Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

supersymmetry

(physics) a theory that tries to link the four fundamental forces

 

cynosure

something that strongly attracts attention and admiration

 

eye-catcher

a striking person or thing that attracts attention

 

expertness

skillfulness by virtue of possessing special knowledge

 

anthroposophy

a system of beliefs and practices based on the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner; it claims to integrate the practical and psychological in child-centered education

 

frame of reference

a system of assumptions and standards that sanction behavior and give it meaning

 

meteorology

the earth science dealing with phenomena of the atmosphere (especially weather)

 

quadratics

a branch of algebra dealing with quadratic equations

 

pruritus

an intense itching sensation that can have various causes (as by allergies or infection or lymphoma or jaundice etc.)

 

cultus

a system of religious beliefs and rituals

 

promise

grounds for feeling hopeful about the future

 

similarity

a Gestalt principle of organization holding that (other things being equal) parts of a stimulus field that are similar to each other tend to be perceived as belonging together as a unit

 

mythology

the study of myths

 

ignis fatuus

an illusion that misleads

 

old wives' tale

a bit of lore passed on by word of mouth

 

supply-side economics

the school of economic theory that stresses the costs of production as a means of stimulating the economy; advocates policies that raise capital and labor output by increasing the incentive to produce

 

guesstimate

an estimate that combines reasoning with guessing

 

Shiism

the branch of Islam that regards Ali as the legitimate successor to Mohammed and rejects the first three caliphs

 

Planck's law

(physics) the basis of quantum theory; the energy of electromagnetic waves is contained in indivisible quanta that have to be radiated or absorbed as a whole; the magnitude is proportional to frequency where the constant of proportionality is given by Planck's constant

 

infinitesimal

(mathematics) a variable that has zero as its limit