Unit 7 Vocab Guide
OER PROJECT:BIG HISTORYUNIT 7VOCAB GUIDEUnless otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Credit: “Big History Vocab Guide”, OER Project, www.oerproject.com/Lesson 7.1AI (artificial intelligence)Defini&on humanintelligence simulator or the ability of technology like computers to perform tasks normally completed by humansPart of speechnounUse in sentenceSome people are afraid of AI because they think it will take over the world.climate changeDefini&on changesin the measures of the Earth’s climate over a long period of >me including weather, precipita>on, and temperature pa@ernsPart of speechnounUse in sentenceRising global temperatures due to climate change are causing more frequent and intense extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and heatwaves.complexityDefini&on thequality of being intricate and compoundedPart of speechnounUse in sentenceThecomplexity of video games has increased over >me from very simple games like Pong to more complex games like Mario Kart.futureDefini&on >me yet to comePart of speechnounUse in sentenceIn the future, we may be able to live on other planets.
OER PROJECT:BIG HISTORYUNIT 7VOCAB GUIDE2technologyDefini&on the various inven>ons and means of solving problems that result from scien>fic research and discoveryPart of speechnounUse in sentenceThat country has vast natural resources but lacks the technology to exploit them.Lesson 7.2climate changeDefini&on changesin the measures of the Earth’s climate over a long period of >me including weather, precipita>on, and temperature pa@ernsPart of speechnounUse in sentenceRising global temperatures due to climate change are causing more frequent and intense extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and heatwaves.emissionDefini&on therelease of substances, such as gases, par>cles, or radia>on, into the air, water, or soilPart of speechnounUse in sentenceThe countries with the highest CO₂ emissions per person are wealthy countries—like Canada and Australia—or oil-producers like Qatar and Saudi Arabia.fossil fuelDefini&on a carbon-based material such as coal, oil, or natural gas that can be used as an energy sourcePart of speechnoun
OER PROJECT:BIG HISTORYUNIT 7VOCAB GUIDE3Use in sentenceFossil fuels were originally formed when the remains of living organisms were buried and broken down by intense heat and pressure over millions of years.global warmingDefini&on the rise in global temperatures due mainly to the emission of greenhouse gasesPart of speechnounUse in sentenceGlobal warming will lead to sea-level rise, increased drought, and more tropical storms.greenhouse gasDefini&on gasesthat trap heat in Earth’s atmospherePart of speechnounUse in sentenceGreenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, trap heat from the Sun inside Earth’s atmosphere.HoloceneDefini&on the geological epoch that begins with the end of the last ice age, about 13,000 years ago, and ends at the start of the Anthropocene epoch, about 200 years agoPart of speechnounUse in sentenceThere have been no major ice ages during the Holocene.Lesson 7.3alienDefini&on a being from a planet that is not Earth; extraterrestrialPart of speechnoun/adjec>veUse in sentenceMovies oYen portray aliens as li@le green creatures from Mars.
OER PROJECT:BIG HISTORYUNIT 7VOCAB GUIDE4colonizeDefini&on to establish or form a colony on; se@lePart of speechverbUse in sentenceThe Bri>sh began to colonize Australia in the late eighteenth century.explorationDefini&on the act of traveling across distances for the purpose of discovery or inves>ga>onPart of speechnounUse in sentenceOur current explora>on of Mars is conducted by rovers launched from Earth.magnetic fieldDefini&on a region of space in which a magne>c force occurs, especially as a result of electrical current or the mo>ons of charged par>cles such as electronsPart of speechnounUse in sentenceScien>sts think that sunspots are caused by strong magne>c fields below the surface of the Sun.radiationDefini&on the emission of par>cles or waves of energy, as by radioac>ve material or by electrical circuits or devicesPart of speechnounUse in sentenceMany people are concerned about toxic radia>on from nuclear waste.terraformingDefini&on to change the form of a planet or other space object so that it resembles EarthPart of speechverb
OER PROJECT:BIG HISTORYUNIT 7VOCAB GUIDE5Use in sentencePeople have proposed terraforming Mars to make it suitable for humans to live there.Lesson 7.4AI (artificial intelligence)Defini&on humanintelligence simulator or the ability of technology like computers to perform tasks normally completed by humansPart of speechnounUse in sentenceSome people are afraid of AI because they think it will take over the world.geoengineeringDefini&on the use of large-scale technology to try to change or control the Earth's climatePart of speechverbUse in sentenceWe may be able to combat climate change through geoengineering.innovationDefini&on a new method, approach, or ideaPart of speechnounUse in sentenceThanks to the innova>on of the Wright brothers, we have aircraY that allow us to travel swiYly and safely today.quantumDefini&on the smallest possible amount of something such as ma@er or energyPart of speechnoun/adjec>veUse in sentenceQuantum physics is the study of ma@er and energy at the subatomic level or of ma@er and energy smaller than atoms.
OER PROJECT:BIG HISTORYUNIT 7VOCAB GUIDE6sentientDefini&on able to feel, think, and be awarePart of speechadjec>veUse in sentenceOne day, ar>ficial intelligence might become truly sen>ent.technologyDefini&on the various inven>ons and means of solving problems that result from scien>fic research and discoveryPart of speechnounUse in sentenceThat country has vast natural resources but lacks the technology to exploit them.Lesson 7.5AnthropoceneDefini&on aproposed new geological epoch during which our species has become the dominant force for change in the biospherePart of speechnounUse in sentenceThe Anthropocene marks the end of the Holocene epoch, about the >me of the Industrial Revolu>on, about 250 years ago.fossil fuelDefini&on a carbon-based material such as coal, oil, or natural gas that can be used as an energy sourcePart of speechnounUse in sentenceFossil fuels were originally formed when the remains of living organisms were buried and broken down by intense heat and pressure over millions of years.
OER PROJECT:BIG HISTORYUNIT 7VOCAB GUIDE7futuringDefini&on to imagine how things might work in the futurePart of speechverbUse in sentenceFuturing is about preparing for the many different possibili>es that may come about from new technology or new methodsfor doing things.globalizationDefini&on the process or idea of the world becoming more like that of a single na>on with one shared economy and culture rather than separate, dis>nct countriesPart of speechnounUse in sentenceToday, we are living in an era of economic globaliza>on.populationDefini&on the group or number of inhabitants, human or otherwise, of a par>cular category in a placePart of speechnounUse in sentenceTo feed the growing popula>on of the world, food produc>on must increase.socialDefini&on rela>ng to human society including how people form groups and interact with one anotherPart of speechadjec>veUse in sentenceSocial characteris>cs of ancient empires included people having different jobs and being organized into hierarchies based on wealth or power.systemDefini&on group of interac>ng or interrelated elements that make up a whole
OER PROJECT:BIG HISTORYUNIT 7VOCAB GUIDE8Part of speechnounUse in sentenceAn example of a human system is the interac>on of people when they form communi>es.Lesson 7.6ccollective learningDefini&on the ability to share, preserve, and build upon ideas over >mePart of speechnounUse in sentenceSymbolic language makes collec>ve learning possible because it allows humans to share huge amounts of informa>on across genera>ons.complexityDefini&on thequality of being intricate and compoundedPart of speechnounUse in sentenceThecomplexity of video games has increased over >me from very simple games like Pong to more complex games like Mario Kart.consciousDefini&on beingaware of your surroundings; making deliberate decisionsPart of speechadjec>veUse in sentenceYour conscious thoughts are the ones that you know you're making, while your unconscious or subconscious thoughts happen when you're dreaming.entropyDefini&on lacking order; a state of disorderPart of speechnounUse in sentenceYour bedroom is in a state of entropy as it gradually becomes messy aYer you've cleaned it.
OER PROJECT:BIG HISTORYUNIT 7VOCAB GUIDE9threshold of increasing complexityDefini&on moments in the history of the Universe when specific ingredients under the right "Goldilocks Condi>ons" come together to create something new and more complexPart of speechnounUse in sentenceThis threshold of increasing complexity is about the development of life on Earth.