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Organic/Biotech

Biotech
Image from Richard A Patterson (copyright)

Like Drytech (hylonano), Sytech (synano), and Infotech, Biotech is one of the main pillars on which galactic technological civilization rests. Biotech includes everything from simple agriculture and domestication through genetics and organ transplants to DIY gengineering, neogenics, biospherics, mature bionanotechnology and beyond.

Historically (in terms of Old Earth civilization), drytech ushered in the Industrial Age, infotech led to the dramatic transformation from industrial society to an information society, and biotech led the transition away from information to biology by enabling not only true nanotech (originally and often still biologically based) but also the development of a self-sustaining interplanetary civilization not dependent on Earth. More subtly, biotech changed humanity's relationship with nature: instead of seeing nature and technology as opposite ends, they become a single field, and humans were no longer intruders (Industrial and Atomic Age) or stewards (Information Age) of nature, but active evolutionary participants inventing new possibilities for the terragen ecosystems and disseminating life and habitats through the universe.

Biotech is as creative as life itself. In the eight and a half millennia since the first crude attempts at gene-splicing on Old Earth, literally trillions of species of bioengineered organisms have been created, or have evolved from gengineered neogens. These range from the eternally young and cute Metaneko kitten to supercomputing bacteria to lickersucker domestic cleaners and krekovores that act as ecological maintenance machines, to say nothing of the billions of species of organisms designed or gengineered simply for the sake of bringing a new species into the galaxy.
 
Articles
  • Aeroponics  - Text by AI Vin
    A soil-less method of plant cultivation using mist.
  • Akilaspek Trees  - Text by Johnny Yesterday
    Giant planetbound trees used for food production and habitation.
  • AmatFruit  - Text by John B
    The rarest and most power and resource hungry of the astragens, this life-form (of which there are only 3 known surviving genomes of a historical max of seven) was seeded in close orbit to many 'green' stars.
  • Anchor Seed  - Text by Johnny Yesterday
    An anchor seed is a seed type used by various gengineered and neogened aquatic plants to take root and grow in deep water environments.
  • Anti-Infector - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Hylo- or bio-nano device that provides immunity against various forms of goo, madverts, and other mentally and physically annoying phenomena
  • Arachnoweave  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Fabric created using biomimemetic synthesis of spider-silk proteins. Strong yet subtle and light, used for a variety of purposes, including police and military body armor, sporting clothing, and fashion statements.
  • Artificial Evolution, Autoevolution - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Directed evolution, evolution guided by intelligent beings using artificial selection, controlled environments, gengineering, bionano, or other such means. Contrast with evolution left to natural selection. Sometimes called autoevolution when intelligent beings apply it to themselves.
  • Asomniac  - Text by Ryan B
    Organism whose physiology has no sleep requirement; very common in vec and AI clades.
  • Astragen(s)  - Text by John B
    Nonsentient lifeforms, plant- or fungal-based, neogen, or xenobiont organisms which have evolved or been designed to survive in space at a given orbital zone and radiation level.
  • Athenaeids  - Text by Mike Miller
    Humanoid post-bionts created by the Athena Project.
  • Babel 'Fish'  - Text by Sethbord
    A genetically engineered computer designed to fit into or around the ear of a modosophont. As well as translation duties the Babelfish can act as an information provider and cultural guide.
  • Babel Plague  - Text by Anders Sandberg
    Human viral infection of artificial origin, likely developed as a bioweapon during the 300's.
  • Bacca - Text by Anders Sandberg
    Family of crops derived from the tobacco plant through gengineering during the Solsys Era and later. Designed for use in space hydroponics, different strains produce livestock feed, vegetables, drugs and decorative flowers. Especially common is Qianxuesen, a bacca vegetable eaten, generally either boiled or mashed, by terragen bionts.
  • Bacterics  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Use of bacteria in biotech - e.g. as simple biobots, as bionano processing nodes, and more.
  • Bamaglider  - Text by Peter Kisner
    Bamagliders are explosive filigliders. These range in composition. Some are merely normal filigliders with carbonated or nitrous oxide injected filling. Others are non-edible filigliders that produce a small fire-cracker explosion at a safe distance from the appropriate pheromone source. Additionally, like the poisiglider, there are some maliciously designed bamagliders that explode with damaging force in close proximity to a particular pheromone source.
  • Barbwire-Bush  - Text by David Hallberg
    The Barb-wire Bush is a genetic construct designed for use in low-tech entrenched fortifications, such as those on the Western Front in the First World War of Old Earth, or in any number of prim to low-tech conflicts in the millennia since. It may also be used in civil settings as a low-cost privacy and security measure.
  • Bennu Biohab  - Text by Andrew P.
    Organic Habitat in the Iota Horologii system.
  • Bio-Geo Planetary Node/Brain  - Text by Mike Parisi
    Any planet or similar-sized, originally naturally-occurring body that has been converted and dedicated to processing tasks through Bio-Geo-Computing.
  • Bioborg cooling systems  - Text by Brian McKinley, John B, and M. Alan Kazlev
    Technologies for maintaining comfortable body temperature for bioborgs whose augments produce significant waste heat.
  • Biobots  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Bioengineered organisms, e.g. bacteria, neogens, etc, modified to act out specific orders. Biobots of some form or another have been used since the middle information period for nanotech (bionano), production, monitoring, medicine and much more.
  • Biocity - Text by M. Alan Kazlev and Stephen Inniss
    A city or urban area created and maintained primarily through biotech ("wet" tech) methods and materials, and consisting of living organisms or their products (bone, wood, coral, shell, and so on) as opposed to one constructed using non-living "dry" tech and associated materials such as concrete, steel, glass, stone, diamondoid, or corundumoid.
  • Bioforge  - Text by Todd Drashner
    A biological factory or manufacturing device capable of creating a wide range of biotech products.
  • Bioforge Trees  - Text by AI Vin
    Tree-like bioforge and ai-adviser technology.
  • BioGeoComputing  - Text by Tony Jones
    A layer of crustal bacteria in several planets which has been converted into processing substrate.
  • Biomachine  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev and AI Vin
    Any machine or device based on organic components rather than inorganic mechanisms.
  • Biomeso - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Biological mesotech; like bionano but on a meso- rather than a nano- scale.
  • Biomimetics, Biomimesis  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Originally, designs or technology that were inspired by or based on living organisms.
  • Bionanite - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    An individual bionano unit - a biological/organic nanobot.
  • Bionano, Bionanotechnology  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Any molecular nanotechnology based on such biomolecules, genetically modified micro-organism or other biotech.
  • Biopower - Text by Anders Sandberg
    In some worlds a system of living solar collectors for powering underground biospheres is employed - e.g. the Zoeific Biopolity and the Arcadians would build such systems when settling an otherwise inhospitable world. The bases are visible only as verdant green smears of shimmering electromoss, with the tunnels far below the surface.
  • Bioship  - Text by Steve Bowers and M. Alan Kazlev
    Bioships are either grown partially or entirely using biotechnology or by a close analogue to biological growth: they can be very similar in final composition to other ships but often look distinctively 'organic' in form.
  • Biostasis  - Text by Steve Bowers with comments by John B
    A means of preserving biological life in suspended animation over long journeys or in unsatisfactory environments.
  • Biotech - the Early Years  - Text by Martin Andreas Cieslik, M. Alan Kazlev and Andrew P.
    The history of biotech during the Information Age.
  • Biotech Cyborg (Bioborg)  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Bioborgs are humans, animals, or other lifeforms, heavily modified via biocircuitry, biomachinery, biosymbers, bionano, wetware, etc (collectively: bioware). No inorganic components (other than some occasional support or reinforcing structures) are used at all for any of these augmentations.
  • Biowar  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    An organic warship, a sentient, self-contained, evolutionary, self-replicating superbright bio-autowar. Like autowars, biowars can form long-lived populations and make regions of space hazardous long after the original conflict is over.
  • Bioxox  - Text by Steve Bowers
    Biological copy of an original bioid, often created using engenerator technology
  • Block  - Text by John B
    Block, aka Zombie, aka Splatter: A specialist neurotransmitter antagonist, Block prevents the transmission of pain signals via the baseline body's standard peripheral nervous system.
  • Blue Lung  - Text by Michael Walton
    A disease caused by an infection of lung tissue by semi-functional nanotech
  • Bootleg Celebrity Copying  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev, amended by Steve Bowers
    Making bootleg copies or character simulations of famous people.
  • Brainstorm  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Semi-legal drug occasionally used by baselines/near- baselines seeking to solve a complex problem without the assistance of an ai.
  • Bucky Spiders - Text by Steve Bowers
    Small spidersplices with adapted spinnerets producing buckyfibre on demand - controlled by bionano (mostly Zoeific clades) or hylonano neural implants - used in small scale construction and the manufacture of fabrics.
  • Buildbug  - Text by Todd Drashner
    An arthropod-like biobot used in construction.
  • Canopy Plant  - Text by Terrafamilia
    Canopy Plants are neogen plants used in terraforming, paraterraforming, or habitat creation.
  • Caretaker Seed  - Text by Anders Sandberg
    Caretaker God ISOs are known to replicate quasi-neumann fashion using seed-like devices.
  • Carpetbeast  - Text by John B and Stephen Inniss
    Typically an animal-derived neogen or splice designed to thrive as a living carpet or rug, usually for use by human nearbaselines or similar bionts. Some varieties, in addition to being soft and warm, and of a pleasant colour and texture, produce pleasant scents and sounds such as a musky scent and a purr. Most are self-cleaning, sometimes with the assistance of mite to insect sized neogens. These creatures are usually sessile but some variants are capable of slow movement and a few are capable of shaping themselves into items of furniture.
  • Chemosynthesis - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Primary production of organic matter using various substances and chemical reactions instead of light as an energy source; a common phenomenon throughout the galaxy, but rare in terragen ecologies.
  • Claymore Tuber  - Text by David Hallberg
    A more sinister plant than most neogenic domestics is the infamous Claymore Tuber, which is widely used by bio-terrorists. Its tiny seeds can be scattered in the target area by an explosive device or missile.
  • Clone  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A biological organism asexually reproduced or bionanonically copied from another cell or genome or a template thereof. A clone is genetically identical to its original.
  • Cognitive Diuretic  - Text by John B
    A 'rebranding' of so-called 'truth' drugs such as sodium pentathol.
  • Compubones  - Text by Tony Jones
    A bionano process whereby portions of a subject's skeleton are converted into bionanocomputers, using bionanomachines, which run off the subject's blood supply. Compubones are customised to the user's biology to seamlessly integrate into the body and provide the same functions as bone.
  • Computer  - Text by Avengium
    A computation device, which may be sentient or non-sentient. AIs can be either sentient computers, or complex systems residing in the RAM of computers. Without computers, galactic civilization would be impossible.
  • Copy  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A copy is a high-fidelity reproduction of an original sophont individual
  • Copy Resolution Types  - Text by Steve Bowers
    The different types of copying available to a sophont mind
  • Copy Rights  - Text by Anders Sandberg
    The existence of copies results in legal conundrums of which there are a number of possible alternative solutions.
  • Corpsicle - Text by Anders Sandberg
    A cryonically suspended biont. Originally an Information Era derogatory/humorous term, the word has largely been absorbed into the Anglic language family with no negative connotations.
    Also used: Cryonaut
  • Corpsiflakes  - Text by John B
    Diminutive term derived from Corpsicles.
  • Cryonic Suspension  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev, amended by Steve Bowers
    Suspending organic functions by the use of low temperatures to halt metabolic decay.
  • Cytobot - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A bot approximately the size of a cell. Alternatively, a bionano or biomeso-based and/or built or grown organic device the size and shape of a biological cell; an artificial but still organic cell that can be given instructions like any nano or mesobot.
  • Deadite Nanovirus  - Text by Ben Higginbottom
    Extremely clever prank nanovirus (actually a gengineered biological virus) - entirely cosmetic.
  • Designer Phages  - Text by Anders Sandberg
    A major biotech field during the later Information and early Interplanetary periods.
  • Direct Neural Interface (DNI)  - Text by Ad Astra, updated by Ryan B
    Ubiquitous technological implant for connecting a sophont's brain to their exoself, the Net, nearby artifacts, and other beings.
  • Distributed Intelligence  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    An intelligent entity that is distributed over a large volume (or inside another system, like a virtual network) with no distinct center. This is the opposite of the strategy of Concentrated intelligences.
  • Dyson Tree Variant: Wagon Wheel   - Text by Mike Miller
    Genetically modified tree grown in space which rotates to produce artificial gravity
  • Dyson Trees  - Text by Todd Drashner, Anders Sandberg and M. Alan Kazlev
    Genetically engineered trees employing bio-nanotech. Created to function as a biological space habitat. First proposed by physicist Freeman Dyson in the early Information Age.
  • Exoatmospheric - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Vehicle or tweaked life-form capable of operating both in a vacuum and in an atmosphere. May be planetary- or space-based.
  • Exploding Cockroach  - Text by David Hallberg
    A gengineered insect, with an altered biochemistry. It is modified to produce an internal deposit of some explosive (most commonly Penthyle, since it is a naturally existing chemical in most biosystems).
  • Extended Color Convention  - Text by Omeganian
    Colour vision outside the conventional visible spectrum.
  • Filigliders  - Text by Peter Kisner
    Small, about 5-8 cm long organisms with a nervous system only slightly above that of a flatworm. In appearance they vaguely resemble moths or humming birds, with a slightly elongated neck and a 1.2 cm bulb of various primary colors where a head would be.
  • Flugumes - Text by Peter Kisner
    A genetically engineered instrument derived from various legume varieties, typically used by baseline or near baseline humans, but more as a humorous prop than a seriously taken musical apparatus. During the early 2300's the composer Mlarr Bigglemun did come up with a Flugume Suite in the tradition of P.D.Q. Bach that gained widespread popularity among more renowned baseline musicologists.
  • Forge Integrated Technology (FIT)  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Systems that incorporate one or more nanoforges into their structure for the purpose of producing new or replacement components as circumstances may require.
  • GELF  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    [Genetically Engineered Life Form] An old First Federation term, which every so often comes back into favour, for sophont custom-made lifeforms created through significant or total genetic engineering.
  • Geneered Watermelon Variants  - Text by Johnny Yesterday
    A popular and diverse gengineered food plant.
  • Genematode  - Text by Steve Bowers
    A neogen/splice nematode-like defence system as an antiviral/antibacterial agent.
  • Genemod  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Genetic modification. Can be somatic (designed not to be heritable), germline (capable of being inherited by offspring) or both. Genemods are designed to alter a bionts body at a fundamental level, "reprogramming" their capabilities and responses to the environment.
  • Genestick  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Various compact genetic analysis and engineering devices.
  • Genetic Encryption  - Text by Daniel Eliot Boese
    Sequences of genetic material are used to carry a message or the key to an encrypted message.
  • Genotypic Augmentation - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Modification or augmentation that effects only the genotype of the gametes and descendants of an organism. Genotypic augmentation is biological or genetic modification or augmentation that effects only the genotype of the gametes and descendants of an organism. It does not alter the characteristics of the user, or of clones from the user's somatic cells, but it does modify that of all of the user's offspring. Contrast with phenotypic augmentation.
  • Glow-Orb Cactus  - Text by David Hallberg
    A relative to the Lantern plant.
  • Gourd Houses  - Text by AI Vin
    A biotech house grown from a vine-like plant.
  • Hangover Helper - Text by John B
    Originally marketed in the Interplanetary Age as "Doctor Hadrian's Handy Hangover Helper". Variants or copies of this invention remain popular with human nearbaselines or other bionts who might be inclined to excessive use of alcohol on occasion. The Hangover Helper is an inexpensive easily self-administered dose of specialized blood-borne bionano devices that scrub toxins from the system and make other necessary repairs and adjustments, greatly aiding the recovery from alcohol overdose side-effects. The original version was 'not recommended for the metabolically adjusted or endocrine tweaked', but clade-specific variants were quick to emerge, as were variants to counter the aftereffects of other recreational drugs.
  • Heteromorphs  - Text by Steve Bowers
    Modosophont bionts, usually but not always humans, who have altered their physical form until they are substantially different from their original form.
  • Human Genome Project - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Early Information Age international research program; one of the most ambitious projects of its time; had the goal of gathering a resource of genomic maps and DNA sequence. Provided detailed information about the structure, organization, and characteristics of the DNA of humans and other animals. The project was instrumental in the later work of the bio-hackers, biopunks, ribophunks and tweakers of the middle Information Age.
  • HydroFruit - Text by John B
    Astragen capable of producing purified water from contact with oxygen and hydrogen bearing materials. Often used in Oort-belt dispersals, in which case the organism will occasionally be designed to exude ice particulates.
  • Hydroponics  - Text by AI Vin
    A soil-less method of plant cultivation using water.
  • Inactivate - Text by After Max More in Anders Sandberg's Transhuman Terminology
    A person who is non-living but is not dead in the permanent sense. The person might be in biostasis, or shut-down mode or subsisting in data storage, awaiting downloading, and is not in any way active. This term may apply to any sort of being of any from (biont, vec, cyborg, aioid, etc.)
  • Industrial Ecology  - Text by Chris Shaeffer
    The study and implementation of efficient industrial systems coexisting with the natural environments within which they operate.
  • Injector Serpent  - Text by David Hallberg
    A variation of the Live Jewellry-theme for ingesting drugs.
  • Inoffensive Bodies  - Text by iancampbell
    This trend among some sophonts involves a series of augmentations intended specifically to suppress the sometimes subjectively unpleasant or embarrassing features of biology.
  • Lantern Plant  - Text by David Hallberg
    A gnarled, bonsai-like potted plant with ivy-like reddish-green leaves.
    It produces large, trumpet-like flowers that are transparent, hard as glass and point upwards. At the bottom of the flower a series of glands produce a flammable liquid, not unlike kerosene. A long, spongy stamen can be set alight and used as a wick.
  • LifeFruit - Text by John B
    Generates ATP (adenosine triphosphate, a basic biologic energy storage molecule), but is one of the more power-hungry forms of astragen. LifeFruit typically requires earth-type solar energy levels.
  • Live Jewellry  - Text by David Hallberg
    The use of gengineered creatures for personal adornment, for example; beautiful, brightly colored snakes as bracelets, necklaces or hairbands; colorful beetles worn like brooches or as earrings and so on.
  • Living Tattoo  - Text by Todd Drashner
    A form of decoration that consists of one or more species of gengineered micro-organism being introduced into the skin (or fur, or feathers, or onto the shell, scales, or carapace) of a sophont and then induced to develop in a manner that results in a visible pattern or image being displayed.
  • Logooze - Text by John B
    Common slang term in the outer system for a slug-like device that etches or pigments mottoes or sigils of organizations onto random objects as a form of advertising. Most are bionano systems, but occasional mechanical or synano variants have been found. there are occasional variants allegedly designed to apply medusa fractals or other aggressive technologies. Occasionally termed "Madvert Goo", especially if self-replicating.
  • Mechanosynthesis  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Forcing combinations of atoms in order to create nanoscale devices from a coarser density scale.
  • Mechmoss and Nanoalgae  - Text by Stephen Inniss
    Simple sessile photosynthetic nanotech or synano neumann-capable devices/organisms.
  • Medicyte  - Text by Ryan B
    Generic term for all types of invasive microscopic robots used in medicine.
  • Melder  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Six-legged oxygen breathing symbiote/parasite with the ability to meld itself to a wide variety of lifeforms.
  • Membot, Memebot  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev and Glenn Grant
    A (typically illegal) nano-mesite or nano-micrite replicator, usually a cytobot or cytobiobot, that acts directly on the brain or other processing center to predispose the victim to certain memes. Alternatively and facetiously, a sophont dedicated to the propagation of a meme or memeplex.
  • Memory Grubs  - Text by John B
    These relatively short, damp wormlike creatures were created deliberately in the 33rd century AT to fulfil a role - to help baselines organize and recall memory better.
  • Mnemonet - Text by Todd Drashner
    Biocybernetic network of nanodevices grown in an organic brain and working to constantly record the owners brain activity and memories. The contents of the network are periodically downloaded to a central file and integrated into the mind-state stored there. If the owner dies for some reason, the mind-state is activated and instantiated in a new body to continue the life of the original. Mnemonets are also used to expand the memory of the user when the original organic memory has reached its limits due to the length of the users lifespan. In the more advanced systems, mnemonets designs are written into the gene-code of all citizens so that they develop as part of the natural growth process of a fetus and child.
  • Molecular Biology - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Branch of biology that deals with organic life on a molecular level. Includes the macromolecular organization within and between the various cell components, knowledge of different types of proteins, the metabolic function of individual cells, differing mechanisms of genetic expression during embryonic development, cell differentiation, and ageing. Molecular Biology goes hand in hand with Gengineering.
  • Morphodynamics  - Text by Liam Jones
    How sophonts alter their bodies and minds over time. It encompasses everything from minor alterations to uploading, changing clades, and breaching toposophic barriers.
  • Muschine  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev and AI Vin
    Subsentient biomachines. Widely used in the Zoeific Biopolity and elsewhere.
  • Nanite  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev; amended by Stephen Inniss and Ryan B
    Generic term for a molecular or nanoscale device, whether bionano or hylonano; a cluster of reactive nanoparticles.
  • Nanochondria - Text by Anders Sandberg in his Transhuman Terminology
    Hylonano or bionano devices existing inside living cells, participating in their biochemistry (like mitochondria) and/or assembling various structures. A type of nanosome.
  • Nanomedicine First Aid Kit (N-FAK)   - Text by Ryan B
    Automated nanomedicine kit.
  • Nanorot  - Text by Stephen Inniss
    Synano disassembly swarm, often feral with high nuisance value.
  • Nanoskin - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Bionano or hylonano augment or application that completely covers the wearer/user's skin, forming a second dermal layer and providing environmental protection and intelligence augmentation.
  • Nanosome - Text by Anders Sandberg, in Transhuman Terminology
    Generic term for any nanodevices (whether hylo or bio) existing symbiotically inside biological cells, doing mechanosynthesis and disassembly for it and replicating with the cell.
  • Nanostasis - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Suspension of all biological activity, by infusing the patient with cryoprotective chemicals and freezing or vitrifying (cryonic suspension), or by chemically bonding cellular components in place. See Biostasis.
  • Narco-Symbiont  - Text by Mike Parisi
    Also known as Naco-Sym or NarSym. Any small gengineered life form, which affixes itself to a subject's body, and supplies em with small, regular amounts of endorphins or some other pleasure-inducing substance.
  • Noovleann Tree  - Text by Johnny Yesterday
    Tree-like organisms which hang from dynamic orbital rings at various heights above a planetary surface.
  • Omnimed   - Text by Ryan B
    Small white pills containing totipotent medibots
  • Orwoods  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Dyson tree forest ecosystem, especially one that constitutes a stable or evolutionary space-based biota, with or without symbiotic sentient (human, neogen, etc.) interaction.
  • Other Self  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Bionano wetware consisting of drugs and bionanites that causes temporary personality alteration.
  • Ova Fusion  - Text by Shane Brannon; some additions by Steve Bowers
    A form of parthenogenetic reproduction which successfully fuses the genetic material from the gametes of two unrelated human females into a viable zygote.
  • Overcharge  - Text by John B
    This is a deliberately destructive biostimulant cocktail designed to greatly amplify the capabilities of the baseline body. It is often considered to be the 'last gasp' of the pure baseline warrior concept.
  • OxyFruit  - Text by John B
    Astragen capable of producing pressurized 'pods' (also the seed) of O2 when in contact with oxygen bearing materials and a specific wavelength and intensity of light.
  • Pantropy  - Text by Steve Bowers
    The practice of adapting humans (and other bionts) to live comfortably in a planetary environment rather than attempting to change that environment to resemble the home world.
  • Parasite Processing [B-Life Model]  - Text by AI Vin
    Artificial parasites which exploit another's resources for the purpose of data processing.
  • Paste - Text by Steve Bowers
    Swarm devices manufactured by a forge system, (such as a bioforge or nanoforge) so that the individual units do not carry the code for their own replication (human red blood cells are an example of this in biology).
  • Personal Medical System - Capabilities   - Text by Ryan B
    Artificial medisystems have a number of standard capabilities.
  • Personal Medical Systems (Medisystems)   - Text by Ryan B
    Artificial medical systems within the body of a biont.
  • Phenotypic Augmentation - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Biological or genetic modification or augmentation that effects the phenotype only. It alters the characteristics of the user, and sometimes also that of clones from the user's somatic cells, but it does not modify the user's offspring. Contrast with genotypic augmentation.
  • Phototropic Seeds  - Text by Johnny Yesterday
    Plant seeds which orient themselves with respect to a light source rather than gravity.
  • Plantbots  - Text by Stephen Inniss and Steve Bowers
    Dry nano or synano robots powered by light and capable of autonomous growth and reproduction; generally sessile or with limited movement. So named because they are equivalent in role to biological plants
  • Plasm  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Multipurpose biological material, sometimes described as biotech utility fog.
  • Potted Planet  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Slang term for a world, terrestrial or otherwise that has been modified by a Power or Archailect to support life, apparently for no other reason than the creator's continued aesthetic satisfaction. Occasionally found in systems that host mainbrain primary computing nodes and tools. Apparently, created for reasons similar to why some ordinary sapient Terragens create and maintain gardens.
  • Recombinant DNA - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Basic primitive technique used in gengineering, dating back to early Information Age Old Earth. It involves cutting the DNA into discrete segments, and then recombining the segments to form new genes. The recombinant DNA molecule is then inserted into a cell.
  • Reef, Reef-city  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Colloquial term for large gengineered arcologies often found on bioist worlds and habitats, particularly in the Biopolity.
  • Road Root  - Text by Michael Walton
    Self-repairing biotech road and highway systems.
  • Ruby Marine  - Text by Anders Sandberg
    Wide ranging bio-ecotectual AI, created 1043.
  • Safeshrooms  - Text by Stephen Inniss
    Genetically engineered mushrooms, intended to prevent alcohol abuse.
  • Salt Vines  - Text by Mike Miller
    Biological desalination system using geneered plants
  • Security Bush  - Text by ROM 65536
    Antipersonnel guard-plant and defence weapon
  • Shadowhound  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Bionano based infiltration and combat device. Shadowhounds have no definite shape, but are able to alter their form (usually over a period of several minutes to hours) to suit whatever conditions or situations they encounter. Shadowhounds derive their name from both their matte black outer layer (used to absorb solar energy) and one of their most common appearance defaults as a roughly canine shaped quadrupedal form.
  • Skill Module  - Text by Ryan B
    A class of software augment that operates by interfacing with a sophont's central nervous system to provide and/or teach a specific set of skills.
  • Softbots and softvecs  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Biological robot, an alife built entire of organic components. It is alive like any carbon- or exotic-chemistry based life-form. May be of any intelligence grade, from subsapient to transapient.
  • Solsys Disinhibition Plagues  - Text by Stephen Inniss
    A plague of tailored diseases that targeted judgment and self-control that were in part responsible for the Solsys Technocalypse.
  • Space Canopy and Greenbubbles  - Text by Terrafamilia
    A space-adapted variant of the Canopy Plant.
  • Space Spiders  - Text by Steve Bowers
    Vacuum and zero gee adapted, sentient or semisentient spidersplices, from micro-scale to giant; usually capable of producing buckyfibre silk. Contribute to many megascale building projects, sometimes controlled directly by transcended postspiders.
  • Spaceweed - Text by Steve Bowers and John B
    A gengineered organism based on bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosus) that has been modified so that it that can develop in Gas Giant rings, with a small (100-200 metres) bladder full of breathable air, and edible fruit and nuts growing on the inside. The bladders are loosely connected, with insulated flexible corridors between the bladders, and all the ice and rock of the rings incorporated into the spaceweed to avoid collision damage.
  • Starlight Gene Patch  - Text by James Ramsey
    An interactive library and gengineering instrument that adapts a biont to local day/night cycles and the wavelengths of available light in a new environment.
  • Sun Scutter - Solar Thermal Bioship  - Text by Rhea47
    The Sun Scutter is a type of low speed interplanetary bioship powered by a solar thermal rocket.
  • Synbiome - Text by iancampbell
    This term refers to the complex of geneered and neogenic commensal organisms, nanomachines and nanoscale communications pathways present in most sapient bionts, which first became available in high-tech polities. The word came about as an extension of the word "microbiome", a term for the large number of micro-organisms (with a few just about visible to unaugmented human eyesight) that inhabit most, if not all, biological organisms. The synbiome usually incorporates the biont's nanomedical system among its functions. A synbiome also includes a signalling system, designed to alert the host biont to requirements for minerals and other substances not required by unaugmented bionts.
  • Terraformer Swarms  - Text by Somes Jung Hallinan
    Large swarms of self-replicating devices that travel in front of colonization fleets. They are usually carried within small seeding missiles that travel close to the speed of light, well ahead of the main colony ships. The seedtech or sporetech devices are usually embedded within a solid block of metal, concrete, diamondoid, or some other encapsulating material.
  • Terraforming  - Text by Anders Sandberg
    Planetary Engineering with the aim of creating a habitable environment
  • Thicksuit  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Nanotech/bionanotech vacuum survival suit.
  • Transbiomorphosis - Text by Adaptecd from Max More, in Anders Sandberg's Transhuman Terminology
    [1] (Interplanetary Age, First Federation, Terragen Federation): The transformation of the human body from a natural, biological organism into a superior, consciously designed vehicle of personality.
    [2] Genetekkers, Genen, Zoeific Biopolity, TRHN - dramatic modification of one's biological form, not necessarily into a superior (although sometimes that) but just a different form, as a lifestyle choice or artistic expression.
  • Turbine Plants  - Text by Johnny Yesterday
    Various species of genetically engineered plants which produce electricity by mechanical means.
  • Twitterbird  - Text by Thorbørn Steen
    Genetically modified alien birdlike animal.
  • Vasculoid Circulatory Replacement System  - Text by Steve Bowers and Ryan B
    Artificial Blood
  • Vat-Tech  - Text by Stephen Inniss
    Information Age technology for creating useful materials from cell cultures.
  • Vegebrain - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Derogatory term for those ais and uploads that use biocybernetic processing systems instead of totally inorganic materials.
  • Vegetable Patch - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Slang term for the biofacturing dyson trees and megacomplexes orbiting the superjovian Little Darwin, in the Zoeific Biopolity.
  • Viral Nanotech (bionano) - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Gengineered viruses used as crude bionano or as bionano vectors.
  • Virbiology - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    [1] The study and science of alife.
    [2] Study of organics as simulated in a virtual environment.
    [3] Cybercosm biology and ecology.
  • Wallflowers  - Text by Thorbørn Steen
    Genetically modified flowering plants for architectural display.
  • Wetlet  - Text by Fernando Peña D'Andrea
    Name given to organic devices grown so that they can be plugged into various sort of nanotech or compatible devices or other bio devices.
  • Xanthric Flowerweed  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev, from original entry by Kevin Self
    A sessile neogen; a carnivorous plant that has recently (since 9800s) become established in a few newly-terraformed worlds in the Udryck region (Outer Volumes), where it seems to have hitched a ride on local subrelativistic bioships.
  • Yggdrasil Bush, Yggy  - Text by Todd Drashner and Steve Bowers
    Variant species of the orwood biological space habitat.
 
Development Notes
Text by M. Alan Kazlev

Initially published on 28 June 2000.

 
Additional Information
OA Glossary of Terms