anxiety: A nervous reaction to events causing excessive uneasiness and apprehension. People with anxiety may even develop panic attacks.
attention: The phenomenon of focusing mental resources on a specific object or event.
autism: (sometimes referred to as autism spectrum disorder, or ASD) It’s the term for an alternate form of brain development that affects how the brain processes and interprets sensory information to understand the world. Affected brain regions direct how people behave, interact and communicate with others and the environment around them.
behavior: The way something, often a person or other organism, acts towards others, or conducts itself.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (or CDC): An agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC is charged with protecting public health and safety by working to control and prevent disease, injury and disabilities. It does this by investigating disease outbreaks, tracking exposures by Americans to infections and toxic chemicals, and regularly surveying diet and other habits among a representative cross-section of all Americans.
culture: (n. in social science) The sum total of typical behaviors and social practices of a related group of people (such as a tribe or nation). Their culture includes their beliefs, values and the symbols that they accept and/or use. Culture is passed on from generation to generation through learning. Scientists once thought culture to be exclusive to humans. Now they recognize some other animals show signs of culture as well, including dolphins and primates.
data: Facts and/or statistics collected together for analysis but not necessarily organized in a way that gives them meaning.
develop: To emerge or to make come into being, either naturally or through human intervention, such as by manufacturing. (in biology) To grow as an organism from conception through adulthood, often undergoing changes in chemistry, size, mental maturity or sometimes even shape.
development: (in biology) The growth of an organism from conception through adulthood, often undergoing changes in chemistry, size and sometimes even shape.
electricity: A flow of charge, usually from the movement of negatively charged particles, called electrons.
empathy: (adj. empathetic) The ability to recognize and share what someone else is feeling or experiencing.
entrepreneur: Someone who takes the initiative to create a business or other venture. It can be a risky thing to do, but these people gamble that the effort is worth the potential gain — which may come in money, satisfaction or creating/achieving something novel or important.
executive function: The term that includes all of the brain functions needed for self-regulation, self-control and problem-solving. Executive function requires good working memory to hold several pieces of information in the brain at once. It also includes multi-tasking, prioritizing, reasoning, focus, concentration, goal setting and controlling impulses.
factor: Something that plays a role in a particular condition or event; a contributor.
focus: (in behavior) To look or concentrate intently on some particular point or thing.
function: The specific role some structure or device plays.
fundamental: Something that is basic or serves as the foundation for another thing or idea.
gene: (adj. genetic) A segment of DNA that codes, or holds instructions, for a cell’s production of a protein. Offspring inherit genes from their parents. Genes influence how an organism looks and behaves.
genetic: Having to do with chromosomes, DNA and the genes contained within DNA. The field of science dealing with these biological instructions is known as genetics. People who work in this field are geneticists.
intellectual: (n.) Someone who spends a good deal of time reasoning and understanding ideas with their mind, especially abstract ideas and processes.
link: A connection between two people or things.
literally: An adjective indicating that the phrase it modifies is precisely true. For instance, to say: “It’s so cold that I’m literally dying,” means that this person actually expects to soon be dead, the result of getting too cold.
nervous system: The network of nerve cells and fibers that transmits signals between parts of the body.
network: A group of interconnected people or things. (v.) The act of connecting with other people who work in a given area or do similar thing (such as artists, business leaders or medical-support groups), often by going to gatherings where such people would be expected, and then chatting them up. (n. networking)
novel: Something that is clever or unusual and new, as in never seen before. (in literature) A work of fiction.
physical: (adj.) A term for things that exist in the real world, as opposed to in memories or the imagination. It can also refer to properties of materials that are due to their size and non-chemical interactions (such as when one block slams with force into another). (in biology and medicine) The term can refer to the body, as in a physical exam or physical activity.
psychologist: A scientist or mental-health professional who studies the mind, especially in relation to actions and behaviors. Some work with people. Others may conduct experiments with animals (usually rodents) to test how their minds respond to different stimuli and conditions.
social media: Digital media that allow people to connect with each other (often anonymously) and to share information. Examples include Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp.
society: An integrated group of people or animals that generally cooperate and support one another for the greater good of them all.
stereotype: A widely held view or explanation for something, which often may be wrong because it has been overly simplified.
stimming: Various behaviors people may mindlessly use as a form of self-stimulation. Examples might include twirling the ends of the hair while thinking or drumming a pencil on a tabletop. In some people, it might also include nail biting or rocking one’s body back and forth.
system: A network of parts that together work to achieve some function. For instance, the blood, vessels and heart are primary components of the human body’s circulatory system. Similarly, trains, platforms, tracks, roadway signals and overpasses are among the potential components of a nation’s railway system. System can even be applied to the processes or ideas that are part of some method or ordered set of procedures for getting a task done.
trait: A characteristic feature of something. (in genetics) A quality or characteristic that can be inherited.
vaccine: (v. vaccinate) A biological mixture that resembles a disease-causing agent. It is given to help the body create immunity to a particular disease. The injections used to administer most vaccines are known as vaccinations.
World Health Organization: An agency of the United Nations, established in 1948, to promote health and to control communicable diseases. It is based in Geneva, Switzerland. The United Nations relies on the WHO for providing international leadership on global health matters. This organization also helps shape the research agenda for health issues and sets standards for pollutants and other things that could pose a risk to health. WHO also regularly reviews data to set policies for maintaining health and a healthy environment.