SCIgen is a program developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that generates random computer science research papers. It uses a context-free grammar to create nonsensical text that resembles scholarly articles, complete with sections like abstract, introduction, methodology, and references. The goal of SCIgen is satirical; it highlights the issues of low-quality research and the sometimes absurd nature of publishing practices in academia.
A Horn clause is a special type of logical expression used in propositional logic and predicate logic that has important applications in computer science, particularly in logic programming and automated theorem proving. A Horn clause is defined as a disjunction of literals (which can be either a positive or negative atomic proposition) with at most one positive literal.
In computer science, particularly in the fields of logic programming, type inference, and automated reasoning, **unification** refers to the process of making two terms identical by finding a substitution for their variables. This concept is fundamental in various areas including: 1. **Logic Programming**: In languages like Prolog, unification is the mechanism used to match predicates and rules with arguments. When a rule is applied, unification determines what variable substitutions need to be made to make the terms match.
An And-inverter graph (AIG) is a directed acyclic graph (DAG) that is used in digital design and logic synthesis to represent Boolean functions. It is a particular type of binary decision diagram (BDD) where nodes correspond to AND operations and inverters (NOT operations), hence the name. In an AIG: 1. **Nodes**: The graph has two types of nodes: - **AND gates**: These nodes represent the logical AND operation.
George Johnson is an American writer and science journalist known for his work on topics related to science, especially space and the natural world. He has contributed to various publications, including The New York Times, and is recognized for making complex scientific concepts accessible to a general audience. One of his notable works is "Wonder of Wonders," which explores the wonders of the universe and our understanding of it. Johnson often emphasizes the importance of skepticism and critical thinking in scientific discourse.
Hubert Dreyfus (1929–2017) was an influential American philosopher and a prominent figure in the fields of existentialism, phenomenology, and the philosophy of technology. He was best known for his critiques of artificial intelligence and his interpretations of the works of existentialist philosophers, particularly Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty.
SciEngines GmbH is a technology company based in Germany that specializes in developing high-performance computing solutions, primarily focused on hardware and software for scientific and engineering applications. The company is known for its expertise in providing customized solutions for accelerating computation-intensive tasks, particularly in fields like computational fluid dynamics, molecular simulations, and data analysis. One of their notable products is a series of hardware accelerators designed to enhance the performance of simulations and complex calculations.
Dataism is a philosophical and cultural perspective that emphasizes the importance and primacy of data in understanding the world, making decisions, and driving progress. It views data as a fundamental resource that can provide insights, inform behavior, and optimize processes across various fields, including science, technology, economics, and social interactions.
The Machine Question refers to a philosophical inquiry into the moral and ethical status of artificial intelligence (AI) and machines, particularly as they become more advanced and capable of mimicking human behavior and decision-making. It addresses questions such as: 1. **Moral Consideration**: Do machines or AI systems deserve moral consideration? If so, to what extent? 2. **Agency and Autonomy**: Can machines possess agency or autonomy similar to humans?
Psychological schools refer to distinct theoretical frameworks or paradigms within psychology that offer different perspectives on understanding human behavior, thought processes, and emotions. Each school of thought encompasses its own theories, methodologies, and applications for studying psychological phenomena. Here are some of the major psychological schools: 1. **Structuralism**: Founded by Wilhelm Wundt, this school aimed to analyze the structure of the mind by breaking down mental processes into their most basic components.
The Territorialist School, also known as Territoriality or the Territorialist theory, primarily refers to a concept in political theory and sociology that focuses on the relationship between territory and political organization, identity, and social behavior. The idea emphasizes how territorial boundaries shape social interactions, governance, and group identities. While the term might not have a universally recognized definition, it is often associated with discussions on nationalism, state sovereignty, and the control of geographic spaces.
Pretty Easy Privacy (PEP) is a user-friendly implementation of the Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) encryption standard, designed to make it easier for individuals to secure their communications and data. PGP itself is widely used for encrypting emails and files to ensure that only intended recipients can read them, protecting against unauthorized access. PEP aims to simplify the complexities surrounding traditional PGP, such as key management and encryption processes, by providing a straightforward interface and streamlined procedures.
Session is an open-source, privacy-focused messaging platform that aims to provide secure and anonymous communication. It is built on a decentralized network and uses blockchain technology to enhance user privacy. Unlike traditional messaging apps that rely on centralized servers, Session operates on a peer-to-peer basis, ensuring that users' messages are not stored on any central server, thus minimizing the risk of data breaches or unauthorized access.
Infoseek was an early internet search engine and web portal that was popular in the 1990s. It was launched in 1995 and allowed users to search for web pages, images, and other online content. Infoseek was known for its user-friendly interface and advanced search capabilities, which made it a popular choice among internet users at the time. In 1999, Infoseek was acquired by the Walt Disney Company and became part of Disney's Internet Group.
WolfSSH is a small, lightweight SSH (Secure Shell) library designed for embedded systems and constrained environments. It is part of the WolfSSL library suite, which provides cryptographic services and protocols for secure communication. WolfSSH is particularly aimed at providing SSH client and server functionality while maintaining a small footprint and high performance, making it suitable for use in resource-limited devices such as IoT (Internet of Things) devices, embedded systems, and other applications where efficiency is crucial.
P-384 is a specific elliptic curve defined in the context of public key cryptography. It is part of the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) recommended elliptic curves for use in the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) and for other elliptic curve cryptographic applications.
Cypherpunks are advocates for the use of cryptography and privacy-enhancing technologies to promote social and political change, particularly in the context of privacy rights, government surveillance, and personal freedom. The term "cypherpunk" combines "cipher," referring to the use of codes and encryption, and "punk," signifying a countercultural stance against authority and the mainstream.
NSA Suite B Cryptography was a set of cryptographic algorithms and protocols recommended by the National Security Agency (NSA) for protecting classified and unclassified information. It was part of a broader initiative to standardize cryptographic methods for use in federal government applications, particularly in securing communications and information systems.
A Trust Service Provider (TSP) is an entity that offers services designed to ensure the integrity, authenticity, and security of electronic transactions and communications. TSPs play a crucial role in digital security and trust frameworks, especially in the context of electronic signatures, encryption, authentication, and data integrity.
DECIM can refer to different things depending on the context, but one of the more widely recognized references is to DECIM (also known as DECIM-3), which is a mathematical tool often associated with the field of digital signal processing and communication. DECIM is short for "decimation" and generally refers to the process of reducing the sampling rate of a signal.

Pinned article: Introduction to the OurBigBook Project

Welcome to the OurBigBook Project! Our goal is to create the perfect publishing platform for STEM subjects, and get university-level students to write the best free STEM tutorials ever.
Everyone is welcome to create an account and play with the site: ourbigbook.com/go/register. We belive that students themselves can write amazing tutorials, but teachers are welcome too. You can write about anything you want, it doesn't have to be STEM or even educational. Silly test content is very welcome and you won't be penalized in any way. Just keep it legal!
We have two killer features:
  1. topics: topics group articles by different users with the same title, e.g. here is the topic for the "Fundamental Theorem of Calculus" ourbigbook.com/go/topic/fundamental-theorem-of-calculus
    Articles of different users are sorted by upvote within each article page. This feature is a bit like:
    • a Wikipedia where each user can have their own version of each article
    • a Q&A website like Stack Overflow, where multiple people can give their views on a given topic, and the best ones are sorted by upvote. Except you don't need to wait for someone to ask first, and any topic goes, no matter how narrow or broad
    This feature makes it possible for readers to find better explanations of any topic created by other writers. And it allows writers to create an explanation in a place that readers might actually find it.
    Figure 1.
    Screenshot of the "Derivative" topic page
    . View it live at: ourbigbook.com/go/topic/derivative
  2. local editing: you can store all your personal knowledge base content locally in a plaintext markup format that can be edited locally and published either:
    This way you can be sure that even if OurBigBook.com were to go down one day (which we have no plans to do as it is quite cheap to host!), your content will still be perfectly readable as a static site.
    Figure 2.
    You can publish local OurBigBook lightweight markup files to either https://OurBigBook.com or as a static website
    .
    Figure 3.
    Visual Studio Code extension installation
    .
    Figure 4.
    Visual Studio Code extension tree navigation
    .
    Figure 5.
    Web editor
    . You can also edit articles on the Web editor without installing anything locally.
    Video 3.
    Edit locally and publish demo
    . Source. This shows editing OurBigBook Markup and publishing it using the Visual Studio Code extension.
    Video 4.
    OurBigBook Visual Studio Code extension editing and navigation demo
    . Source.
  3. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook-media/master/feature/x/hilbert-space-arrow.png
  4. Infinitely deep tables of contents:
    Figure 6.
    Dynamic article tree with infinitely deep table of contents
    .
    Descendant pages can also show up as toplevel e.g.: ourbigbook.com/cirosantilli/chordate-subclade
All our software is open source and hosted at: github.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook
Further documentation can be found at: docs.ourbigbook.com
Feel free to reach our to us for any help or suggestions: docs.ourbigbook.com/#contact