WSC 2026 part 2

Indeterminate progress bar

A progress indicator that shows activity without estimating how long a task will take.

Splash screen

A screen briefly shown while an application loads.

Console output

Text-based system messages used mainly by developers for feedback and debugging.

Skeleton screen

A placeholder layout that appears while content is loading, showing the structure in advance.

Throbber

A looping animation that indicates background activity.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

The total value of goods and services produced within a country.

Gross National Income (GNI)

GDP plus income earned from abroad minus income paid overseas.

Gini Coefficient

A measure of income inequality within a population.

Human Development Index (HDI)

A composite measure of health, education, and income.

Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)

A measure of poverty that includes health, education, and living standards.

Labour Productivity

The amount of output produced per worker or per hour worked.

Happiness Index

A ranking based on life satisfaction and well-being indicators.

Passport Index

A ranking of passports by how many countries can be entered without a visa.

Big Mac Index

A simplified way of comparing purchasing power between countries using the price of a Big Mac.

Eisenhower Method

Prioritising tasks by urgency and importance.

1-2-3 Method

Daily task planning using one big task, two medium tasks, and three small tasks.

Ivy Lee Method

Writing six tasks each day and completing them in order of priority.

4-D Method

Decide whether to Do, Delegate, Defer, or Delete a task.

Eat That Frog

Completing the most difficult or unpleasant task first.

Must-Do

Tasks that are essential and non-negotiable.

Bullet Journal

A flexible planning system combining notes, tasks, and reflection.

The Millerites (1844)

A religious group predicting the Second Coming, which did not occur.

Wodziwob's visions (1869)

Prophecies predicting world changes that failed to materialise.

Halley's Comet Panic (1910)

Public fear that Earth would be poisoned by a comet's tail.

The Jupiter Effect (1974)

A prediction that planetary alignment would cause earthquakes.

Hon-Ming Chen (1988)

A scientist who predicted global catastrophe due to nuclear reactions.

The Y2K bug (2000)

Fear that computers would fail at the millennium due to date formatting.

Large Hadron Collider fears (2008)

Concerns it could create black holes.

Mayan Apocalypse (2012)

A misinterpretation of the Mayan calendar predicting the end of the world.

Kanban

A visual workflow system using columns to track progress.

Gantt Chart

A timeline showing tasks, durations, and dependencies.

Harmonogram

A detailed scheduling chart used in engineering and construction.

Stakhanovite Movement

A Soviet campaign promoting extreme productivity.

Critical Path Method (CPM)

Identifying the longest sequence of dependent tasks.

Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)

Estimating project timelines using probabilities.

Waterfall Method

A linear project model with fixed stages.

Toyota Production System

Lean manufacturing focused on waste reduction.

Chaos Engineering

Testing systems by deliberately introducing failures.

Agile Manifesto

Principles emphasising flexibility, collaboration, and iteration.

Six Sigma

Six Sigma is a data-driven business management strategy focused on improving quality by reducing process variation and eliminating defects.

developed by Bill Smith at Motorola in 1986.

five-phase framework called DMAIC to improve existing processes:

Define: State the project goals, customer requirements, and problem boundaries.

Measure: Gather data on the current process performance.

Analyze: Inspect the data to find the root causes of errors or delays.

Improve: Fix the root causes and test new ways to make the process better.

Control: Watch the new process to make sure the fixes stay in place over time

Sashimi Model

A variation of Waterfall with overlapping stages.

The Three Ways

Flow, feedback, and continual learning in systems thinking.

"The Phoenix Project" Philosophy

Applying DevOps principles to organisational management.

Taylorism

Scientific management focused on efficiency and standardisation.

Max Weber's Bureaucracy

Organisational structure based on rules and hierarchy.

Ford Assembly Line

Mass production using specialised, repetitive tasks.

Total Quality Management (TQM)

Continuous improvement involving all employees.

Hawthorne Effect

People change behaviour when they know they are observed.

Hofstadter's Law

Tasks always take longer than expected.

90-90 Rule

The last 10% of work takes 90% of the time.

Conway's Law

System design mirrors organisational structure.

Putt's Law

Technology works in reverse to organisational hierarchy.

Illich's Law

Over-specialisation reduces efficiency.

Labourit's Law

Humans choose the easiest path to success.

Brooks' Law

Adding people to a late project makes it later.

Low vs. High Fidelity

Rough vs. realistic design detail.

Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

The simplest usable version of a product.

Minimum Marketable Feature (MMF)

The smallest feature that delivers value.

Prefrontal Cortex

Brain region responsible for planning and impulse control.

Neural Pruning

The removal of unused neural connections.

Neophilia

Attraction to novelty.

Sweet Sixteens

Celebration of coming of age in some cultures.

Fiesta de Quinceañera

Latin American coming-of-age celebration at 15.

Vision Quests

Spiritual rites in Indigenous cultures.

Seijin no Hi

Japanese Coming of Age Day.

Bar and Bat Mitzvahs

Jewish religious coming-of-age ceremonies.

Walkabout

Aboriginal Australian rite of passage.

Khatam al-Qur'an

Completion of Qur'anic study.

Astrolabe

Ancient instrument for determining latitude.

Sextant

Measures angles between celestial bodies.

Log Tables and Ephemerides

Mathematical and astronomical reference tools.

Magnetic Compass

Direction-finding tool using Earth's magnetic field.

Log and Line

Measuring speed at sea.

Chronometer

Precise timekeeping for longitude calculation.

Magnetoreception

Sensing Earth's magnetic field.

Cryptochromes

Light-sensitive proteins linked to navigation.

Olfactory Navigation

Using smell for orientation.

Echolocation

Navigating by sound reflection.

Zugunruhe

Migratory restlessness.

Constant Frequency

Stable sound signals.

Frequency Modulation

Varying sound frequency.

Sunlight Polarisation

Using light patterns for direction.

Spatial Memory

Remembering locations.

Indigo Bunting / Dung Beetle / Honeybees / Homing Pigeons / Sea Turtles / Desert Ants

Species with advanced navigation abilities.

Macadam

Layered stone road surface.

Corduroy Road

Log-based road in wet areas.

Gallery Road

Enclosed or protected roadway.

Holloway

Sunken road from erosion.

Ridgeway

Elevated route.

Piezoelectric Materials

Generate electricity under pressure.

Inductive Charging

Wireless energy transfer.

DSRC

Vehicle-to-vehicle communication system.

Self-Healing Asphalt

Repairs cracks automatically.

Modular Pavement

Interchangeable road sections.

Travelling Salesman Problem

Finding the shortest route covering all points.

Vector-Based Navigation

Direction-and-distance travel.

Explore-Exploit Problem

Choosing between new and known options.

Route Elasticity

How traffic adapts to changes.

Braess's Paradox

Adding roads can increase congestion.

Dead Reckoning

Navigation by speed and direction.