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N

NANARCHIST: Someone who circumvents government control to use nanotechnology, or someone who advocates this. [Eli Brandt, October 1991]

NANARCHY: The use of automatic law-enforcement by nanomachines or robots, without any human control [Mark S. Miller].

NANITE: Slang term for a nanomachine (see nanotechnology), esp. a machine able to replicate itself. [Popularized by the Star Trek episode "Evolution"]

NANOCHONDRIA: Nanomachines existing inside living cells, participating in their biochemistry (like mitochondria) and/or assembling various structures. See also nanosome. [Ken Clements 1996]

NANOFACTURE: The fabrication of goods using nanotechnology [Geoff Dale 1995].

NANOMEDICINE: The use of molecular-scale devices (nanotechnology) to repair damage and boost the immune system. For some applications, see Nanotechnology and Medicine by Ralph C. Merkle [Max More, Extropy #10].

NANOSOME: Nanodevices existing symbiotically inside biological cells, doing mechanosynthesis and disassembly for it and replicating with the cell. Similar to nanochondria. [Anders Sandberg January 1998]

NANOTECH: Slang for nanotechnology.

(MOLECULAR) NANOTECHNOLOGY: The technology of precisely- constructed molecular-scale machines; from nanometer: a billionth of a meter. For a good introduction, see What is Nanotechnology? or Ralph C. Merkle's nanotechnology page. See also my nanotechnology page. [K. Eric Drexler, Engines of Creation, 1986]

NEG: Someone who typically complains, moans, and whines, Someone practicing the opposite of dynamic optimism.

NEOLOGOMANIA: The transhuman enthusiasm for neologisms, especially the creation of words with many prefixes. [Brian Manning Delany]

NEOMORPH: A transhuman or posthuman with a non-humanoid body [Greg Bear, Eon]

NEOPHILE: One who welcomes the future and who enjoys change and evolution.

NEOPHILIA: (From the Jargon File, with a slight hacker bias): The trait of being excited and pleased by novelty. Common among most hackers, SF fans, and members of several other connected leading-edge subcultures, including the pro-technology `Whole Earth' wing of the ecology movement, space activists, many members of Mensa, and the Discordian/neo-pagan underground. All these groups overlap heavily and (where evidence is available) seem to share characteristic hacker tropisms for science fiction, music, and oriental food. The opposite tendency is `neophobia'.

NEOPHOBE: One who fears change and wants to abort technological and social transformation.

NEUROCOMPUTATION: The study of how natural and artificial neural networks process information.

NEURONAUT: A person who explores their own neural functioning and internal mentational processes by various means, including deep introspection and meditation, psychoactive drugs, mind machines, and neuroscientific understanding.

NEURON STAR: A neutron star used as a basis for a densely packed mind (similar to a jupiter brain or a omegon) exploiting neutronium or quark matter for computation [Damien Broderick, 1996]

NEUROPROSTHESIS: Implanted cybernetic brain augmentation.

NEUROSUSPENSION: Cryonically suspending only the head or brain of a person.

NOOTROPIC: A cognition-enhancing drug that has no significant side- effects. (cf. extropiate). [C. Giurgea]

NOW SHOCK: Being shocked or confused by the rapid changes that has already taken place, a kind of future shock before the present. [Michael Rothschild 1995, "Cornucopia Or Black Hole?", Upside]

NUTRACEUTICAL: A foodstuff or parts of foodstuff that offers medical or health benefits related to the prevention and treatment of disease.


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Anders Sandberg / asa@nada.kth.se
2000-03-11