Scientists Say
A weekly word defined, in a sentence and in context. Click here to find the alphabetized list.
- Ecosystems
Scientists Say: Transplant
Transplant means to move something from one place to another. A transplant can involve something as small as a cell or as large as a whole population.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Element
The number of neutrons and electrons can vary in atoms of the same element. The number of protons alone sets each of these substances apart.
- Math
Scientists Say: Quantitative and Qualitative
These two research approaches collect different forms of data. Both help scientists unlock secrets and build knowledge.
- Life
Scientists Say: Biodiversity
The coral reefs at Komodo, one of the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia, are among the most diverse ecosystems on Earth.
- Genetics
Scientists Say: Genome
This complete set of DNA carries all the basic “how-to” instructions an organism needs to grow, develop and live.
- Environment
Scientists Say: Steppe
Expansive, windswept grasslands offer ample grazing for roaming herd animals and more.
- Space
Scientists Say: Lagrange point
Between and around a two-body system — such as the Earth and sun — there are five points of prime celestial real estate.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Kleptopredation
It’s a hunter-eat-hunter world out there, and this feeding strategy gives some double-dipping predators a competitive edge.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Lipid
These oily, water-repelling molecules knit together, forming the membranes that sustain life.
- Physics
Scientists Say: Tauonium
No protons, neutrons or electrons. And yet, based on what scientists know about fundamental particles, this variety of atom just might exist.
- Tech
Scientists Say: Prototype
These rough draft models help engineers test how a concept translates from theory to reality.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Heat dome
Typically, weather enters an area, storms through, then leaves. Here's what happens when steamy summer air gets stalled.
