Glossary
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Scientific Model | A model that uses our knowledge of natural processes to predict outcomes, make hypotheses and explain phenomena. Models can be material (like the paper airplane), conceptual, or mathematical. A scientific model is often a computer program that attempts to simulate a particular system and to predict how the system would behave in the real world. See also "Model" and "Computerized simulation". Science General |
| Scientific notation | A way of writing very large or very small numbers as a number between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of 10, such as 3.0 x 10^8. Science General |
| Scientific Skepticism | Questioning claims and proportioning belief to the evidence, while remaining willing to accept conclusions once evidence is strong. Distinct from denial, which rejects evidence regardless of its strength. Antiscience |
| Scientific theory | A well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, supported by a large body of evidence and repeatedly tested. In science, a theory is not a guess; examples include the theory of evolution and germ theory. Science General |
| Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions | Categories used to report an organization's emissions. Scope 1 covers direct emissions from its own operations, Scope 2 covers emissions from purchased energy, and Scope 3 covers all other indirect emissions in its value chain. Climate Change |
| Sea ice | Frozen seawater that floats on the ocean surface in polar regions. Arctic sea ice has declined sharply in extent and thickness since satellite records began in 1979. Climate Change |
| Sea Level Rise | The increase in ocean water levels at a specific location, taking into account both global sea level rise and local factors, such as local subsidence and uplift. Relative sea level rise is measured with respect to a specified vertical datum relative to the land, which may also be changing elevation over time. Climate Change |
| Sea-level rise | The increase in average ocean height caused mainly by melting glaciers and ice sheets and by seawater expanding as it warms. It threatens coastal communities with flooding and erosion. Climate Change |
| Sealioning | A bad-faith trolling tactic where someone persistently pesters you with demands for evidence, sources, or explanations. Masked as a polite quest for "reasonable debate," its true goal is to exhaust your patience, derail the conversation, and make you appear unreasonable when you eventually refuse to engage. Antiscience |
| Second | The SI unit of time, defined by the vibrations of cesium atoms. Science General |