Science word of the week

For logophiles, whether you tend toward pleonasm or perspicacious thrift. Any language is acceptable. Suggested topics are new words, expressions, neologisms, neoterisms, sniglets, odd usages, reanimated words, words you never knew existed, words you wish existed, or even words you would like expurgated from the space-time continuum.

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New collaboration will feature «Science Word of the Week» series

, /PRNewswire/ — Today, the Museum of Science, Boston, one of the world’s largest science centers, and Dictionary.com, the leading online and mobile English-language educational resource, announce their new collaboration to bring science to life for millions of followers around the world through «Science Word of the Week,» a weekly digital video series that will describe scientific terms, their meanings, and how they are used. The partnership stems from a common theme in mission between the partners to inspire a love of words and science in everyone.

Science Word of the Week will feature popular science influencers describing unique, interesting, and funny science words to enhance audiences’ command of science terms. What is an areologist? Do you have a yeuk? «Science Word of the Week» videos will explain these words and more every week on Friday, across social media and at Dictionary.com and MOS.org.  

«For over 193 years, the Museum of Science has been inspiring audiences to be curious about the world around them, and about how science helps us understand that world,» said Tim Ritchie, president of the Museum of Science. «I am excited about our partnership with Dictionary.com, because it is a compelling way to introduce new audiences to the wonders of science.»  

According to the 2022 U.S. State of Science and Engineering Report, inequality persists in K–12 science educational outcomes by race or ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and U.S. region. Enabling all Americans to receive high-quality STEM education and to pursue any science and engineering field of study or career are critical components of sustaining and growing the U.S. STEM labor force.

«At Dictionary.com, we know that one of the challenges of learning science can be learning its vocabulary. It’s hard!» said John Kelly, senior director of editorial at Dictionary.com. «Yet as we also know from the millions of word lovers who have been following Dictionary.com’s Word of the Day for over 20 years, learning new words is also incredibly fun and rewarding. Our Science Word of the Week with the Museum of Science will help bridge this gap, connecting students, teachers, parents, and lifelong learners alike with the wonders of science through the wonders of words.»

Audiences can discover the new Science Word of the Week across social media platforms @museumofscience and @dictionarycom or online at mos.org/swow. And to discover more about those words and a whole lot more, visit Dictionary.com and its Word of the Day.

About the Museum of Science, Boston

Among the world’s largest science centers, the Museum of Science engages millions of people each year to the wonders of science and technology through interactive exhibitions, digital programs, giant screen productions, and preK – 8 EiE® STEM curricula through the William and Charlotte Bloomberg Science Education Center. Established in 1830, the Museum is home to such iconic experiences as the Theater of Electricity, the Charles Hayden Planetarium, and the Mugar Omni Theater. Around the world, the Museum is known for digital experiences such as Mission: Mars launching in 2022 on Roblox, and traveling exhibitions such as the Science Behind Pixar. Learn more at mos.org.

About Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com

Words define every aspect of our lives, from our ideas to our identities. Dictionary.com aspires to empower every person, of every background, to express themselves, make connections, and open the door to opportunity through the power and joy of language. Dictionary.com is the premier destination to learn, discover, and have fun with the limitless world of words and meanings. The brand helps you make sense of the ever-evolving English language so you can put your ideas into words—and your words into action.

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SOURCE The Museum of Science

Ooh, this is a lovely word. It describes the scent you smell when rain hits dry soil. It’s one of the few words we have for a specific smell – most, like fresh-cut grass or frying bacon, are just descriptions of what they are.

In the words of Jennifer Aniston, here comes the science… So, certain plants exude an oil during dry weather, which is then absorbed by clay-based soil and rocks. When it rains this is released into the air, alongside another compound called geosmin (a metabolic byproduct of bacteria) which is emitted by wet soil. And together they make the smell petrichor. Hmmm, I’m glad someone came up with a nice word for it, cos it sounds gross.

Origin-wise, even though ‘petrichor’ sounds all Latiney or Ancient Greeky, it’s actually quite a modern word. It was coined in 1964 by two researchers called Isabel Joy Bear and Richard G Thomas in the scientific journal Nature. The reason it looks like ye olde word is because our researchers took its parts from Greek. ‘petra’ means ‘stone’ (you can also find this in words like ‘petrified’ and ‘petrol) and ‘ichor’ is basically a fancy word for fluid (it’s also the stuff that flows in the veins of the gods of Greek mythology apparently).

If you’re a fan of Doctor Who then you’ve probably come across ‘petrichor’ already – it was used by the TARDIS as part of a password to open a back-up control room in ‘The Doctor’s Wife’, and was also the name of a perfume that Amy Pond modelled in ‘Closing Time’.

Interesting fact alert: our noses are super sensitive to geosmin – we can detect it at concentrations as low as five parts per trillion (which is good…?). Some scientists think this is because it might have been handy for survival for our ancestors to know when rainy weather was on the way.