gangloading n.— «Yesterday I joined 14 students in the altitude training chamber at the Eighty-ninth Physiological Training Flight at Andrews Air Force Base in Camp Springs, Maryland. Wearing helmets and oxygen masks that covered...
trip n.— «In the parlance of the electric power industry, a “trip” means a piece of machinery stops operating. A series of feedwater system pumps supplying water to TMI-2’s steam generators tripped on the morning of March 28...
flybrid n.— «Nearly every F1 car will be a flybrid in 2009, as the race series tries to become more relevant to mass market trends. It’s also trying to convince potential fans it’s a “green” sport.…A flybrid is hybrid...
nuke the fridge v. phr.— Note: The short life of this term is ably covered by Jason Kottke. «In TV land, this phenomenon is known as “jumping the shark”: the moment when a once proud series swan-dives into putridity. It’s a...
orphan disease n.— «A 12-year-old Simi Valley boy with a rare immune system disorder has inspired a series of benefits to help find a cure for what is known as an “orphan disease” because it affects too few children to warrant...
sideways market n.— «The stock market has been sending a series of mixed signals recently—a few days of strong gains followed by a few days of discouraging declines. This is what Wall Street refers to as a “sideways...