Scientists Say
A weekly word defined, in a sentence and in context. Click here to find the alphabetized list.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Proton
These positively charged particles are important building blocks in atoms.
- Planets
Scientists Say: Habitable Zone
The habitable zone is the region around a star where temperatures could be right for worlds to host liquid water.
- Computing
Scientists Say: Supercomputer
These ultrafast computers perform complex calculations for research on cancer, quantum physics and more.
- Tech
Scientists Say: Virtual reality
Virtual reality is an immersive, 3-D artificial environment created by a computer.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Fault
A fault is a crack in Earth’s crust where pieces of rock scrape past each other.
- Archaeology
Scientists Say: Denisovan
The Denisovans were a recently discovered population of ancient hominids.
- Physics
Scientists Say: Inertia
Inertia is the tendency of objects to resist changes in their motion.
- Materials Science
Scientists Say: Silicone
Silicone is a generic term for a whole slew of humanmade polymers with many different forms and applications.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Primate
Primates are mammals that tend to have big brains, forward-facing vision, fingernails and flexible hands and feet.
- Brain
Scientists Say: Stereoscopy
Stereoscopy allows the brain to perceive the two 2-D images seen by the eyes as a 3-D scene.
- Math
Scientists Say: Variable
A variable is something that can be changed — such as a value in math, or a factor in an experiment.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Atmosphere
An atmosphere is an envelope of gas around a planet, dwarf planet or moon.
