Glossary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Cytoplasm | Cytoplasm is the gel-like substance, primarily water, salts, and proteins, filling cells between the membrane and nucleus. It suspends organelles, acts as the site for metabolic processes (e.g., glycolysis), supports cell structure via the cytoskeleton, and facilitates intracellular transport. Vaccines |
| Darwinism | Often used interchangeably with evolution, it refers to the specific views of British naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882) regarding the mechanisms of evolution, specifically concepts such as descent with modification, natural selection, and sexual selection. Evolution |
| Data | (Scientific data) any type of real-world fact or information related to a question scientists are investigating. (Note that the word "data" is the plural form). Science General |
| Data Void | Data voids are search queries or topics that return little to no reliable, authoritative content, creating vulnerabilities that manipulators exploit to spread misinformation. Science Misinformation |
| Database | An organized set of data that is usually stored on a computer. Science General |
| Debunking | Correcting a false claim after people have encountered it. Most effective when it leads with the fact, warns about the myth, explains the fallacy, then repeats the fact. Antiscience |
| Deduction | A form of inference, drawing a certain, specific conclusion from known premises or rules. Science General |
| Deep learning | Deep learning is part of machine learning - a "deep" part, in that the computers can do even more autonomously, with less help from humans. The massive dataset that the computer is trained on is used to form a deep learning neural network: a complex, many-layered, weighted algorithm modeled after the human brain. Artificial Intelligence |
| Deepfake | Realistic synthetic image, video or audio produced with AI that depicts someone saying or doing something they never did. Science Misinformation |
| Deference to Authority | A social behavior dynamic where individuals accept or reject scientific claims based entirely on the directives or beliefs of an influential tribal leader rather than evaluating the data. Antiscience |