Glossary
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Pathogen | A microorganism, such as a virus, bacterium, fungus, or parasite, that can cause disease. Vaccines |
| Pathogen Derived Resistance | A technique used to protect plants from viruses or infection. The process introduces a plant to a mild strain of a virus to protect the plant from a more severe strain of that same or very closely related pathogen. Eventually, the plant may build resistance to the virus. This technique is similar in nature to a human vaccination, which aims to build an individual's immunity to a virus or pathogen. Genetics |
| Pathogens | Organisms (such as bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi) that cause disease in human beings. Vaccines |
| Pattern Recognition Bias | The brain's tendency to perceive meaningful connections, trends, or rules within random data or unrelated events. While our ability to spot patterns is an essential evolutionary survival tool, this bias leads us to mistake coincidence for causality and form false beliefs. Antiscience |
| Patternicity | The tendency to find meaningful patterns in random noise, a term coined by Michael Shermer. Science Literacy |
| Peer Review | Peer review is a critical, independent evaluation process where experts in a specific scientific field evaluate a manuscript's quality, validity, and originality before publication in a journal. Science General |
| Percentile | Given a set of numbers, the value below which a given percentage of observations fall. For example, if we had the following set of numbers {4, 7, 3, 9, 3}, the 60th percentile would be 4, because 3/5 x 100% = 60% of the set are equal to or less than 4. Science General |
| Performative Neutrality | A media framing issue where journalists present two opposing sides of a scientific topic as equally valid ("both sides"), even when one side represents an overwhelming scientific consensus. Science Misinformation |
| Periodic table | A chart that organizes the chemical elements by atomic number and recurring chemical properties. Science General |
| Permafrost | Ground that stays frozen for at least two years. Thawing permafrost releases carbon dioxide and methane, amplifying warming. Climate Change |