- Macroevolution
- *
(n) [FAQ] 1. Evolution at or
above the species level. [den., science] The boundary between macro-
and micro- is fuzzy, as some researchers prefer to include speciation
in micro- and others reson that the only macro- process that gives
distinctive events is speciation. Speciation events are thus, to many
scientists, examples of macroevolution. 2. Evolution too imperceptible to
be observed within the lifetime of one researcher [conn., Goldschmidt,
1940]. While SciCre-ists are
fond of quoting Goldschmidt when discussing his hopeful monster
conjecture, they show no inclination to accept Goldschmidt's
connotation of the term macroevolution. 3. Evolution at a level which is
not currently observed. [conn., TAE] This is a common connotation
among SciCre-ists and TAEs, since it is open ended and easy
to adjust with announcements of new observations. Depending upon the
astuteness of SciCre-ists and TAEs in your local community, this may
be asserted to be at levels ranging from species to family, with a
marked preference for the word kind. Given the manner in which kind is defined, this becomes a
tautology.
- Macrogravity
- (n) 1.
The hypothetical force that is a major factor in describing the motions
of the planets and the stars. [den., Tom Scharle] Cf. microgravity(3).
Macrogravity can only be inferred from these motions (the bodies
involved being by definition not subject to experimentation). The
identification with microgravity(3) under the
single concept of gravity is said to be parallel to the identification
of macroevolution and microevolution under the
concept of evolution.
- Meiosis
- (n) 1. In
diploid eukaryotes, a process of cell division in which the chromosomes
do not first duplicate. Half of the original cell's chromosomes go to
each of the resulting cells, producing haploid cells.
- Misquotation
- (n) 1.
Text which resembles a quotation, but which is actually
a fabrication or a misrepresentation of the original. The criterion
for deciding if quoted text is a misquotation is that the meaning of
the quoted text is not the same as that of the original text. Some
misquotations are accidental, but many require so much effort to
construct that they are almost certainly deliberate falsifications.
- Misquotation by
fabrication
- (np) 1. A "quotation" which has no
original.
- Misquotation by omission
- (np) 1. Leaving out text from a quotation, thereby altering its
meaning.
- Misquotation
by omission of context
- (np) 1. Omitting the context of a quotation, thereby altering its
meaning.
- Misquotation by
patchwork
- (np) 1. A particularly outrageous form of
misquotation by
omission, in which widely separated phrases or sentences are
patched together.
- Misquotation by
selection of strawmen
- (np) 1. Quoting a hypothetical
or rhetorical position presented by an author during exposition as if
it was the actual position of the author; a form of misquotati
on by omission of context.
- Mitosis
- (n) 1. A process
of cell division in which the chromosomes first duplicate. One copy of
each chromosome goes to each of the resulting cells, producing cells of
the same ploidy.
- Microevolution
-
(n) [FAQ] 1. Evolution within
the species level. [den., science] 2. Change in allele frequency in a
population over time. [conn., SciCre] Note that this connotation
is equivalent to evolution(1). All SciCre-ists so far admit that microevolution(2) is
observed. Some TAEs may not. 3.
Adaptation or variation. [conn., those TAEs who balk at microevolution(2)]
- Microgravity
- (n) 1.
The state of very little gravitational acceleration such as experienced
in free fall, as in an artificial satellite. [den.] 2. Small deviations
in standard gravitational attraction due to local masses (such as the
Himalayas). [den.] 3. The force which causes the observed weight and
acceleration of bodies in the laboratory. [conn., Tom Scharle]
Microgravity is by definition the force which can be measured
experimentally. Newton's theory(1) of Universal Gravitation
identified microgravity(3) and macrogravity.
- Morlanization
- (n)
1. The process of taking a correspondent's argument, taking it to the
nearest available extreme position, pigeonholing it there, and then
claiming that the pigeonholed argument is actually the correspondent's
position. 2. The process of deleting qualifying comments from a
paragraph of a correspondent's post, then claiming that the statements
sans qualifications are the complete representation of the
correspondent's position. Both one and two due to Joe Morlan; see Strawman Argument.
Often difficult to detect as a strawman, since morlanized posts often
contain what appear to be legitimate quotations that are actually misquotati
ons by omission of context.
- Mutation
- * (n) 1. An
error in duplication of genetic material which results in a different
sequence of and/or a different number of base pairs in the copy than
were in the original. [den., science] 2. An error in duplication of
genetic material which results in a different sequence of and/or a
different number of base pairs in the copy than were in the original,
which is always bad for the organism getting the copy. [conn., TAE] 3. An error in duplication of
genetic material which results in a different sequence of and/or a
different number of base pairs in the copy than were in the original,
which is always bad for the organism getting the copy, except after The Flood. [conn., SciCre]