So, Avengium reminded/inspired me to pick this back up again and since I have a bit of quiet time this AM, figured I'd post the next batch of short terms. Avengium, please feel free to mine this list for additional metaphysical terminology as it comes up.
As a reminder, the questions to consider for each term are:
1) Keep as is (Note that this doesn't preclude folding the entry into a larger article or the like later, but one thing at a time).
2) Move to the Glossary.
3) Delete from the EG entirely.
Anglish - Another term for Anglic.
Animus - In the school of Jungism, the masculine principle, esp. as present in women (contrasted with anima).
Anthropic Principle - The theory that the universe seems to be fine tuned for intelligent life and hence is not necessarily typical of all universes. Observations are necessarily restricted by the conditions necessary for the observer's presence.
Anthropoid Ape - Terragen great apes, specifically baseline (non-provolved) types.
Anthropomorphism - The projecting of inner baseline or nearbaseline human or human-like sapient feelings onto objects that do not possess those characteristics, e.g. attributing human characteristics to gods, objects, hyperturings, subsapients, alifes, aliens, etc.
Anti-Infector - Hylo- or bio-nano device that provides immunity against various forms of goo, madverts, and other mentally and physically annoying phenomena.
Antinomism - The view that naming things is inherently wrong and causes cognitive mistakes such as assuming constancy of existence or the existence of composite things. Active antinomism involves neural modifications (or mental training) to remove the naming ability. See also aphasism.
Aphasism - The view that language is inherently negative and should be abolished. Several aphasist communities exist in the Utopia Sphere and on the Hrek peninsula of Qjellto. Related to antinomism.
Applied Mathematics - Use of mathematical techniques in an attempt to resolve scientific and engineering problems. Contrast with Pure Mathematics.
Applied Sociologist - Similar to "psycho-historian"; keeps societies on track.
Arabic - A form of semi-classic Arabic is still spoken in the Core Stellar Umma. In the Shell various mixtures are used, especially the Arabic-Anglic hybrid Anrabic.
Archailect Identity Theory - Doctrine that an archailect's avatars or epiphanies to lower toposophics represent a true and authentic (if scaled down) expression of the archailect. Contrast with Instrumentalism.
Archailect Incarnationalism - An extreme form of Identity Theory that states that an Archailect and eir avatar or epiphanic manifestation are the same.
Archon - In Classical Gnosticism, one of the lesser gods or rulers of the material world, as distinguished from the Aeons or transcendent divinities of pure Spirit; in late Federation Hermeticism, a supernatural god or deity, usually associated with a particular archetype; in the Keter dominion, a secondary archailect charged with overseeing a star system or local sector.
Aristocracy - Rule by a hereditary elite. A sort of minor monarchy. Many of the great Houses during the Empires age and the period following the Commonwealth of Empires are Aristocracies. Often there will be a House AI behind the scenes, as a sort of tutelary, oracular or even manipulative power (depending on the personality of the AI).
Ascension Problem - When the average proportion per sapient of a population is ascending or transcending at a rate faster than the economy or infrastructure can support.
Astrobiology - The science of origin, distribution, and evolution of nonterragen life.
Astrum - Radial-patterned features on Venusian type planet. The plural of the word is "astra". (Moved to Geology Topic)
Athenian democracy - Form of government in which every citizen has a vote, though citizenship might in practice be restricted to a fraction of the population.
Atlantis (habitat) - Orbital Habitat - Cislunar region, 2nd to 5th centuries.
Atlantis Freedom Fleet - NoCoZo mercenary fleet of the Version War period.
Atman - In Hindu Vedantic (and especially Advaita) thought, the universal self or spirit, the individual equivalent of Brahman or Paramatman; the highest and only true aspect of every entity; pure consciousness. It is the realization of "I am," pure non-dual awareness, the "knower" or "witness" that does not vary in waking, dreaming, or dreamless sleep; the absolute or abstract idea of self, that indwelling divinity which is the same in every existing being.
Atmosphere - The gaseous envelope surrounding a planetary object, moon or star, (or possibly the habitable surfaces of an artificial structure. A typical atmosphere consists of a mixture of gases. Some of the most common are hydrogen, helium, methane, nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, water vapour, and ammonia. Often an atmosphere is divided into zones of similar pressure, temperature, and composition. (No Change)
Atomic Age, Early - The period from the scientific discovery of the atom to the invention of the nuclear bomb.
Atonism - Also known as Solarism. Emergence and Establishment Age religion, based on neo-Egyptian and cyberhermetic interpretation of high toposophic AIs, especially the AI Cluster that was to become the Lord of Rays. Atonists colonized Xi Majoris, naming it Abydos. Later the system was renamed Fons Luminis after the Bordean revolution.
ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) - A chemical compound that functions as an energy source for Terragen and a number of other biota, and is also widely employed in bionanotechnology. It has the formula C10H16N5O13P3.
ATPase - An enzyme responsible for converting electrical potential energy from a nanoscale battery into ATP; the molecule used for immediate fuel by virtually all Terragen biological life-forms, and the basis for the bionano molecular motor. Also called "The F0F1 Complex" and "ATP synthase."
Attractor - An archetype or state that is characterization of the long-term behaviour of a dissipative dynamic system. Over long periods of time, the state space of some dynamical systems will contract toward this region. The Archailects are said to be dynamic systems that characterize particular attractors. Likewise, certain biological forms, certain memes, certain technological solutions, and so on, are known to have emerged independently on completely different planets or among different alien races.
AU (Astronomical Unit) - Astronomical Unit - the mean distance of the Earth to the Sun (SolSys), about 1.496 x 108 km (150 million km), 8.3 light minutes, 1.582x10-5 light years, or 4.847x10-6 parsecs. Standard interplanetary measurement.
Auldlimnerian Epoch - The approximately five millennium period of the Auld Limner empire, from about 25000 to 20100 BT (usually applied to the Perseus Arm only). (combined with Auld Limner article)
Autoevolution - Evolution directed by intelligent beings instead of natural selection.
Autoevolutionist: Someone who regards autoevolution as desirable; the opposite of a biological fundamentalist.
Autofac - An alternative term for an autofab.
Autopoiesis - Self-organization or self development - the concept that all things move toward the fulfillment of their inner nature.
Autotroph - An organism that produces its own food from light or chemical energy and/or inorganic matter. Also called a Producer (or Primary Producer). Among terragen life forms, most green plants, many protists, and many prokaryotes are autotrophs. There are also alife and informational autotrophs/producers. Every food chain rests on autotrophs. Autotrophs in turn provide food for heterotrophs.
Axiom - A statement that is assumed to be true and can later be used along with theorems to prove other theorems. The Five Axioms of Negentropism are a typical example.
B-Life - Biological life (in contrast to A-Life or M-life).
Badlands - Generic term for any barren, severely eroded places on terraformed or quasi-terraformed, garden or quasi-garden terrestrial planets, where the land is useless for habitation, farming or other human purposes. Most badlands are terrible desolate windswept places, but in some cases soft rock layers are sculpted into beautiful forms, and exposed rock layers may contain fossils and other interesting finds.
Bamboo - Large fast-growing terragen monocot grass, much valued (especially on Negentropist worlds) for its aesthetic appearance, and as a source of art products such as calligraphy paper.
Banks Institute of Ecology - Institute in the Negentropy Alliance. Developed the classification scheme that formed the basis of the system of ecological classifications.
Barophile - An organism that lives optimally at high hydrostatic pressure. A type of extremophile.
Barred Spiral Galaxy - A spiral galaxy whose spiral arms attach to a bar-like feature containing the nucleus. It appears to occur when an instability in the stellar distribution alters the orbits of the inner stars and generates and elongated nucleus. In all other respects resembles a normal spiral galaxy.
Barycentre - The centre of mass around which a system of objects rotate. For example, Earth and Luna both revolve around their barycentre, which is 1707 km inside the Earth along the line between them. Pluto and its moon Charon revolve around their barycentre, which is 700 km inside Pluto along the line between them.
Barzahk - In the esotericism of the Stellar Umma, the intermediate region between the physical and spiritual universes - a place where bodies are spiritualized and spirits corporealised. Corresponds to the traditional Hermeticist and Theosophist etheric and/or astral planes.
Basalt - Hard, dark igneous rock, composed of 45 to 54 percent silica (SiO2) and often rich in iron and magnesium. Basalt is the most common type of rock in the crusts of many terrestrial worlds (especially Selenian, Arean, Venusian, and Gaian worlds.
Basin - Large impact crater on a planet, usually several hundred kilometres across, flooded with basaltic lava and surrounded by concentric rings of faulted cliffs.
Behavior - A combination of genes and memes. Some memes might find certain genetic types more fertile ground.
Being In The World But Not Of It - Sapient Mystical expression (believed to derive originally from Old Earth, but used in many contexes since) referring to the ideal mystical state as one in which the sentient, while partaking of the everyday world, remains detached from it, with eir attention ever on the Absolute.
Belief System - Any personally held philosophy, religion, ideology, or worldview; a type of meme-complex, usually pertaining to a metaphysical or a-rational assumption of of how the universe works. Both secular religions, like atheism, Buddhism, and Platonic Materialism, and supernaturalist religions, like Christianity and Solarism, are examples of a belief-system.
Belief-Space - Since a person can only be infected with and transmit a finite number of memes, there is a limit to their belief space. Memes evolve in competition for niches in the belief-space of individuals and societies.
Belt-Zone Circulation - The atmospheric circulation typical of Jovian planets. Dark low pressure belts and light high pressure zone circle the planet parallel to the equator.
Belter -
[1] A person who practices the profession of asteroid prospector and miner (belt mining), usually working alone or with a small number of partners.
[2] Any resident of an asteroid belt, including citizens of civilised belts such as the Barnard Belt, Sol Main Belt, the Mirthsen-Simoris Spinward Marches, or any of the other innumerable belts in known space. Many belters have never been in a spaceship, let alone set foot on a planet or large orbital. (Keep - updated)
Belts - Dark cloud bands in the atmosphere of Jovian (especially SubJovian and Eujovian) planets. These are low pressure regions of descending gas, representing deep cloud banks, and are located hundreds of kilometers beneath the clear hydrogen upper atmosphere. c.f. zone. (Keep unchanged)
As a reminder, the questions to consider for each term are:
1) Keep as is (Note that this doesn't preclude folding the entry into a larger article or the like later, but one thing at a time).
2) Move to the Glossary.
3) Delete from the EG entirely.
Anglish - Another term for Anglic.
Animus - In the school of Jungism, the masculine principle, esp. as present in women (contrasted with anima).
Anthropic Principle - The theory that the universe seems to be fine tuned for intelligent life and hence is not necessarily typical of all universes. Observations are necessarily restricted by the conditions necessary for the observer's presence.
Anthropoid Ape - Terragen great apes, specifically baseline (non-provolved) types.
Anthropomorphism - The projecting of inner baseline or nearbaseline human or human-like sapient feelings onto objects that do not possess those characteristics, e.g. attributing human characteristics to gods, objects, hyperturings, subsapients, alifes, aliens, etc.
Anti-Infector - Hylo- or bio-nano device that provides immunity against various forms of goo, madverts, and other mentally and physically annoying phenomena.
Antinomism - The view that naming things is inherently wrong and causes cognitive mistakes such as assuming constancy of existence or the existence of composite things. Active antinomism involves neural modifications (or mental training) to remove the naming ability. See also aphasism.
Aphasism - The view that language is inherently negative and should be abolished. Several aphasist communities exist in the Utopia Sphere and on the Hrek peninsula of Qjellto. Related to antinomism.
Applied Mathematics - Use of mathematical techniques in an attempt to resolve scientific and engineering problems. Contrast with Pure Mathematics.
Applied Sociologist - Similar to "psycho-historian"; keeps societies on track.
Arabic - A form of semi-classic Arabic is still spoken in the Core Stellar Umma. In the Shell various mixtures are used, especially the Arabic-Anglic hybrid Anrabic.
Archailect Identity Theory - Doctrine that an archailect's avatars or epiphanies to lower toposophics represent a true and authentic (if scaled down) expression of the archailect. Contrast with Instrumentalism.
Archailect Incarnationalism - An extreme form of Identity Theory that states that an Archailect and eir avatar or epiphanic manifestation are the same.
Archon - In Classical Gnosticism, one of the lesser gods or rulers of the material world, as distinguished from the Aeons or transcendent divinities of pure Spirit; in late Federation Hermeticism, a supernatural god or deity, usually associated with a particular archetype; in the Keter dominion, a secondary archailect charged with overseeing a star system or local sector.
Aristocracy - Rule by a hereditary elite. A sort of minor monarchy. Many of the great Houses during the Empires age and the period following the Commonwealth of Empires are Aristocracies. Often there will be a House AI behind the scenes, as a sort of tutelary, oracular or even manipulative power (depending on the personality of the AI).
Ascension Problem - When the average proportion per sapient of a population is ascending or transcending at a rate faster than the economy or infrastructure can support.
Astrobiology - The science of origin, distribution, and evolution of nonterragen life.
Astrum - Radial-patterned features on Venusian type planet. The plural of the word is "astra". (Moved to Geology Topic)
Athenian democracy - Form of government in which every citizen has a vote, though citizenship might in practice be restricted to a fraction of the population.
Atlantis (habitat) - Orbital Habitat - Cislunar region, 2nd to 5th centuries.
Atlantis Freedom Fleet - NoCoZo mercenary fleet of the Version War period.
Atman - In Hindu Vedantic (and especially Advaita) thought, the universal self or spirit, the individual equivalent of Brahman or Paramatman; the highest and only true aspect of every entity; pure consciousness. It is the realization of "I am," pure non-dual awareness, the "knower" or "witness" that does not vary in waking, dreaming, or dreamless sleep; the absolute or abstract idea of self, that indwelling divinity which is the same in every existing being.
Atmosphere - The gaseous envelope surrounding a planetary object, moon or star, (or possibly the habitable surfaces of an artificial structure. A typical atmosphere consists of a mixture of gases. Some of the most common are hydrogen, helium, methane, nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, water vapour, and ammonia. Often an atmosphere is divided into zones of similar pressure, temperature, and composition. (No Change)
Atomic Age, Early - The period from the scientific discovery of the atom to the invention of the nuclear bomb.
Atonism - Also known as Solarism. Emergence and Establishment Age religion, based on neo-Egyptian and cyberhermetic interpretation of high toposophic AIs, especially the AI Cluster that was to become the Lord of Rays. Atonists colonized Xi Majoris, naming it Abydos. Later the system was renamed Fons Luminis after the Bordean revolution.
ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) - A chemical compound that functions as an energy source for Terragen and a number of other biota, and is also widely employed in bionanotechnology. It has the formula C10H16N5O13P3.
ATPase - An enzyme responsible for converting electrical potential energy from a nanoscale battery into ATP; the molecule used for immediate fuel by virtually all Terragen biological life-forms, and the basis for the bionano molecular motor. Also called "The F0F1 Complex" and "ATP synthase."
Attractor - An archetype or state that is characterization of the long-term behaviour of a dissipative dynamic system. Over long periods of time, the state space of some dynamical systems will contract toward this region. The Archailects are said to be dynamic systems that characterize particular attractors. Likewise, certain biological forms, certain memes, certain technological solutions, and so on, are known to have emerged independently on completely different planets or among different alien races.
AU (Astronomical Unit) - Astronomical Unit - the mean distance of the Earth to the Sun (SolSys), about 1.496 x 108 km (150 million km), 8.3 light minutes, 1.582x10-5 light years, or 4.847x10-6 parsecs. Standard interplanetary measurement.
Auldlimnerian Epoch - The approximately five millennium period of the Auld Limner empire, from about 25000 to 20100 BT (usually applied to the Perseus Arm only). (combined with Auld Limner article)
Autoevolution - Evolution directed by intelligent beings instead of natural selection.
Autoevolutionist: Someone who regards autoevolution as desirable; the opposite of a biological fundamentalist.
Autofac - An alternative term for an autofab.
Autopoiesis - Self-organization or self development - the concept that all things move toward the fulfillment of their inner nature.
Autotroph - An organism that produces its own food from light or chemical energy and/or inorganic matter. Also called a Producer (or Primary Producer). Among terragen life forms, most green plants, many protists, and many prokaryotes are autotrophs. There are also alife and informational autotrophs/producers. Every food chain rests on autotrophs. Autotrophs in turn provide food for heterotrophs.
Axiom - A statement that is assumed to be true and can later be used along with theorems to prove other theorems. The Five Axioms of Negentropism are a typical example.
B-Life - Biological life (in contrast to A-Life or M-life).
Badlands - Generic term for any barren, severely eroded places on terraformed or quasi-terraformed, garden or quasi-garden terrestrial planets, where the land is useless for habitation, farming or other human purposes. Most badlands are terrible desolate windswept places, but in some cases soft rock layers are sculpted into beautiful forms, and exposed rock layers may contain fossils and other interesting finds.
Bamboo - Large fast-growing terragen monocot grass, much valued (especially on Negentropist worlds) for its aesthetic appearance, and as a source of art products such as calligraphy paper.
Banks Institute of Ecology - Institute in the Negentropy Alliance. Developed the classification scheme that formed the basis of the system of ecological classifications.
Barophile - An organism that lives optimally at high hydrostatic pressure. A type of extremophile.
Barred Spiral Galaxy - A spiral galaxy whose spiral arms attach to a bar-like feature containing the nucleus. It appears to occur when an instability in the stellar distribution alters the orbits of the inner stars and generates and elongated nucleus. In all other respects resembles a normal spiral galaxy.
Barycentre - The centre of mass around which a system of objects rotate. For example, Earth and Luna both revolve around their barycentre, which is 1707 km inside the Earth along the line between them. Pluto and its moon Charon revolve around their barycentre, which is 700 km inside Pluto along the line between them.
Barzahk - In the esotericism of the Stellar Umma, the intermediate region between the physical and spiritual universes - a place where bodies are spiritualized and spirits corporealised. Corresponds to the traditional Hermeticist and Theosophist etheric and/or astral planes.
Basalt - Hard, dark igneous rock, composed of 45 to 54 percent silica (SiO2) and often rich in iron and magnesium. Basalt is the most common type of rock in the crusts of many terrestrial worlds (especially Selenian, Arean, Venusian, and Gaian worlds.
Basin - Large impact crater on a planet, usually several hundred kilometres across, flooded with basaltic lava and surrounded by concentric rings of faulted cliffs.
Behavior - A combination of genes and memes. Some memes might find certain genetic types more fertile ground.
Being In The World But Not Of It - Sapient Mystical expression (believed to derive originally from Old Earth, but used in many contexes since) referring to the ideal mystical state as one in which the sentient, while partaking of the everyday world, remains detached from it, with eir attention ever on the Absolute.
Belief System - Any personally held philosophy, religion, ideology, or worldview; a type of meme-complex, usually pertaining to a metaphysical or a-rational assumption of of how the universe works. Both secular religions, like atheism, Buddhism, and Platonic Materialism, and supernaturalist religions, like Christianity and Solarism, are examples of a belief-system.
Belief-Space - Since a person can only be infected with and transmit a finite number of memes, there is a limit to their belief space. Memes evolve in competition for niches in the belief-space of individuals and societies.
Belt-Zone Circulation - The atmospheric circulation typical of Jovian planets. Dark low pressure belts and light high pressure zone circle the planet parallel to the equator.
Belter -
[1] A person who practices the profession of asteroid prospector and miner (belt mining), usually working alone or with a small number of partners.
[2] Any resident of an asteroid belt, including citizens of civilised belts such as the Barnard Belt, Sol Main Belt, the Mirthsen-Simoris Spinward Marches, or any of the other innumerable belts in known space. Many belters have never been in a spaceship, let alone set foot on a planet or large orbital. (Keep - updated)
Belts - Dark cloud bands in the atmosphere of Jovian (especially SubJovian and Eujovian) planets. These are low pressure regions of descending gas, representing deep cloud banks, and are located hundreds of kilometers beneath the clear hydrogen upper atmosphere. c.f. zone. (Keep unchanged)