PAC-mecium n.
Pac-Man played with live paramecia under a microscope. Gamers use zaps of electricity to urge the microbes to consume dabs of virtual yeast and dodge predatory virtual zebra fish larvae.

Breast-on-a-chip n.
A functioning replica of the human mammary gland. The rubberlike model serves as a scaffold for growing cells along anatomically correct channels through which experimental diagnostics and drugs can be pumped.

Digitypes n. pl.
Virtual fossils. By laser-scanning trilobites and dinosaur tracks, scientists can create hi-res, 3-D digital models that replace unwieldy, fragile plaster casts.

SunShot n.
The new US Energy Department initiative to make solar energy cost-competitive with fossil fuels by the end of the decade. Arguably as ambitious as President Kennedy’s multibillion-dollar moon shot, the Obama administration’s $27 million sun shot is notably less well funded.

—Jonathon Keats ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )