Supergranulation is now in play. Send as daffy a definition as you can!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: arnie,

Only two daffynitions so far. I see that several newcomers have joined WC recently. Might I hear from you with a made up definition of supergranulation? It's our version of Fictionary, or Balderdash, or the dictionary game, or whatever you with to call it. Do NOT look the word up! Just send a private message with as wild a "daffynition" as you can dream up!

Just in case it's not being recognised as a new game I've taken the liberty of editing your heading, Geoff, to show "Bluffing Game word:" as well.

Thanks,arnie. Six entries so far, including new member Helen_TH, and they're all good! How about a couple more before I post them?

Sorry, I've been a bit out of commission lately, and will be until my March Madness (not the real one but my work is so busy these days) is over.

I've got a good number of fine daffynitions, but I'll wait a couple more days. Any one else care to send one in?

Here are the daffynitions, plus the real thing:

1. In neurons, the point at which cytoplasmic calcium ions are inactivated by phosphate ones.

2. The point at which layered spherulitic growth begins in the formation of Calcium Oxalate Monohydrate Kidney Stones.

3. A solar phenomenon wherein the sun's surface displays a grainy pattern.

4. A rock fall consisting of very large boulders.

5. Surface erosion occurring when detachable soils on sufficiently steep slopes are exposed to overland flow and/or the impact of rainfall.

6. When a pressurized, saturated solution of a salt is suddenly depressurized, crystals will form immediately. This phenomenon is known as supergranulation.

7. A process used in the manufacture of some modern oil paintings. It has played a definitive role in allowing a greater chromatic density of pigment in certain colors. The supergranulation process achieves this through breaking down the pigment molecules to previously unobtainable sizes allowing more pigment to be bound to the same amount of vehicle (oil).

8. Describing the [unexpected] non-uniformity of the density distribution in the known Universe.

9. Variations in base state electromagnetic density caused by quantum state interference.

10. Formation of keloid tissue.

Whew! Quite a lot of science, pseudo science, and utter bovine exhaust! Somewhere in there is the right one. Which is it, and why did you pick it?

When I first saw the word I assumed it must mean something like "reducing a substance to very fine granules", but I suppose that would have been a bit too obvious...

I'll go for 3, on the grounds that the word suggests both "surface" and "grainy". But to be honest it could be any of them.

Wow! We should be writing episodes of Stargate with this level of technobabble.

I'll choose 7 as one of the least technobabblish.

I know I'll regret this, but I'll go for 8.

You don't step on Superman's cape
You don't spit into the wind
You don't steal the horse from the old Lone Ranger
And you contradict arnie at your peril

but still I'll go for #3, in this Year of the Sunspots.

[Edit: See also "The Year of the Jackpot," which I'm surprised to remind myself is by Robert Heinlein, Galaxy Science Fiction, March 1952 - speaking of sunspots and years]

This message has been edited. Last edited by: haberdasher,

I am going for #3.

Those were amazing daffynitions! Great word, Geoff.

I'll go for number 1 - simply because I don't have the least idea what it means.

I think I know this one, so I guess that it's not fair for me to "guess"? :-)

If you know it, say so! All's fair except looking it up! Please say what leads you to your selection.

If he knows the answer, and tells everyone, isn't that spoiling it for the people who haven't guessed yet?

He said he thinks he knows it. He could be wrong. Only arnie is infallible.

And even if you do know it, there are still two choices: 1) select the right answer, thereby showing us all (including yourself) that you are very bright and aware, or 2) choose what you think is the cleverest and most misleading (but false) daffynition, to encourage and reward our individual and collective creativity. Both courses are valid - take your pick!

[edit - corrected typo]

This message has been edited. Last edited by: haberdasher,

OK. I think I know that it is number 3, simply because I seem to remember reading about this at some time in the past. If I had to guess without my hazy memory, then I would have picked number 8 because it seems plausible, and to my mind seems like a much better definition of the word

OK, #3 has the most votes so far, but arnie chose otherwise. Helen, you've not submitted a reply.
I'm waiting...

Helen? I must have missed something.

You welcomed her to the group last week, Kalleh!

Oh well. It has been a busy week for me!

Sorry for my slow response... I like number 2 just for the sheer amount of big scientific sounding words!

Will the real supergranulation please stand up?

As several of you surmised, the real answer is #3
Here's the Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supergranulation

Good going, Guy, Haberdasher, Kalleh, and Mike!

1 and 2 were my own, plucked from on-line abstracts regarding calcium's function in nerves.

#4 was arnie's daffynition, which ensnared not a soul.

#5 was Guy's, which also failed to garner any votes.

#6 was submitted by Richard, and also went voteless.

#7 was Helen's, and Bob fell into her thrall. Good going, Helen!

#8 was Haberdasher's concoction, which ensnared arnie, who was clearly off his game this time!

#9 was Bob's daffynition, sans votes.

#10 was submitted by Kalleh, also without success.

The real success story is Haberdasher since he both knew the right term and fooled the normally unfoolable arnie! I'm amazed!

Are you a science writer, Hab? Or just your ordinary, every day polymath?

Great daffynitions, y'all! Who's got another word for us?

I'm quite pleased that mine got no votes as I had intentionally concocted it to be the kind of pseudo-scientific gibberish that makes up half the dialogue of Stargate.

Votes or no votes, Bob, it sounded very much in line with all the other gibberish, including those two I culled from real scientific journals!
I feel that everyone's daffynitions were really in the spirit of this game this time.

Who's got another word?

quote:

Originally posted by Geoff:
...your ordinary, every day polymath?

Interesting how "mathematics" has narrowed in its meaning over time. It's only one small aspect of polymathy. (Polymathyism?)

Yet the British usage is "maths." Here, we're too drug-addled to notice, so it's "meths."

Yes, but either way the "math" of polymath derives from the Greek for "learning" rather than from number science or arithmetic.

(Sorry to turn this [back] into a word-oriented Board!)

What's interesting about that article is that "polyhistor" is given as a synonym. This suggests that "mathematics" and "history" both started out with much more general meanings, but over time came to refer to individual disciplines.

According to Wikipedia, ancient Greek ἱστορία means "inquiry" or "knowledge from inquiry", and the old meaning is still preserved in "natural history". "Science", too, derives from the Latin for "knowledge". Curious!

Annnnd, one may further complicate this stuff with "science" and "natural philosophy."

quote:

I'm quite pleased that mine got no votes as I had intentionally concocted it to be the kind of pseudo-scientific gibberish that makes up half the dialogue of Stargate.

I am too competitive to say that...I always want to win!

OK, Kalleh, submit a winner!