# Terms from science/math that have become popular because they sound cool **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 29, 2010, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-from-science-math-that-have-become-popular-because-they-sound-cool/541227 "2010-05-29T21:36:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2010, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-from-science-math-that-have-become-popular-because-they-sound-cool/541227/1 "2010-05-29T21:36:10Z")
I think it would be neat to compile a list of words and phrases like “terminal velocity” and “quantum leap” that have specific scientific meanings, but have entered the popular lexicon just because they sound cool. Of course, the colloquial usage may or may not be faithful to its meaning in a scientific context, such as with quantum leap. What other terms can you think of? ---
**Author:** ![Picard\_Kills\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@Picard\_Kills\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Picard_Kills_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-from-science-math-that-have-become-popular-because-they-sound-cool/541227/2 "2010-05-29T21:46:24Z")
Critical Mass - [A biking event.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Mass) ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2010, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-from-science-math-that-have-become-popular-because-they-sound-cool/541227/3 "2010-05-29T21:57:11Z")
The Matrix. “A table of numbers”, something that surrounds and binds smaller objects… but also a movie. ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-from-science-math-that-have-become-popular-because-they-sound-cool/541227/4 "2010-05-29T22:01:07Z")
Event horizon, singularity. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-from-science-math-that-have-become-popular-because-they-sound-cool/541227/5 "2010-05-29T22:05:27Z")
I woulda said _Quantum Leap_, since that’s the one that bugs me, but it’s already in the OP \*\*Chaos (theory) Fractal Asymptotic Laser precision\*\* ---
**Author:** ![may\_be\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c5a1d2/32.png) [@may\_be\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/may_be_ignorant)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-from-science-math-that-have-become-popular-because-they-sound-cool/541227/6 "2010-05-30T01:12:02Z")
You guys are wierd, I never hear anyone say anything like that :dubious: At least not out of the original context… ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-from-science-math-that-have-become-popular-because-they-sound-cool/541227/7 "2010-05-30T01:23:24Z")
It’s not a terribly popular word, but I always liked “Euclidean” I hear “axiom” from time to time used by non math/physics people…often times used incorrectly. ---
**Author:** ![put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/da6949/32.png) [@put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/put_down_the_sabre)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-from-science-math-that-have-become-popular-because-they-sound-cool/541227/8 "2010-05-30T01:27:05Z")
light year ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-from-science-math-that-have-become-popular-because-they-sound-cool/541227/9 "2010-05-30T02:23:06Z")
Homonym, but googol. ---
**Author:** ![Bravo\_Romeo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Bravo\_Romeo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bravo_Romeo)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-from-science-math-that-have-become-popular-because-they-sound-cool/541227/10 "2010-05-30T03:56:27Z")
What about ‘random’? “Oh my God, did you see what she was wearing it was totally random”. When a teenage girl first explained this to me she said “You know, it’s kind of like random numbers or whatever”. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-from-science-math-that-have-become-popular-because-they-sound-cool/541227/11 "2010-05-30T04:30:48Z")
Toxic radioactive permeable probability ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-from-science-math-that-have-become-popular-because-they-sound-cool/541227/12 "2010-05-30T04:44:49Z")
Paradigm shift ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-from-science-math-that-have-become-popular-because-they-sound-cool/541227/13 "2010-05-30T04:46:14Z")
> [@Todderbob](#): > > Event horizon, singularity. \*Beyond the blue event horizon The point of no return Goodbye to things that bore me Oblivion’s waiting for me I see a new event horizon I’m stretched like spaghetti Beyond the blue event horizon Singularity! Beyond the blue event horizon Full of night and not day Goodbye to things that bore me Oblivion’s waiting for me I see a new event horizon The black hole and I are one Beyond the blue event horizon In the collapsed sun Beyond the blue event horizon In the collapsed sun \* ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-from-science-math-that-have-become-popular-because-they-sound-cool/541227/14 "2010-05-30T06:22:18Z")
“going ballistic” – almost never used correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-from-science-math-that-have-become-popular-because-they-sound-cool/541227/15 "2010-05-30T06:23:53Z")
Not popular, but I like saying van der waals ---
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-from-science-math-that-have-become-popular-because-they-sound-cool/541227/16 "2010-05-30T06:26:02Z")
The old favourites - “quantum”, “energy”, “vibrations”. Actually I just typed “Quantum energy vibrations” into Google… fuck, that’s depressing. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-from-science-math-that-have-become-popular-because-they-sound-cool/541227/17 "2010-05-30T06:39:15Z")
theory variable cosmic exponential infinite dynamics ---
**Author:** ![Sofis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Sofis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofis)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-from-science-math-that-have-become-popular-because-they-sound-cool/541227/18 "2010-05-30T06:45:59Z")
Exponential(ly). Most of the time when it is used the statement is nonsensical. For example, “The sun is exponentially larger than the Earth!” No. The difference between any two given quantities is a constant. To say that it is exponential doesn’t mean _anything_. Sometimes the statement is merely wrong. For example, “Children grow at an exponential rate!” No. This could be true, because it is a statement about the relation between two values (size and time), but the growth rate of children is not actually proportional to how large they are. In fact, their growth rate slows down as they grow larger. An example of a (potentially) true statement would be “My debt is growing exponentially.” If you don’t pay the interest, this is indeed the case: if you double your debt, you double the rate at which it is growing. This is true for your savings account as well, however. If it doesn’t feel like it, that’s because you think “exponentially” means “lots”. It doesn’t mean lots. Things that grow exponentially can grow quite slowly (but give them enough time and they’ll speed up). ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-from-science-math-that-have-become-popular-because-they-sound-cool/541227/19 "2010-05-30T09:31:32Z")
Leading edge, no, they don’t know what a leading edge actually is. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-from-science-math-that-have-become-popular-because-they-sound-cool/541227/20 "2010-05-30T10:16:21Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I hear “axiom” from time to time used by non math/physics people…often times used incorrectly. According to the OED, use of the word “axiom” in a non-mathematical (and non-scientific) context can be dated back to 1485, and the first reference they find to mathematical axioms is in 1785. I suspect most of the “non math/physics people” you hear using the word are not using it incorrectly at all. > [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Paradigm shift “Paradigm shift” is not a scientific term. It comes from the history and philosophy of science, specifically, it was coined in T.S. Kuhn’s very influential book _The Structure of Scientific Revolutions_, where it is used to describe certain aspects of the historical development of the sciences. The expression is much misused, though, quite often (but by no means only) by scientists. > [@casdave](#): > > Leading edge, no, they don’t know what a leading edge actually is. Does it mean something different, to a scientist, from what it appears to mean, then? It looks like ordinary English to me, not really scientific jargon at all, although I don’t doubt that scientists use it. Of course, the most common everyday use of it is metaphorical.