IDST 114

Abolition

The act of ending a system, practice, or institution, specifically referring to the movement to end slavery.

Adaptation

Adjustments in natural or human systems to respond to climatic, environmental, or social changes.

African Futurism

A subgenre of speculative fiction focused on African perspectives, culture, and futures without the colonial lens.

Afrofuturism

A cultural movement combining science fiction, history, and African diaspora culture to imagine black futures.

Albedo

The measure of how much sunlight a surface reflects; ice has high albedo, while water has low albedo.

Biological Carbon Pump

The process by which marine organisms transfer carbon from the surface ocean to the deep ocean.

Bridgetown Initiative 3.0

A proposal to reform global financial systems to address climate change and inequality.

Carbon Cycle

The movement of carbon among the atmosphere, oceans, soil, and living organisms.

Chattel Slavery

A form of slavery where people are treated as personal property to be bought and sold.

Colonial Hyphens

Hyphenated identities imposed during colonialism (e.g., African-American) to reflect divided or subjugated identities.

Colonialism

The practice of acquiring control over another country, exploiting it economically and culturally.

Conference of Parties (COP)

Annual international climate meetings under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Commons

Shared resources (e.g., air, water) used collectively, often requiring governance to prevent overuse.

Consumerism

A social and economic order encouraging the acquisition of goods and services.

Coverture

where a woman's rights were subsumed under her husband's after marriage.

Crawford Lake

A site with sedimentary records that help define the Anthropocene epoch.

Cuba’s Disaster Preparedness Model

Known for emphasizing education, early warning systems, community mobilization, and healthcare.

Cyberpunk

A science fiction genre characterized by dystopian futures, advanced technology, and social breakdown.

Cycle

A sequence of events or processes that repeat regularly.

Daisyworld

A hypothetical model demonstrating feedback loops between organisms and their environment.

Disciplinary

Focused on a specific academic field of study.

Dominant US Gender Ideology

Prevailing societal beliefs about masculinity and femininity. men are often associated with strength, assertiveness, and independence, while women are linked to nurturing, passivity, and dependence.

Dynamic Equilibrium

A state of balance within a system where ongoing processes occur but cancel each other out.

Earth’s Global Magnetic Field

Created by the movement of molten iron in Earth’s outer core, protecting the planet from solar winds.

Earth’s Long-Term Thermostat

Processes (e.g., silicate weathering) that regulate Earth's climate over millions of years.

Emergent Properties

New characteristics that arise at a system level that are not present in its individual components.

Eugenics and Sterilization

The practice of controlling reproduction to "improve" genetic traits, often through coercive sterilization.

Positive Feedback

Amplifies changes (e.g., melting ice reduces albedo, causing more warming).

Negative Feedback

Stabilizes a system (e.g., increased plant growth absorbing CO₂).

Film Grammar: Close-Up

A shot focusing on a subject's details.

Film Grammar: Establishing Shot

A wide shot setting the scene.

Forced Assimilation

Coercing individuals or groups to adopt the culture or practices of a dominant group.

Forcing and Response

External factors (forcing) like greenhouse gases that cause climate change, and the resulting system responses.

Gaia Hypothesis

The theory that Earth’s biosphere and physical components interact to form a self-regulating system.

Gender

Socially constructed roles, behaviors, and identities associated with being male, female, or nonbinary.

Geologic Time

The vast timescale used to understand Earth's history.

Geologic Time Scale: New Divisions

Requires significant global markers and stratigraphic evidence.

Golden Spike

A physical reference point in the geologic record defining a boundary in time.

Hadley Cells

Large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns near the equator.

Hegemony

leadership by elites for people to adopt their worldview as natural

Hazard

A potential source of harm or adverse effects.

Hidden Figures

The contributions of underrepresented individuals, particularly black women in STEM.

Holism

The idea that systems and their properties should be viewed as wholes, not just as parts.

Homeostasis

The tendency of a system to maintain internal stability.

Hurricane

A large tropical storm with strong winds and heavy rain.

Hurricanes and Climate Change

Warmer seas increase intensity, frequency, and rainfall.

Hurricane Factors of Formation

Warm water, low wind shear, humidity, Coriolis effect.

Hurricane Hazards

Include winds, storm surge, heavy rainfall, and landslides.

Hyper-Intensification

Increased strength of hurricanes due to warmer oceans.

Hysteresis

A system's resistance to returning to its original state after a disturbance.

Ideology

A system of ideas and ideals shaping beliefs and behaviors.

Interdisciplinary

Integrating knowledge from multiple academic disciplines.

Intersectionality

Examining how overlapping social identities shape experiences of privilege or oppression.

Insolation

The amount of solar radiation received by a given area of Earth's surface.

Iron Fertilization

A geoengineering technique to enhance phytoplankton growth by adding iron to the ocean, potentially increasing carbon sequestration.

Official Landscapes

Defined and maintained by authorities or governments (e.g., parks, monuments).

Vernacular Landscapes

spaces lived in over generations that hold spiritual, cultural, and emotional meaning for communities.

Law 116

Legislation that enforced sterilization in Puerto Rico, often targeting marginalized communities under the guise of population control.

Lebensborn

A Nazi program aimed at increasing the Aryan population by supporting the reproduction of racially "pure" individuals.

Magical Realism

A literary style combining realistic narrative with fantastical elements, often used to explore complex social or political issues.

Man 1 and Man 2

Frameworks for understanding human-environment interactions: Man 1 emphasizes the spiritual connection and stewardship of nature, while Man 2 highlights the exploitative relationship driven by economic gain. .

Miscegenation

The mixing of different racial groups through marriage or procreation, historically stigmatized in racist ideologies.

Multidisciplinary

Combining insights from multiple fields of study without fully integrating them.

Natural Disaster

A catastrophic event caused by natural processes (e.g., earthquakes, hurricanes).

Natural Hazard Mitigation

Strategies to reduce risks and impacts of natural hazards, such as flood barriers or building codes.

Paternalism

A system where authorities restrict freedoms or make decisions "for the good" of individuals, often undermining autonomy.

Phytoplankton

Microscopic marine organisms that photosynthesize and require sunlight, nutrients (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus), and carbon dioxide.

Plastics

Synthetic polymers widely used but contributing significantly to environmental pollution.

Plate Tectonics:

Divergent Boundaries

Plates move apart, forming new crust (e.g., mid-ocean ridges).

Plate Tectonics: Transform Boundaries

Plates slide past each other (e.g., San Andreas Fault).

Plate Tectonics: Convergent Boundaries

Plates collide, forming mountains or subduction zones.

Posthumanism

Philosophical perspective questioning traditional human-centered views, often exploring relationships with technology, animals, and the environment.

Power: Weber

Power as the ability to achieve goals, influence rules, and control narratives.

Power: Fox-Piven

Power as embedded in institutions and social norms.

Property

Ownership rights over tangible or intangible assets, including land, objects, or intellectual property.

Risk

The likelihood of harm or loss from a hazard.

Risk Perception

How individuals or groups assess and respond to risks based on values, experiences, and knowledge.

Rotarian Model

A model of humanitarian aid emphasizing charity but criticized for maintaining power imbalances.

Scale (Temporal and Spatial)

The dimensions of time and space in which events or processes occur.

Science Fiction

A genre exploring speculative futures, advanced technology, and societal impacts.

Sex

The biological categorization of organisms based on reproductive anatomy and genetic makeup.

Slow Violence

Gradual, often invisible harm caused by environmental or social injustices (e.g., pollution, climate change).

Social Location

The social and cultural context influencing an individual's experiences and perspectives.

Systems Theory: Closed Systems

Exchange energy but not matter with surroundings.

Systems Theory: Open Systems

Exchange both energy and matter with surroundings.

Systems Theory: Isolated Systems

Do not exchange energy or matter.

The Anthropocene

A proposed geologic epoch marked by significant human impact on Earth’s systems.

The Bermuda High

A high-pressure system over the Atlantic that influences hurricane paths and weather in the eastern U.S.

The Coriolis Effect

The deflection of moving objects due to Earth's rotation, affecting wind and ocean currents.

The Faint Young Sun Paradox

The paradox of early Earth being warm enough for life despite the Sun being less luminous.

Thermal Escape Velocity (Gas)

The speed at which gas molecules must move to escape a planet's gravity.

Tragedy of the Commons

The overuse and depletion of shared resources due to individual self-interest.

Transdisciplinary

Integrating academic fields with non-academic knowledge to address complex issues.

Tropical Cyclone

A rotating storm system formed over warm oceans, including hurricanes and typhoons.

Types of Science Fiction

Categories like hard SF (technology-focused), soft SF (socially-focused), cyberpunk, space opera, and dystopian.

Vulnerability

The susceptibility of a system or population to harm from hazards.

Wind Shear

The variation in wind speed or direction with altitude, which can inhibit hurricane formation.

Women as Property

Historical and cultural practices where women’s rights and autonomy were treated as subordinate to men.

Xenogenesis

The creation of offspring that are fundamentally different from their parents, explored in science fiction.

Bodymind

Inseparability between the body and mind