Glossary
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Volcano | An opening in Earth's crust through which molten rock, gases, and ash erupt. Science General |
| Voltage | The difference in electric potential that drives current through a circuit, measured in volts. Science General |
| Volume | The amount of space an object or substance occupies. Science General |
| Wakefield, Andrew | A former British doctor whose fraudulent 1998 study claimed a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. The paper was retracted in 2010 and he was struck off the UK medical register. Vaccines |
| Waning Immunity | The gradual decline of protection after vaccination or infection. A fall in antibody levels does not necessarily mean an equal loss of protection. Vaccines |
| Water cycle | The continuous movement of water through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff. Science General |
| Water Fluoridation | Adjusting fluoride in public water supplies to a level that reduces tooth decay. A frequent target of misinformation about safety. Public Health |
| Water Vapor | The most abundant greenhouse gas, it is the water present in the atmosphere in gaseous form. Water vapor is an important part of the natural greenhouse effect. While humans are not significantly increasing its concentration through direct emissions, it contributes to the enhanced greenhouse effect because the warming influence of greenhouse gases leads to a positive water vapor feedback. Climate Change |
| Water vapor feedback | The process in which warming increases evaporation and the atmosphere holds more water vapor, itself a greenhouse gas, which causes further warming. It roughly doubles the warming from carbon dioxide alone. Climate Change |
| Watermarking | Embedding hidden signals in AI-generated content so that it can later be identified as machine-made. Artificial Intelligence |