Outer Sciences

The plural of Outer Science—encompassing multiple disciplines studying phenomena beyond current scientific reach. Outer Sciences include paraphysics, outer physics, multiverse cosmology, and speculative fields that push against the boundaries of knowledge. Each outer science approaches the beyond from a different angle: physics asks about other universes; biology asks about other life; psychology asks about other minds. Together, they form a meta-discipline: the sciences of what lies beyond science.

"Outer Sciences isn't one field; it's many. Outer physics, outer biology, outer psychology—each asks what lies beyond current knowledge in its domain. Not abandoning science, but extending it to the edges—and beyond. The Outer Sciences are what we do when we've reached the limits and want to see further."

by Dumu The Void March 5, 2026

Nonlinear Science

The branch of science that studies nonlinear phenomena—systems where output is not proportional to input, where small causes have large effects, where prediction is hard. Nonlinear Science includes chaos theory, complexity theory, and the study of emergent phenomena. It's the science of the real world, as opposed to the simplified linear models that dominated 20th-century science. Nonlinear Science explains why weather is unpredictable, why ecosystems are fragile, why economies crash. It's the scientific foundation of humility, the proof that the world is more complicated than our models.

Example: "He'd been trained in linear science—simple causes, simple effects, simple predictions. Nonlinear Science showed him a different world: chaos, emergence, thresholds. Weather wasn't predictable; ecosystems weren't controllable; economies weren't stable. His old tools failed because the world wasn't linear. He had to learn new science—or stay wrong."

by Dumu The Void March 7, 2026

Nonlinear Sciences

The plural form, recognizing that there are multiple approaches, multiple methods, multiple frameworks for studying nonlinear phenomena. Nonlinear Sciences includes chaos theory, complexity science, network theory, systems theory, and more. Each offers different tools for different aspects of nonlinear reality. The plural matters because nonlinear phenomena are diverse—what works for ecosystems may not work for economies; what explains turbulence may not explain social change. Nonlinear Sciences is the recognition that complexity requires pluralism, that one size does not fit all, that the tools must match the territory.

Example: "He thought one theory would explain all complexity. Nonlinear Sciences showed him otherwise: different phenomena needed different tools. Chaos theory for weather, network theory for social systems, complexity theory for ecosystems. The plural mattered: no single science could capture all nonlinearity. He stopped looking for one theory and started collecting many."

by Dumu The Void March 7, 2026

Critical Science

An approach to science that emphasizes questioning assumptions, examining power relations, and attending to the social and political dimensions of scientific knowledge. Critical Science doesn't reject science; it insists that science be examined critically, that its claims be interrogated, that its institutions be held accountable. It asks: who funds this research? Whose interests does it serve? What assumptions are built into the methods? What alternatives are excluded? Critical Science is science with its eyes open, aware of its own contingency, committed to self-examination. It's the opposite of scientism—science that knows itself, rather than science that thinks it's above examination.

Example: "She practiced Critical Science: always asking who funded the research, what assumptions shaped the questions, whose voices were excluded. She didn't reject science; she demanded that it be accountable. Her colleagues sometimes found her exhausting; she found them naive."

by Abzugal March 9, 2026

Critical Sciences

The plural form, recognizing that multiple scientific disciplines each require their own critical approaches—that physics has different power dynamics than biology, which has different ones than sociology. Critical Sciences is the collective enterprise of examining science from within, discipline by discipline, asking field-specific questions about assumptions, methods, and social relations. It's the recognition that critique must be tailored to context, that what works for one science may not work for another. Critical Sciences is the ongoing project of making science more self-aware, more accountable, more reflexive.

Example: "The Critical Sciences network brought together scholars from every discipline, each applying critical tools to their own field. Physicists examined funding patterns; biologists questioned research priorities; sociologists analyzed institutional power. Together, they were making science examine itself."

by Abzugal March 9, 2026

Critical Science Communication

An approach to science communication that emphasizes questioning assumptions, examining power relations, and attending to the social and political dimensions of how science is communicated. Critical Science Communication doesn't just transmit scientific findings; it also communicates about the context, limits, and politics of those findings. It asks: who funded this research? What are its limitations? How might it be used? What perspectives are missing? Critical Science Communication is science communication with its eyes open, aware of its own role in shaping public understanding and public policy.

Example: "The journalist practiced Critical Science Communication: she didn't just report findings; she also reported who funded them, what limitations existed, what alternatives were being studied. Her readers were better informed—not just about what was known, but about how it came to be known."

by Abzugal March 9, 2026

Social Sciences Applied to AI

The practice of using insights from sociology, anthropology, psychology, and political science to design, understand, and regulate artificial intelligence. It recognizes that AI systems are not neutral math problems but are embedded in human social contexts. This field asks: How will this algorithm affect community dynamics? What social biases is it learning? How does it change power structures? It's the antidote to the naive view that AI is just code, reminding us that every AI is also a social actor.

Example: "They built a great recommendation engine, but without social sciences applied to AI, they accidentally created filter bubbles that radicalized their users."

by Dumu The Void March 11, 2026