Enterotypen. |en-tare-o-type|
A classification for the bacterial ecosystem in your gut. Early research suggests all people have one of three enterotypes, as distinctive as blood types. Each is dominated by a different bacterial genus, affecting everything from nutrient absorption to immunity.

Proofersn. pl.|pru-fers|
People who demand proof that Osama bin Laden is dead. Like birthers, proofers insist on evidence yet find their conspiracies more believable than evidence.

Annusn.|an-nuse|
The new standard year—31,556,925.445 seconds—based on the exact length of the year 2000. Set by a commission of geologists and chemists to tabulate the half-lives of radioisotopes, the annus is getting no love from astronomers, who prefer the ancient approximation of 365.25 days.

Cherry blossomingv.|cher-ee, bloss-uhm-ing|
Following Twitter feeds and liking Facebook pages for pay. Taking its name from the Japanese slang for professional fans—sakura, or cherry blossoms—the technique lets companies buy social clout.

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