Glossary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Deforestation | Those practices or processes that result in the conversion of forested lands for non-forest uses. Deforestation contributes to increasing carbon dioxide concentrations for two reasons: 1) the burning or decomposition of the wood releases carbon dioxide; and 2) trees that once removed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in the process of photosynthesis are no longer present. Climate Change Denial |
| Demarcation Problem | The demarcation problem is a long-standing debate in the philosophy of science focused on distinguishing science from non-science, pseudoscience, and other belief systems. It seeks to define the criteria used to identify what is truly "scientific," which has significant implications for education, public policy, and research funding. Antiscience |
| Denialism | The refusal to accept well-established scientific consensus or empirical evidence (e.g., climate change denial, evolution denial). Antiscience |
| Dependent Variable | The variable that responds to the independent variable. The dependent variable is the one being measured in the experiment. Science General |
| Desertification | Land degradation in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities. Further, the UNCCD (The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification) defines land degradation as a reduction or loss, in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas, of the biological or economic productivity and complexity of rain-fed cropland, irrigated cropland, or range, pasture, forest, and woodlands. Antiscience |
| Deterministic | Deterministic describes a system, process, or philosophy where the exact same inputs or prior conditions always produce the exact same outcome, with no role for chance or randomness. Artificial Intelligence |
| Detox | Products or regimens claiming to remove unspecified 'toxins' from the body. The liver and kidneys already do this, and detox products have no demonstrated benefit. Alternative Medicine |
| Diluent | A sterile liquid used to reconstitute (mix with) a freeze-dried or powdered vaccine component just before it is administered. Vaccines |
| Disinformation | False information deliberately created and shared to mislead, harm, or manipulate. It is often used to promote a specific agenda, cause panic, or make a profit. Antiscience |
| Distribution | A mathematical tool that allows you to see the frequency of a given value in a large dataset. Science General |