Glossary
Finding a name for something is a way of evoking its existence, or allowing people to see a pattern where they previously saw nothing - Howard Rheingold
Activity
Any purposeful expenditure of energy - mental, physical, or emotional - that transforms a situation, a state, or an understanding from one condition to another
Agents
Autonomous entities that can perceive their environment, make decisions, and perform actions to achieve specific goals
Analysis
Interpreting situations through statistical methods, analytical models, and organizing frameworks
Attributes
Features that provide information about an entity and describe specific details to identify or classify it
Bug
An observable anomaly which results from a defect and is discovered because an inconsistency with expected behavior is noticed
Capabilities
That which provides an ability to achieve a desired state under specified standards and conditions
Comprehension
The ability to grasp the meaning of information, texts, or concepts by decoding and interpreting data to recognize what is being communicated without delving into implications or connections
Concepts
Abstract general notions or mental representations of categories or objects
Conduction
System elements working together to facilitate the movement of material, data, and energy within the territory they occupy
Context
The interpretive framework and corresponding knowledge, experience, and perspective that give meaning to facts, actions, or ideas and promotes understanding of why something matters, how it fits into a bigger picture, or what it implies
Data
Raw information collected through observations, measurements, or research.
Defect
Anything that must be changed in a design or implementation because it detracts from the system's ability to meet stakeholder's needs completely and effectively
Entities
Items of definition or reference that claim independent existence and a distinctive identify
Environment
The surrounding conditions, context, and external influences that affect entities, agents, or systems
Evidence
Anything presented in support of an assertion, as described here
Facts
Statements that can be proven true or false, are consistent with objective reality, and are specific, verifiable, and represent a concrete piece of information; typically derived from observations, evidence, experiments, and reliable sources
Failure
One or more errors in a system of interest occur, are propagated, and cause the system itself to enter an unsafe, invalid, or unacceptable operational state
Harmony
The adequate integration of components or systems to assure they work together smoothly, without conflict, and free of interruptions or defects, by achieving coherence
Ideas
Specific instances of thinking that manifest as thoughts, plans, or opinions
Information
Data that has been processed and organized in a way that is meaningful for use in the form of facts, figures, and narratives.
Intentions
The aims, plans, or purposes that drive an agent to act in a certain way, through conscious decisions to perform specific actions to achieve desired outcomes
Knowledge
The understanding and awareness of justified true beliefs gained through experience, education, and the application of information
Language
A system of symbols used to communicate among entities.
Learning
The process of acquiring the skills and behaviors necessary to achieve and improve adaptation to the environment.
Means of production
Assets that enable agents to engage in production
Mental models
Cognitive frameworks or representations that aid in understanding and interpreting the world, predicting outcomes, and guiding behavior
Objects
Instances of things with extensions in space and time
Operations
Capabilities that can be performed by and are provided by a class of entities
Peer reviews
Soliciting and dispositioning feedback from experts re artifacts and methods
Perceptions
The organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information to represent and understand the information or the environment, as described here
Production
The mechanisms used to combine inputs (material and intangible) to produce goods, services, or outcomes which have value and contribute to the utility of capabilities needed by stakeholders
Properties
Inherent behavior-oriented qualities possessed by entities that define their nature
Reality
The aggregation of all that is real or existent, grounded in the physical universe, and the laws that govern it. The state of things as they are, independent of perception, beliefs, or theories, whether observable or beyond human comprehension
Relationships
Connections between entities that define how they interact and relate to each other.
Resources
Materials available within a defined context which are technologically accessible, economically feasible, and culturally sustainable which satisfy stakeholder needs and wants and are consumed by activities
Technology
The application of structured knowledge to extend capabilities, coordinate mitigation of complexity, and enable production efficacy.
Things
Idealized, holistic classes that we mentally organize reality into to communicate core properties that justify treating them together as one conceptualization
Truth
Statements, propositions, and beliefs that align with facts or reality. A statement is true if it accurately reflects the state of affairs it describes. Truth is the foundational concept that underpins verifiable facts, ensuring consistency, objectivity, and coherence in our understanding of reality.
Understanding
Connecting new information with context including existing knowledge to make sense and gain insight of its broader implications, significance, and relationships. Wisdom The highest level of cognitive processing involves the ability to make sound judgments and decisions based on deep understanding and experience.
Yield (verification)
The portion of defects detected by verification relative to the total defects which could have been detected