Anything can be defined....

[The Bear's Key]

...if we're all familiar with it at least.

 

This is a contest to define the (supposedly) undefinable.

 

 

Rules.

 

You make up a definition, post it, others guess its word, and it gets voted on -- a week from the time someone guessed it correctly, unless no one did -- in which case you might reword its definition or start giving clues.

 

Only use only a single word. So for instance, "advanced civilization" wouldn't qualify.

 

Points get awarded based on the following criteria....

 

(1-5 points each)

 

• Accuracy/longevity. Your definition is universal, and it's timeless, covering any future scenarios we imagine today.

 

• Standalone. It avoided using the word's synonym, antonym, or thesaurus friends. i.e. a) an emotion wasn't defined using a substitute feeling or very related word; b) "hot" wasn't defined as a lack of cold.

 

Also didn't need cheap partner or reference words. i.e. to define "alphabet" you didn't use "letters" or "symbols"; to define "language" you didn't use "words" or "communication".

 

• Brief/challenging.

a) Shorter than 50 words, but not too short. -1 point for each 10 words over 40.

 

b) It's also extremely challenging to define in words. i.e. an experience.

 

• Obvious. The definition is clearly for the word "___", it'll rarely get confused for another word.

 

 

Votes get averaged. The first person with a 20 gets to assign one extra point whenever voting from then on.

 

Also, no voting for yourself.

 

Some guidelines...

• The words to use are generally thought of as impossible to define (i.e. emotions, abstract concepts) -- without using it or a close approximation in the definition.
• Number your entries. It'll help keep order. So Icefire's entry is..#2, the next one will be..#3.

 

When posting a definition.

 

You have two choices ...

 

1) post an original entry that you came up with, or

 

2) piggyback on someone else's. That means you can attempt to improve someone's previous entry, and if you cause it to get a higher score, your name gets included with that entry -- but under it's originator's name.

 

Example. iNow posts a definition, it gets a high score. Later I tweak it some, causing it to get an even higher score. Mr. Skeptic tweaks the changes a bit more, furthering the score. It'll go like so...

 

Definition -- word

iNow. 17

Mr. Skeptic. 19.

The Bear's Key. 18

 

The originator's name always goes first -- unless their score wasn't at least a 10. Then piggybackers get listed by score from lowest to highest.

 

 

 

 

Entry #1. (by me)

 

The definition...

 

A codified representation of reality having various components that interact systematically to produce definitive outcomes, from which a user can deduce previously unknown information, verify information about reality, and/or descriptively model it.

 

The word is ___?

 

 

I'll be using post #3 for linking to the definitions and winning entries.

[/noparse]

Edited March 15, 2010 by mooeypoo
Requested fixes by TBK

[The Bear's Key]

Questions, answers, suggestions, voting, whatever for the thread "Anything can be defined..."

[Icefire]

Oh so essentially we're making riddles.

 

The Definition

 

A minute body of mass that maintains its velocity and a constant rate of periodic motion. When it collides with a mass it will be either absorbed, reflected, or pass through the object with an altered velocity depending on the form of the mass.

 

The word is a:

Edited March 11, 2010 by Icefire

[Icefire]

I'm guessing a graphing calculator. for #1

[The Bear's Key]

Just real quick (got work, can't post again until Monday)...

 

Thanks for participating, Icefire. Good answer, but not quite the word. Also, nice entry. I'm guessing: a photon? If so, you chose a great word. Read on below.

 

Here's some more things to know about the contest.

 

• The words to use are generally thought of as impossible to define (i.e. emotions, abstract concepts) -- if the word itself, or a close approximation, or from the same category isn't also part of the definition.
  
• Only use only a single word. So for instance, "advanced civilization" wouldn't qualify.
  
• Your entry gets a week to be voted on from the time someone guesses it, unless no one did -- in which case you might reword its definition or start giving clues.
  
• Number your entries. It'll help keep order. So Icefire's entry is..#2, the next one will be..#3.

 

I'm gonna need a mod to volunteer for editing the OP in the main thread, where I can post links to all the entries. This'll be a simple copy and paste job for the volunteer most of the time.

 

Also, can we move these posts over to the main thread? It'll actually be less of a mess to keep it all in one thread.

[mooeypoo]

#2 sounds like a light particle-wave, if only it wouldn't have started with "minute body of mass", seeing as photons have no mass.

 

Is it a mistake in the definition, or did I get it wrong?

 

I'm gonna need a mod to volunteer for editing the OP in the main thread, where I can post links to all the entries. This'll be a simple copy and paste job for the volunteer most of the time.

Not sure I understand what you mean, but I can edit posts, if you need me to, while I'm online.

 

Also, can we move these posts over to the main thread? It'll actually be less of a mess to keep it all in one thread.

Sure, I combined the threads.

Edited March 13, 2010 by mooeypoo
Consecutive posts merged.

[Icefire]

Yeah, it was a photon.

I have to admit that personally I do not believe that the photon has no mass, which is why I have caused my definition to be inaccurate.

[mooeypoo]

Yeah, it was a photon.

I have to admit that personally I do not believe that the photon has no mass, which is why I have caused my definition to be inaccurate.

Belief is irrelevant, we are a science forum, not a mythology one. The guess was nice, the definition is quite simply false.

[The Bear's Key]

I'll start the voting for Icefire's entry today.

 

Voting ends next Monday, the 22nd.

 

 

Also, here's a clue to entry #1: its word is the title of a forums section here.

Edited March 15, 2010 by The Bear's Key
Consecutive posts merged.

[Icefire]

#1= ... Physics?

[The Bear's Key]

I updated the first post (thanks mooey).

 

Also, please keep in mind its very first sentence. i.e. post the definition of a word that's basically familiar to everyone (non-scientists, youth, adults -- for instance, "marijuana" not "THC").

 

I've decided to open voting on another thread, in the Sandbox so it doesn't clutter anything Please head over to vote for Icefire's definition.

 

#1= ... Physics?

Nope. It'd seem I failed in the "Obvious" category Ok here's a giveaway clue. It's a requirement in school.

 

 

 

To others and people lurking: remember to make suggestions if you like this idea and/or wish to participate. I'm thinking of selecting judges rather than having a public vote, if anyone's interested PM me, or if you have comments/suggestions on that post it here.

[D H]

Mathematics, but ... yech. A bit too vague. Simulation would work just fine except for that hint -- and so would philosophy.

[The Bear's Key]

Yep, that's correct. I'll have to lose points for being vague. Remember though, anyone can improve on the definition.

 

Voting started for my entry.

 

 

Here's my next one...

 

#3

 

The definition...

 

An individual system of energy, formed by natural interactions of raw materials, that can extract/assimilate energy from at least one external source in order to: 1) expand, replicate, produce at least one divergent such system, and/or 2) maintain its own basic framework, be recyclable by at least one other such system, and reserve a minimum amount of energy necessary to optimally prolong this state.

 

The word is ___?

[Icefire]

yeah TBK I figured it was one of the two, tho I went for the more specific answer.

#3: something to do with biology, the reproduction i'm guessing.

[The Bear's Key]

yeah TBK I figured it was one of the two, tho I went for the more specific answer.

#3: something to do with biology, the reproduction i'm guessing.

You're warm. Don't forget, though...

 

post the definition of a word that's basically familiar to everyone (non-scientists, youth, adults -- for instance, "marijuana" not "THC").

We're looking for a concept that's simple or easily recognizable by various people -- the more universal, the better odds you'll guess it correctly.

[mooeypoo]

I'll start the voting for Icefire's entry today.

 

Voting ends next Monday, the 22nd.

 

 

Also, here's a clue to entry #1: its word is the title of a forums section here.

Sorry, but if the definition is lacking ('minute body of mass') then how can it be relevant? Science doesn't go by "vote" it goes by the best fit, and if the definition was shown to be wrong, it should be out.

 

Or alternatively, it should be fixed.

[The Bear's Key]

Granted, I'm not the best judge for a scientific concept like photons. That's why I mentioned the need to define basic, everyday words familiar to most people.

 

But you can vote too. Remember, all the votes will be averaged together. Or maybe Icefire can volunteer to submit a new definition and we'll vote on the new one instead.

[Mr Skeptic]

#3

 

The definition...

 

An individual system of energy, formed by natural interactions of raw materials, that can extract/assimilate energy from at least one external source in order to: 1) expand, replicate, produce at least one divergent such system, and/or 2) maintain its own basic framework, be recyclable by at least one other such system, and reserve a minimum amount of energy necessary to optimally prolong this state.

 

The word is ___?

 

Looks like life to me.

[The Bear's Key]

Correct, Mr Skeptic. The definition is for life.

---

Merged post follows:

Consecutive posts merged

By the way if no one shows much interest for voting, I'll go the judges route and exclude my own definitions so there's no conflict of interest.

[Icefire]

#2Take2:

Definition

A minute particle that maintains its velocity and a constant rate of periodic motion. When it collides with a mass it will be either absorbed, reflected, or pass through the object with an altered velocity depending on the form of the mass.

[Mr Skeptic]

#2Take2:

Definition

A minute particle that maintains its velocity and a constant rate of periodic motion. When it collides with a mass it will be either absorbed, reflected, or pass through the object with an altered velocity depending on the form of the mass.

 

Please do consider that light can have a longer wavelength than the radius of the Earth.

[Radical Edward]

Yep, that's correct. I'll have to lose points for being vague. Remember though, anyone can improve on the definition.

 

Voting started for my entry.

 

 

Here's my next one...

 

#3

 

The definition...

 

An individual system of energy, formed by natural interactions of raw materials, that can extract/assimilate energy from at least one external source in order to: 1) expand, replicate, produce at least one divergent such system, and/or 2) maintain its own basic framework, be recyclable by at least one other such system, and reserve a minimum amount of energy necessary to optimally prolong this state.

 

The word is ___?

 

organism

[mooeypoo]

#2Take2:

Definition

A minute particle that maintains its velocity and a constant rate of periodic motion. When it collides with a mass it will be either absorbed, reflected, or pass through the object with an altered velocity depending on the form of the mass.

Light can collide with another light, which means it doesn't have to collide with mass to change its velocity. Also, light can interact with gravity (Gravitational Lensing) which changes its velocity too. It's not just mass.

 

(See, guys, there's a reason why scientific definitions are something so complex I think this exercise is awesome and if we get out of here with a better set of definitions, great, but it can also show all of us *WHY* scientific definitions are complex, as they first and foremost need to rely on accuracy. This above is not yet accurate).

[The Bear's Key]

I actually have littel interest to be a contestant, so I'll just halt my entries from being voted on. But anyone can still piggyback on them.

 

And I'll still continue posting new ones.

[Mr Skeptic]

#2Take2:

Definition

A minute particle that maintains its velocity and a constant rate of periodic motion. When it collides with a mass it will be either absorbed, reflected, or pass through the object with an altered velocity depending on the form of the mass.

 

I'll go with:

"A massless electromagnetic wave containing an amount of energy equal to h*f, where h is plank's constant and f is the frequency."

 

An electromagnetic wave is "a self-contained wave propagated by its own oscillating electric and magnetic fields" or "the solution to Maxwell's equations given zero charge"