|
|
|
|
|
|
W-Virginis StarsWhereas the classical d type
cepheids are fairly closely concentrated in the galactic plane, other
cepheids have been found at high galactic latitudes with considerable
velocity components perpendicular to the galactic plane, suggesting
they belong to population II. These are the W-Virginis
stars. Their light curves and periods - mostly about 18 days - are
similar to classical cepheids, but there are some differences as shown
in figures 1 and 2.
For a given period, the W-Virginis stars are about 1.5 to 2.0
magnitudes less than classical d cepheids. On
the average, W-Virginis stars are of an earlier spectral type, and
emission lines sometimes occur in their spectra.
Wachowski CivilizationPost- Diamond Belt megastructures, mostly Inner Sphere, Empires Era to Recent.
Named after the authors of an Old Earth fable about an ai that enslaved humans but was ultimately overthrown. Despite the name, the Wachowski civilization does not seem particularly interested in using bionts as remote processing nodes, considering wetware rather inefficient. However, they do not recognize sephirotic sentient rights either, and before signing the Tragadi Accords on several occasions converted biont colonies to computronium. In 9215 (the "Wachowski Ascension Event") the main matrioshka dyson (Wachowski Prime) was apparently subverted by Sephirotics. This resulted in many peripheral worlds cutting their ties with Wachowski Prime and establishing their own civilizations, some of which no longer abide by the Tragadi Accords.
Wachowski PrimeMatrioshka brain and original site of the Wachowski civilization.
Walking Mountain (Dinophytus sapiens) - Late Federation and Consolidation Age plant provolve.
Originally found only on the Utopia Sphere world Tanhauser. "Walking Mountains" are so called due to the their large size and tendency to travel short distances over a period of years. An individual is actually a community organism comprised of various plant species and their symbiotic insects. Typical representatives of this species are generally considered to be 0<S<1 toposophic with extremely slow cognition/computation cycles performed entirely through hormonal and pheromonal pattern manipulation. Unenhanced lifespan is believed to be 104 years and reproduction is rare and apparently accomplished sexually through cross pollination and airborne seed pods. Rumors that the Dinophytus sapiens provolve was originally performed by Ruby Marine are widely considered to be false as are rumors that the species is a result of a Genen proof of concept. WallaceUtopia Sphere dyson swarm, containing billions of vast habitats populated by sophont and subsophont/subsapient beings.
A similar nearby dyson is called Wilson. However, a larger number of habitats in Wallace are home to subsophont life. The ecologies and local environments of each habitat are carefully maintained at optimal conditions by utility fog and low grade / partial angelnetting. The habitats are very popular with biologists, animal psychologists, and ethnologists. The system is linked by a medium gauge wormhole for visitors, and there are also several godweb archailect-only links for the Utopia Sphere minds and their seraiph. WallooPegasus Prefecture - Solar Dominion. Partially terraformed world abandoned after Version War
more
War-lawyersSentients whose primary mode of effort is to use legal, moral, memetic, and/or sociological engineering against a target group to attempt a specific goal.
Differs from legal terrorists in that they have a single specific goal instead of a broad, vaguely-defined goal.
WarchiveNanotech weapons archive / assembler
wargames, archai warseedInterplanetary age proto-warchive developed by the The Cult of the Exsanguinated Giraffe.
Warwickism, Saint Warwick RebellionDuring the period 8956-9101, a number of remote worlds centred on the system Saint Warwick had become isolated from the rest of the Sophic League, decided they were the True League and began expanding aggressively with their updated Reformulation. The Rebellion was immediately attacked by Sophic missionaries/infowar infiltrators, and largely subverted within a few decades. Still, the doctrinal conflicts, the apparent problems with the ancient Reformulation, the somewhat unethical methods of the League and the violence that ensued when the Warwickian relativist fleet attacked several Sophic worlds caused an unease that still lingers.
Anders Sandberg
wavelengthThe distance between different peaks and troughs of a wave. In the electromagnetic spectrum, the shorter the wavelength, the higher the energy.
