Heat Conduction

Definition of Heat Conduction. Heat conduction, also known as thermal conduction, is one of the three modes of heat transfer - the others are convection and radiation. Thermal energy flows spontaneously from bodies at higher temperatures to bodies at lower temperatures until the bodies are at equal temperature.

that's some heat conduction right there

by Y.O.U.R. bestfriend March 30, 2021

Degraded Cognition

Degraded cognition: (noun) The impairment or deterioration of cognitive abilities and understanding of the world due to certain factors such as injury, disease, or the use of certain substances. It can also refer to the reduction in cognitive performance or understanding due to the malfunction or misuse of technology, particularly artificial intelligence. It involves the integration of human intelligence and AI capabilities that leads to a lower level of decision-making, problem-solving, and overall understanding of complex information.

The use of a malfunctioning AI system in the decision-making process led to degraded cognition and impaired understanding of the situation.

by Phieyl January 21, 2023

capless convictions

Nothing but bold truth statements

Ernie was not one for bullshitting or wasting anyone's time with being vague about how he felt about things. Ernie only spoke capless convictions and everyone loved him for it

by von groovy August 3, 2024

Plant Cognition

The controversial but growing field of study examining the sophisticated information-processing capabilities of plants, without necessarily attributing "thought" or consciousness. This involves observing how plants integrate sensory data (light, gravity, chemicals, touch), make "decisions" (like where to grow roots based on resource competition), exhibit memory (priming defenses after an initial attack), and communicate danger via chemical signals. It's the study of a form of intelligence that operates without a central brain, on a dramatically different timescale.

Example: "The study on plant cognition showed the Mimosa pudica could 'learn' that a repeated harmless drop wasn't a threat, and stopped curling its leaves. It remembered this for weeks. My basil plant, however, shows no cognitive ability when it comes to remembering I haven't watered it in two weeks."

by Abzugal January 30, 2026

Meta-Cognition

Thinking about thinking. It's your brain's ability to monitor and regulate its own cognitive processes. This includes knowing when you don't understand something (self-awareness), choosing the right strategy to solve a problem (self-regulation), and evaluating how well you learned after studying (self-reflection). It's the mental software that lets you debug your own brain, and it's often the difference between being smart and being wise about your own limitations.

Example: "During the exam, I used meta-cognition: 'I'm spending too long on this question, my anxiety is spiking, and I don't actually know this formula. I'll flag it and move on.' It's not knowing the answers; it's knowing how your mind is (or isn't) finding them."

by Abzugal January 30, 2026

Quantum Cognition

A research framework in cognitive science that uses the mathematical formalisms of quantum theory (like superposition, interference, and entanglement) to model human decision-making and judgment when it's ambiguous, context-dependent, or paradoxical. It doesn't mean the brain is a quantum computer, but that our cognitive uncertainties behave mathematically like quantum probabilities. It explains why your opinion can be in a superposition until you're forced to choose, or how asking a question (measuring) can change the answer.

Example: "I couldn't decide on the vacation. Quantum cognition explains it: my mind was in a superposition of 'beach' and 'mountains' until my wife asked 'Do you want sunscreen?'—collapsing my mental wave function instantly to 'mountains.' The question itself changed the answer."

by Dumu The Void January 30, 2026

Relativistic Cognition

The theory or metaphor that the process of thinking itself is not absolute, but is shaped and distorted by the thinker's frame of reference—their speed, gravitational environment, or more abstractly, their psychological and cultural context. In a literal sci-fi sense, it could mean a brain's information processing speed is subject to time dilation. Philosophically, it suggests that concepts, logic, and even the experience of reasoning are not universal constants but are relative to the cognitive "velocity" and "mass" of the mind's substrate. A super-intelligent alien might not just think faster, but its reasoning might follow non-human, relativistic laws.

Example: "After months on the interstellar ship, my thinking felt off. That's relativistic cognition—my brain was processing at Earth-normal speed, but the ship's AI, running in a time-dilated compartment, had already considered a billion outcomes for every one of my thoughts. Arguing with it was like debating a glacier with a supercomputer."

by Dumu The Void January 30, 2026