Glossary
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Metaphysical | Metaphysical means relating to metaphysics, the branch of philosophy that explores the fundamental nature of reality, existence, and what lies beyond physical sensory experience. Antiscience |
| Meter | The SI unit of length, defined by the distance light travels in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second. Science General |
| Methane (CH4) | A powerful greenhouse gas released by livestock, rice cultivation, landfills, wetlands, and the oil, gas, and coal industries. Over 100 years it traps roughly 27-30 times more heat than carbon dioxide per tonne, and far more over 20 years. Climate Change |
| Methane (CH<sub>4</sub>) | A hydrocarbon that is a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential most recently estimated at 25 times that of carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>). Methane is produced through anaerobic (without oxygen) decomposition of waste in landfills, animal digestion, decomposition of animal wastes, production and distribution of natural gas and petroleum, coal production, and incomplete fossil fuel combustion. Climate Change |
| Methane leakage | Unintended release of methane from oil and gas wells, pipelines, and other infrastructure. Leaks can significantly reduce the climate advantage of natural gas over coal. Climate Change |
| Methodology | A methodology is the overarching strategy, framework, or theoretical analysis that guides a research project or activity. It defines why you are using specific tools and procedures, distinguishing it from the methods themselves, which are the practical actions (like surveys or lab tests) taken to gather and analyze data. Science General |
| Microchip vaccine myth | The false claim that vaccines contain tracking microchips. Vaccine ingredients are publicly listed, and no such technology could fit through a vaccine needle and function. Science Literacy |
| Microorganism | A living thing too small to be seen without a microscope, such as bacteria, many fungi, and protozoa. Science General |
| Middle ground fallacy | Assuming that a compromise between two positions must be correct. Also called the argument to moderation. Science Literacy |
| Milankovitch Cycles | Long-term variations in the Earth's orbit and tilt that drive ice-age cycles over tens of thousands of years. They cannot explain the rapid warming of the past century. Climate Change |