Dictionary of Terms

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The Meaning of Terms used in this Philosophy Discussion

• Actualized- changed from potential to actual, to become real.
• Antimatter- A hypothetical form of matter that is identical to physical matter except that its atoms are composed of antielectrons, antiprotons, and antineutrons, purely theoretical.
• Apparency- the property of being apparent.
• Atom- a. A unit of matter, the smallest unit of an element, having all the characteristics of that element and consisting of a dense, central, positively charged nucleus surrounded by a system of electrons. The entire structure has an approximate diameter of 10-8 centimeter and characteristically remains undivided in chemical reactions except for limited removal, transfer, or exchange of certain electrons.
• Big Bang Theory- According to the Big Bang theory, the universe originated in an infinitely dense and physically paradoxical singularity. Space has expanded with the passage of time, objects being moved farther away from each other.
• Big Bang Bounce Theory- According to this theory the universe rebounds through one after another Big Bang, decaying and returning to a point (singularity) periodically to begin again.
• Brain- The physical conception of the mind in humans and other creatures.
• Celestial- Of or relating to the sky or heavens.
• Chaos- The disordered state of unformed matter and infinite space supposed in some cosmogonic views to have existed before the ordered universe.
• Concept- A general idea derived or inferred from specific instances or occurrences. Something formed in the mind; a thought or notion.
• Cosmos- The universe regarded as an orderly, harmonious whole.
• Creation- The divine act by which, according to various religious and philosophical traditions, the world was brought into existence. Creation can also be considered to be non-divine or natural, and may or may not have required a conscious effort.
• Cyclotron- A device, such as a cyclotron or linear accelerator, that accelerates charged subatomic particles or nuclei to high energies. Also called atom smasher.
• Ethereal- Characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; intangible.
• Evolution- A gradual process in which something changes into a different and usually more complex or better form.
• Existence- The fact or state of existing; being.
• Figment- Anything that appears to contain substance but does not.
• Figmentalism- The practice of living in a world that has no material substance but still appears to.(not in dictionary- a coined term)
• Figmentalist- One who considers everything to be collectively imaginary.(not in dictionary- a coined term)
• Happenstance- an event that seems to have been arranged although it was really accidental, anything that happens by chance without an apparent cause.
• Idealism- (subjective idealism) In philosophy, the theory that states that the external world is fundamentally immaterial and a dimension of the mind. Objects in the world exist but, according to this theory, they lack substance. In essence the same as Figmentalism. Idealism: Idealism is the philosophical view that the mind or spirit constitutes the fundamental reality. It has taken several distinct but related forms. Objective idealism accepts common sense realism (the view that material objects exist) but rejects naturalism (according to which the mind and spiritual values have emerged from material things), whereas subjective idealism denies that material objects exist independently of human perception and thus stands opposed to both realism and naturalism.
• Imaginary- A product of thought process.
• Imagination- The power of the mind to create.
• Insentient- devoid of feeling and consciousness and animation; "insentient (or insensate) stone".
• Mass- Abbr. m Physics A property of matter equal to the measure of an object’s resistance to changes in either the speed or direction of its motion. The mass of an object is not dependent on gravity and therefore is different from but proportional to its weight.
• Matter- b. Physics Something that has mass and exists as a solid, liquid, gas, or plasma.
• Metrication- To give form and dimension, to cause something to be or to appear to be. (Not in dictionary as such)
• Mind- The human consciousness that originates in the brain and is manifested especially in thought, perception, emotion, will, memory, and imagination.
• Molecule- The smallest particle of a substance that retains the chemical and physical properties of the substance and is composed of two or more atoms; a group of like or different atoms held together by chemical forces.
• Moon Rotation- We always see the same side of the moon. So, it would seem that the moon does not rotate (spin on its axis), right? A surprising number of people are very insistent that the moon does not rotate. A person standing in one spot on the moon would see the earth in the same part of the sky directly overhead, unmoving. But, he/she would see the sun appear to move around the sky in about 29 earth days. The person would correctly deduce that the moon has a solar day of about 29 earth days. This person would also see that the stars appear to move around the sky in about 27 earth days. Again, the person would correctly deduce that the moon spins on its axis once in about 27 earth days. The moon definitely rotates. It just doesn’t look like it, from where we stand. The moon rotates at a constant rate. But, it’s distance from earth, and speed in its orbit, varies quite a bit. This means that we can see a little ways around the edge of the moon. So, over a period of time, we can see slightly more than 50% of the moon, from earth.
• Nonexistence- the state of not existing.
• Non-Space- or nonspace is the theoretical area in which the Universe and the space it occupies, resides. Nonspace is the theoretical term for the areas beyond known space. (not in dictionary, a coined term)
• Oscillatory Universe- is a theory that states that the universe will expand to a certain point, then retract to the point of the big bang. It would then repeat the process throughout eternity.
• Paradox- A seemingly contradictory statement that may nonetheless be true.
• Psychometric- Used here to describe the act of creation through psychic means. (not in dictionary in this use, a coined term)
• Psychometrically project- Used to describe the ability to project reality from the brain/psyche/being. (not in dictionary, a coined phrase)
• Realism- Realism is any philosophical theory that emphasizes the existence of some kind of things or objects, in contrast to theories that dispense with the things in question in favor of words, ideas, or logical constructions. In particular, the term stands for the theory that there is a reality quite independent of the mind. In this sense, realism is opposed to idealism, the theory that only minds and their contents exist.
• Self-realized- To have given creation to one’s self. (not in dictionary as such)
• Sentient- endowed with feeling and unstructured consciousness.
• Sociology- The study of human social behavior, especially the study of the origins, organization, institutions, and development of human society.
• String Theory- (Physics) A mathematical theory for describing the properties of fundamental particles, which represents the particles as one-dimensional string-like objects, which exist in the normal four dimensions of space-time plus additional dimensions, the total dimensions being ten, eleven, or twenty-six depending on the version of the theory. The properties of fundamental particles in string theory and their manner of interaction with each other depend upon the modes of vibration of the strings. The attractiveness of this theory rests in part on its ability to provide a unified treatment of gravity as well as the three other basic forces of nature, in a manner consistent with quantum mechanics. The great difficulty of doing the calculations required by the theory, however, has thus far (1999) made it impossible to calculate the observable properties, such as the mass, of known particles, such as the electron, proton, mesons, quarks, and neutron; thus there is as yet no experimental verification for the theory. The most popular version of the theory depends on a mathematical property called supersymmetery, and the theory derived form this principle is properly called superstring theory, a term which is often used interchangeably with string theory.
• Supersymmetry- A grand unified field theory that attempts to unify the fundamental forces by postulating a symmetry relating the known fermions to hypothetical bosons and the know bosons to hypothetical fermions. (sometimes spelled supersymmetery)
• Tangible- Discernible by the touch; palpable.
• Theology- The study of the nature of God and religious truth; rational inquiry into religious questions.
• Theory- A set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena.
• Universe- All matter and energy, including the earth, the galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space, regarded as a whole.
• Vaporeal- as if made of vapor, without substance, imaginary.

Namron Soar

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