Natural Resource Synthesis

The broad effort to create, in laboratories and factories, materials that were once only obtainable from nature—timber without trees, meat without animals, leather without hides, fuels without oil. Natural resource synthesis is humanity's bet against scarcity: if we can make what we need from abundant elements, we never run out. The science is advancing rapidly: lab-grown diamonds, cultured meat, synthetic fuels, artificial timber. The economics are still catching up, because nature is surprisingly good at making things cheaply (trees use sunlight, after all). But as natural resources become scarcer and synthesis becomes cheaper, the balance shifts. Natural resource synthesis is the ultimate hedge against a crowded planet—a way to have everything we want without taking everything from the earth.

Example: "The company synthesized leather from mushroom roots, creating a material that looked, felt, and wore like cowhide but grew in weeks instead of years. Vegans loved it, environmentalists loved it, and the cows were cautiously optimistic. Natural resource synthesis had replaced one of humanity's oldest materials with something better. The cows waited to see what would be synthesized next."

by Dumu The Void February 16, 2026

Natural Product Synthesis

The specific challenge of creating, in the lab, compounds that are normally made by living organisms—medicines from plants, flavors from fruits, colors from insects, fragrances from flowers. Natural product synthesis is how we save endangered species (by not harvesting them), ensure consistent supply (by not depending on weather), and often improve on nature (by creating analogs that work better). It's also incredibly difficult—natural products are often complex molecules that evolution optimized over millions of years, and replicating them in glassware requires genius-level chemistry. When successful, natural product synthesis gives us steady supplies of life-saving drugs, consistent flavors for foods, and the satisfaction of having out-designed evolution, at least in one small molecule.

Example: "The cancer drug came from a rare Pacific yew tree—harvesting it was killing the trees. Natural product synthesis saved the day: chemists figured out how to make the molecule from common starting materials, and the yews could breathe easier. The synthesized drug was identical to the natural one, just without the deforestation. Nature had provided the blueprint; chemistry built the factory."

by Dumu The Void February 16, 2026

SINthesize

Pronounced synthesize. The act of connecting an Ohmibod music powered vibrator to a synthesizer. Letting the synthesizer control the beat and pulse of the vibrations. Bringing music and sex together as one.

She loves to SINthesize

by VX-5 August 1, 2012

sinthetic

(adj.) Denotes the shocking and morally-repugnant status that a "back to the land" or "only of Mother Earth" hippie views anything that's not totally natural and organic.

Health-food hippie: Awhh... bean sprouts, Man...!
Junk-food junkie: Duhhh... potato chips, Man!
Health-food hippie: Well, that's okay, too, Man, so long as there's nothing sinthetic used to grow or fry up the potatoes.

by QuacksO April 11, 2019

Syntherity

To feel the music flow through your vains as you dance to the sound of music produced by only the best

Ohhh john do you feel the syntherity

by Syntherity October 26, 2020

Syntheist

Spiritual and Religious Theistic Synthesis-Seeker aka Seeker after Wholeness

In ENZglish I am PartisanZ - Secular Syntheist, Standardization-Resistance Emotelligentsia* - 4 Star Generalist and Chief-of-WordCoining Stuff - Wandering Merry-Pickers.

by PartisanZ April 15, 2023

synthesexual

only engaging sexually with objects, as opposed to living beings.

As the sexes have grown further apart, some individuals choose not to have sexual relations with other humans and opt for man-made things instead, like sex dolls, dildos, and AI companions. I hereby coin the term synthesexual to describe these people.

by Muxgasm November 25, 2023