1. of or relating to rain, especially much rain; rainy.
2. Geology: occurring through the action of rain.
[noun]
3. Geology: a rainy period formerly regarded as coeval with a glacial age, but now recognised as episodic and, in the tropics, as characteristic of interglacial ages.
Etymology: from Latin pluviālis, equivalent to pluvi(a), “rain”.
“We could all empathize with each other about the difficulty of interacting with these kids,” recalled Stefanie Blain-Moraes, who was then a Ph.D. student in engineering.
Looking back now, over 10 years later, Blain-Moraes pinpoints that impromptu meeting as the catalyst for one of her signature inventions: an algorithm that, when paired with a biosensor, produces something she calls biomusic. She hopes it might let parents and clinicians tap into the emotions these children aren’t able to communicate.
By refusing to use the titles scientists have earned, news outlets contribute to the delegitimization of expertise. Some argue that using the term “Doctor” to describe an individual’s credentials is elitist. This is incorrect. Having a PhD or other terminal degree does not make one elitist; elitism is a behavior, based on how an expert acts or shares knowledge. (The general charge of elitism may come from people who feel insecure about their lack of expertise.) Besides, if someone with a PhD is elitist for using the term, why isn’t someone with an MD equally so?
The academic credential is particularly important in the case of women in science, as many face extra obstacles to success that most men don’t have to contend with. This year’s Nobel Prizes, for example, were awarded to two outstanding women in science: Dr. Donna Strickland, the first woman in 55 years to win the Nobel Prize in Physics and only the third woman in history to do so and Dr. Frances H. Arnold, a chemist who faced enormous personal obstacles to win science’s most prestigious award.
The Trump administration took an important step toward future oil and natural gas drilling off the Atlantic shore, approving five requests allowing companies to conduct deafening seismic surveys that could harm tens of thousands of dolphins, whales and other marine animals, according to studies.
In an announcement Friday, the National Marine Fisheries Service, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, declared that it issued final “incidental take” authorizations permitting companies conducting the surveys to harm wildlife if its unintentional.
“NOAA Fisheries is clear in the documentation related to [incidental take authorizations] that we do not expect mortality to occur as a result of these surveys,” said a spokeswoman, Katherine Brogan. But numerous scientific studies show acoustic sound can harm and potentially kill animals.
![victoriousvocabulary:
“PLUVIAL
[adjective]
1. of or relating to rain, especially much rain; rainy.
2. Geology: occurring through the action of rain.
[noun]
3. Geology: a rainy period formerly regarded as coeval with a glacial age, but now recognised...](https://64.media.tumblr.com/08e65954b384d21acfe813da11a7d239/tumblr_pky23wclDG1r47bczo1_500.jpg)
