Planetary Sciences

The study of planets as whole, integrated systems—their formation, composition, atmospheres, magnetic fields, and potential for life. It combines geology, atmospheric science, oceanography, and astronomy to understand worlds both in our solar system and beyond. It answers questions like: Why does Mars have such a thin atmosphere? What drives Jupiter's storms? Could there be an ocean under Enceladus's ice? It's the essential reconnaissance before any technology or engineering can be deployed.

Example: "He's a planetary scientist. His big discovery was that the methane spikes on Mars were seasonal and correlated with subsurface salt deposits, suggesting geological, not biological, origins. He crushed a million sci-fi dreams with a single graph, but earned a lifetime of free drinks from NASA." Planetary Sciences

by Abzugal January 30, 2026

Space Sciences

The collection of scientific disciplines dedicated to studying the universe from the unique vantage point of space, and understanding space itself as an environment. This includes astronomy (observing without atmospheric distortion), planetary science, heliophysics (studying the Sun's influence), and microgravity research (studying fluid dynamics, materials, and biology in freefall). It provides the fundamental knowledge about where we're going and what we'll find there, from mapping asteroid compositions to understanding how cosmic radiation affects DNA.

Example: "Her Ph.D. in space sciences involved analyzing spectrometer data from a probe that flew through a comet's tail. She discovered complex organic molecules, which she excitedly explained as 'the building blocks of life, just chilling on a dirty iceball.' This is why we spend the money."

by Abzugal January 30, 2026

Interstellar Sciences

The collective disciplines dedicated to understanding the phenomena, environments, and potential for life between the stars, where the scale is measured in light-years and the rules are written in the vacuum. This isn't just astronomy; it's the specialized science of the void itself. It encompasses the study of the interstellar medium (the sparse gas and dust between stars), cosmic rays, magnetic fields spanning galaxies, the formation and chemistry of complex molecules in nebulae, and the astrophysics of navigating or surviving in a region where stars are just distant dots. It’s the fundamental reconnaissance for any civilization that plans to leave its cradle, asking: What’s in the gap, and how do we cross it without dying?

*Example: "My internship in Interstellar Sciences wasn't about planets. I modeled the density fluctuations of hydrogen in the Local Bubble, analyzed the spectra of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Orion Nebula, and calculated erosion rates for hull materials from micron-sized dust grains at 0.2c. It's not glamorous, but if we ever build a starship, this data is why it won't dissolve into a cloud of glitter halfway to Proxima Centauri."*

by Abzugal January 30, 2026

Hard Problem of Science

The meta-problem: science is a method for understanding the universe, but the method itself—relying on induction, uniformity of nature, and the reliability of our senses and logic—cannot be scientifically proven without begging the question. Why should the future resemble the past? Why trust our instruments? Science works, gloriously, but its ultimate foundation is a philosophical leap of faith. The hard problem is that science can explain everything except its own astonishing success.

Example: "We used science to build the telescope that discovered the Big Bang. The hard problem of science is that we can't point that telescope back at the scientific method to see why it's so true. Its power is demonstrated by its fruits, but its roots are in philosophical soil."

by Abzugal January 30, 2026

Hard Problem of Sciences

The collective dilemma of unifying different scientific domains with often incommensurate languages, methods, and fundamental assumptions. How does the subjective, first-person world of psychology really connect to the objective, third-person world of neuroscience? How does biology's teleological language of "purpose" and "function" reduce to physics' purposeless particles? The hard problem is the seeming impossibility of a complete, coherent "theory of everything" that genuinely bridges levels of reality, not just mathematically, but meaningfully.

Example: "The physicist, biologist, and psychologist were stuck. One spoke in equations, one in adaptive functions, one in cognitive models. The hard problem of the sciences: they were all describing the same human, but their maps were of different planets with no translation guide." Hard Problem of Sciences

by Abzugal January 30, 2026

Spiritual Sciences

The attempt to apply a framework of systematic observation, classification, and theory to non-material or transcendent phenomena. This isn't faith-based religion; it's the pursuit of studying consciousness, energy fields, near-death experiences, meditation states, and purported spiritual laws (like karma) with the rigor of a science. Practitioners may use tools like biofeedback, EEGs during prayer, or statistical analysis of prayer efficacy studies. The core struggle is quantifying the unquantifiable, making it a controversial field often dismissed by mainstream science as pseudoscience, yet aspiring to bridge the measurable and the mystical.

Example: "His doctorate in Spiritual Sciences meant his thesis was on 'Quantifying Aura Coherence in Healer-Subject Dyads Using Modified Kirlian Photography.' His peer review was rejected by Nature and a shaman, both for opposite reasons."

by Abzugal January 30, 2026

Astral Sciences

The study of, and purported technologies for interacting with, the "astral plane"—a hypothesized non-physical dimension of existence accessible through consciousness. This includes mapping astral topography, understanding the physics of thought-form projection, and categorizing non-corporeal entities. It's the most literal interpretation of "inner space exploration," treating out-of-body experiences and lucid dreams as fieldwork. The methodology is inherently subjective and anecdotal, making it the ultimate frontier science where the primary instrument is the explorer's own mind.

Example: "She published a field guide in Astral Sciences: 'Common Cognitive Parasites of the Lower Emotional Stratum and How to Shield Against Them.' Critics called it fantasy; practitioners called it the most important safety manual ever written for interdimensional backpacking."

by Abzugal January 30, 2026