no way an important clade on the galactic scene, and seriously hampered by their one-sided reliance on intellect to the exclusion of emotion, the Spox, with their distinctive nearbaseline physiognomy, widow's peak, and pointed ears, are a familiar site in some parts of the galaxy.

M.Alan Kazlev

Sprawl

When planetary cities grow in an unsystematic and unplanned manner beyond normal boundaries, due to increases in population and industry, so that their suburbs merge into the suburbs of neighbouring cities, the result is a vast extended metropolis called a Sprawl. Sprawls are common on many of the less regulated high population older terraformed planets, and even on moons and planets without a breathable atmosphere or life-supporting environment, such as Luna and Titan in the Sol System. Often, but not always, living conditions are substandard. The planetside equivalent of a "swarm"

M.Alan Kazlev

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