Glossary
Partial-word, boolean (AND, OR, NOT) and "exact phrase" searches are supported.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Overfitting | When a model learns its training data too closely, including noise, so it performs poorly on new data. Artificial Intelligence |
| Overgeneralization | Applying a conclusion more widely than the evidence supports. Science Literacy |
| Overriding suspicion | Distrust so strong that it prevents someone from believing anything that does not fit their conspiracy theory. Science Literacy |
| Oversimplification | Reducing a complex issue to a single cause or simple explanation. Also called the single cause fallacy. Science Literacy |
| Oxidation | A chemical change in which a substance loses electrons, often by combining with oxygen, as in rusting or burning. Science General |
| Ozone | Ozone, the triatomic form of oxygen (O<sub>3</sub>), is a gaseous atmospheric constituent. In the troposphere, it is created by photochemical reactions involving gases resulting both from natural sources and from human activities (photochemical smog). In high concentrations, tropospheric ozone can be harmful to a wide range of living organisms. Tropospheric ozone acts as a greenhouse gas. In the stratosphere, ozone is created by the interaction between solar ultraviolet radiation and molecular oxygen (O<sub>2</sub>). Climate Change |
| Ozone Layer | The layer of ozone that begins approximately 15 km above Earth and thins to an almost negligible amount at about 50 km, shields the Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Climate Change |
| P-hacking | P-hacking is the misuse of data analysis to falsely produce a statistically significant result (p < 0.05), creating false positives where no real effect exists. Public Trust |
| P-value | The probability of obtaining results at least as extreme as those observed if the null hypothesis were true. It is not the probability that the hypothesis is true. Science General |
| Paleoclimate | The climate of the distant past, reconstructed from evidence such as ice cores, tree rings, sediments, and corals. It helps scientists understand how the climate responds to changes in greenhouse gases. Climate Change |