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 Talk Talk - Communication terms
Category: General technical and industrial
Date & country: 28/05/2010, UK
Words: 18630


Scott, Giles Gilbert
English architect. He was the grandson of Gilbert Scott. He designed Liverpool Anglican Cathedral (begun 1903; completed 1978), Cambridge University Library (1931–34), Battersea Power Station (1932–34), and Waterloo Bridge, London (1939–45). He also designed and supervised the rebuilding of the House of Commons chamber at the Pal...

Schopenhauer, Arthur
German philosopher. His The World as Will and Idea (1818), inspired by Immanuel Kant and ancient Hindu philosophy, expounded an atheistic and pessimistic world view: an irrational will is considered as the inner principle of the world, producing an ever-frustrated cycle of desire, of which the only escape is aesthetic con...

scilla
Any of a group of bulbous plants belonging to the lily family, with blue, pink, or white flowers; they include the spring squill (S. verna). (Genus Scilla, family Liliaceae.)

Scarlatti,
(Giuseppe) Italian composer. The eldest son of Alessandro Scarlatti, he lived most of his life in Portugal and Spain in the service of the Queen of Spain. He wrote over 500 sonatas for harpsichord, short pieces in binary form demonstrating the new freedoms of keyboard composition and inspired ...

schist
Metamorphic rock containing mica; its crystals are arranged in parallel layers or bands. Schist may contain additional minerals such as garnet. The sedimentary rocks mudstone and shale become slate under stress. When slate is subjected to higher temperatures and pressure schist is formed. The tem...

Schrödinger, Erwin
Austrian physicist. He advanced the study of wave mechanics to describe the behaviour of electrons in atoms. In 1926 he produced a solid mathematical explanation of the quantum theory and the structure of the atom. He shared the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1933 for his work in the development of quantum mechanics. Schrödinger's mathematical...

scintillation counter
Instrument for measuring very low levels of radiation. The radiation strikes a scintillator (a device that emits a photon – a single unit of light – when a charged elementary particle collides with it), whose light output is `amplified` by a photomultiplier; the current pulses of its output are in turn counted or added by a ...

screw
In construction, cylindrical or tapering piece of metal or plastic (or formerly wood) with a helical groove cut into it. Each turn of a screw moves it forward or backwards by a distance equal to the pitch (the spacing between neighbouring threads). Its mechanical advantage equals 2 r
Scorsese, Martin
US director, screenwriter, and producer. One of the most influential figures in modern US cinema, he has made such contemporary classics as Mean Streets (1973), Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980), GoodFellas (1990), and The Age of Innocence (1993). He...

Scofield,
(David) English actor. Noted for his Shakespearean roles and commanding voice, he appeared as Sir Thomas More in both stage and film versions of Robert Bolt's A Man for All Seasons (stage 1960–61; film 1966, Academy Award). His wide-ranging roles included th...

Schmidt, Helmut Heinrich Waldemar
German socialist politician, member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), chancellor of West Germany 1974–83. As chancellor, Schmidt introduced social reforms and continued Brandt's policy of Ostpolitik. With the French president Giscard d'Estaing, he instigated annual world and European economic summits. He was a firm supporter of NAT...

scale
(music) In music, a progression of single notes upwards or downwards in `steps` (scale originally meant `ladder`). For example, the most common scale is that of C major, which can be found by playing all the white notes on the keyboard from any C to the next C above or belo...

Schlieffen Plan
Military plan finalized in December 1905 by the German chief of general staff, General Count Alfred von Schlieffen, that formed the basis of German military planning before World War I, and inspired Hitler's plans for the conquest of Europe in World War II. It involved a simultaneous attack on Russia and France, the object being to defeat Franc...

science
Any systematic field of study or body of knowledge that aims, through experiment, observation, and deduction, to produce reliable explanations of phenomena, with reference to the material and physical world. History Activities such as healing, star-watching, and engineering have been practised in many societies since ancient times. Pure science...

scorched earth
In warfare, the policy of burning and destroying everything that might be of use to an invading army, especially the crops in the fields. It was used to great effect in Russia in 1812 against the invasion of the French emperor Napoleon and again during World War II to hinder the advance of German forces in 1941

scythe
Harvesting tool with long wooden handle and sharp, curving blade. It is similar to a sickle. The scythe was in common use in the Middle East and Europe from the dawn of agriculture until the early 20th century, by which time it had generally been replaced by machinery. Until the beginning of the 19th century, the scythe was used in the hayfield for...

Scargill, Arthur
British trade-union leader. Elected president of the National Union of Miners (NUM) in 1981, he embarked on a collision course with the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher. The damaging strike of 1984–85 split the miners' movement. In 1995, criticizing what he saw as the Labour ...

Scot
Inhabitant of Scotland, part of Britain; or a person of Scottish descent. Originally the Scots were a Celtic (Gaelic) people of Northern Ireland who migrated to Scotland in the 5th century

Scudamore, Peter Michael
British National Hunt jockey. He was champion jockey in 1982 (shared with John Francome) and from 1986 to 1992. In 1988–89 he rode a record 221 winners, a total surpassed in 1997–98 by Tony McCoy. In April 1993 he announced his retirement from the sport, with a then world record 1,678 winners. Career highlights Champion Hurdle 1998, 1993 ...

Scheherazade
The storyteller in the Arabian Nights

Schlesinger, John
(Richard) English film and television director. His eclectic career embraced British social conscience films of the 1960s, comedies, thrillers, and nostalgic period pieces. His first US film, Midnight Cowboy (1969, Academy Award), was a great critical and commercial success&...

scalar quantity
In mathematics and science, a quantity that has magnitude but no direction, as distinct from a vector quantity, which has a direction as well as a magnitude. Temperature, mass, volume, and speed are scalar quantities

Schlüter, Poul Holmskov
Danish right-wing politician, leader of the Conservative People's Party (KF) from 1974 and prime minister 1982–93. His centre-right coalition survived the 1990 election and was reconstituted, with Liberal support. In January 1993 Schlüter resigned, accused of dishonesty over his role in an incident involving Tamil refugees. He...

Scheele, Karl Wilhelm
Swedish chemist and pharmacist who isolated many elements and compounds for the first time, including oxygen, about 1772, and chlorine in 1774, although he did not recognize it as an element. He showed that oxygen is involved in the respiration of plants and fish. In the book Abhandlung von der Luft und dem Feuer/Experiments on Air and...

Schumpeter, Joseph A(lois)
Austrian-born US economist, sociologist, and historian of economic thought. Schumpeter was one of the giants of 20th-century economics, whose majestic vision of the entire economic process can rank with that of Scottish economist Adam Smith or German philosopher and economist Karl Marx. In 1942 he produced what has ever since come to be reg...

scaly anteater
Another name for the pangolin

scapula
Large, flat, triangular bone which lies over the second to seventh ribs on the back, forming part of the pectoral girdle, and assisting in the articulation of the arm with the chest region. Its flattened shape allows a large region for the attachment of muscles

scale
(chemistry) In chemistry, calcium carbonate precipitates that form on the inside of a kettle or boiler as a result of boiling hard water (water containing concentrations of soluble calcium and magnesium salts). The salts present in hard water also precipitate out by reacting with soap molecule...

scree
Click images to enlargePile of rubble and sediment that collects at the foot of a mountain range or cliff. The rock fragments that form scree are usually broken off by the action of frost (freeze–thaw weathering). With time, the rock-waste builds up into a heap or sheet of rubble that may eventually bury even the...

Scud
Soviet-produced surface-to-surface missile that can be armed with a nuclear, chemical, or conventional warhead. The Scud-B, deployed on a mobile launcher, was the version most commonly used by the Iraqi army in the Gulf War 1991. It is a relatively inaccurate weapon due to its primitive guidance system. The Scud-B has a range of...

Schulz, Charles M(onroe)
US cartoonist who created the Peanuts strip, syndicated by United Features Syndicate from 1950. By 1999 it had become the world's most widely syndicated cartoon strip, featured in more than 2,600 newspapers in 75 countries. His characters Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy, and Linus have been merchandized worldwide and featured in ...

Schwarzkopf, Norman
US general. He was supreme commander of the Allied forces in the Gulf War 1991. He planned and executed a blitzkrieg campaign, `Desert Storm`, sustaining remarkably few Allied casualties in the liberation of Kuwait. He was a battalion commander in the Vietnam War and deputy commander of the...

scanner
(computing) In computing, a device that can produce a digital image file of a document for input and storage in a computer. It uses technology similar to that of a photocopier. Small scanners can be passed over the document surface by hand; larger versions have a flat bed, like that of a p...

screen dump
In computing, the process of making a printed copy of the current VDU screen display. The screen dump is sometimes stored as a data file instead of being printed immediately

scrolling
In computing, the action by which data displayed on a VDU screen are automatically moved upwards and out of sight as new lines of data are added at the bottom

scuba
Another name for aqualung

scale
(mathematics) Numerical relationship, expressed as a ratio, between the actual size of an object and the size of an image that represents it on a map, plan, or diagram. If an object has been enlarged, the amount of increase (scale factor) can be found by dividing a side of the enlarged object ...

scale factor
Number (factor) by which the dimensions of an original object are multiplied in order to achieve a new image

scatter diagram
Diagram whose purpose is to establish whether or not a relationship or correlation exists between two variables; for example, between life expectancy and gross national product. Each observation is marked with a dot in a position that shows the value of both variables. The pattern of dots is then...

Scott, Ridley
English film director and producer. His work includes some of the most visually spectacular and influential films of the late 20th century, such as Alien (1979), Blade Runner (1982), and Gladiator (2000). Having started as a set designer, Scott graduated to directing episodes of the televisio...

scene
In a play, a subdivision of an act, marking a change of location or mood, or, for example, the entrance of an important character. A scene is roughly the equivalent of a chapter in a book. Traditionally changes of scene were marked by changes of props (properties); hence the term `scenery`

scat singing
Form of singing used in jazz, where nonsense words and syllables and improvised sounds are used instead of normal words. Its invention is credited to trumpeter Louis Armstrong in the 1920s. Many singers use it from time to time to extend a phrase or to cover up a forgotten lyric. Anglo-American vocal group Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross (1957...

score
Complete copy of a piece of music in manuscript or printed form. A full score shows all the lines of music for each instrument playing in a composition. The music is arranged on the page according to the four sections of the orchestra: woodwind, brass, percussion, and strings. It is usually printed on large paper for easy reading, such as for a...

scalable font
Typeface that can be used at any size and any resolution, on a screen or hard-copy device, such as a laser printer or image setter. Scalable fonts are always outline fonts. Adobe Postscript and TrueType are scalable fonts

SCSI
In computing, one of the methods for connecting peripheral devices (such as printers, scanners, and CD-ROM drives) to a computer. A group of peripherals linked in series to a single SCSI port is called a daisy-chain. SCSIs are common in file servers and high-performance computers. One of the main advantages of a SCSI is that devices att...

Schengen Group
Association of states in Europe that in theory adhere to the ideals of the Schengen Convention, notably the abolition of passport controls at common internal borders and the strengthening of external borders. The Convention, which first came into effect in March 1995, was signed by Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands in 1985&#...

screen saver
In computing, program designed to prevent a static image from `burning` itself into the phosphor screen of an idle computer monitor. If the user leaves the computer alone for more than a few minutes, the screen saver automatically displays a moving or changing image – perhaps a sequence of random squiggles, or an animation – on ...

script
(computing) In communications, a series of instructions for a computer. For example, when users log on to an ISP (Internet Service Provider) or other service, their computers follow a script containing passwords and other information to tell the ISP's server who they are. Scripts may be us...

scrollbar
In computing, a narrow bar along one vertical and one horizontal side of a window, enabling users to move its contents up, down, left or right. Each end of the scrollbar represents the same end of the document on display, and the mouse is used to move a small `scrollbox` up and down the bar to scroll the contents or to click on the direct...

Scottish National Party
Nationalist party that supports the separation of Scotland from the UK as an independent state within the European Union. It was formed by the combining of several early nationalist parties in 1934 and at first advocated only autonomy (self-government) within the UK. It gained its first parliamentary victory in 1945 but did not make serious hea...

Scottish Borders
Unitary authority in southeast Scotland, created in 1996 to replace the former Borders region. Area 4,733 sq km/1,827 sq mi Towns Galashiels, Hawick, Jedburgh, Kelso, Newtown St Boswells (administrative headquarters), Peebles, Selkirk Physical much of the west part of the area is upland (Lammermu...

Scottish Parliament
Devolved legislative (law-making) body of Scotland. It comprises 129 members and was created by the November 1998 Scotland Act, which was passed following the Scottish electorate's overwhelming approval of government proposals in a referendum on devolution held on 11 September 1997. The first elections to the Parliament were held on 6 May 1...

Schmeichel, Peter
Danish footballer. Regarded by many as the world's best goalkeeper of the 1990s, he was a member of the Manchester United side that won five FA Premiership titles in six seasons, including three FA Cup and league doubles 1993–99. He was a member of the Danish side that won the 1992 European Championships. Making his international debut in ...

Scipio, Publius Cornelius
Roman general whose tactical and strategic abilities turned the tide of the Second Punic War in 208–201 BC and established his reputation as one of Rome's greatest commanders. He defeated the Carthaginians in Spain in 210–206 BC and invaded Africa in 204 BC. At Zama in 202 BC he defeated the Carthaginian general Hannibal to win the wa...

Scotland: history 1603 to 1746
After the accession of James VI and I to the English throne, the history of Scotland became increasingly linked with that of England. The Scots played a significant role in the English Civil War. They were at war with the English government during the Commonwealth and after the Glorious Revolution. The Act of Union might be seen as the inevitable r...

Scottish Executive
The government of Scotland for devolved matters since 1999. The Executive comprises a First Minister and a team of cabinet secretaries and ministers, including two law officers (the Lord Advocate and Solicitor General), supported by civil servants. The ministers are politicians drawn from the Scottish Parliament – from the party or coalition w...

scumble
In art, to cover an oil painting lightly with opaque or semi-opaque colours so as to soften the outlines or colours. A similar effect may be produced on a drawing by lightly rubbing the image

scan
Regularity of the metre or syllables of a line of verse. To count, mark or test the metre or syllables is to `scan` the line. A line is said to `scan` when it is regular according to the pattern set by other lines in the poem. `Scanning` a text also means to read over it quickly in order to locate information or to fin...

script
(theatre) In drama, the written text or draft of a film, play, or radio or television broadcast, as used by the actors or performers

Schengen Agreement
Name given to two agreements in 1985 and 1990 between a number of European Union (EU) states to abolish border controls between participating countries. The Schengen rules include common policies on harmonization of external border controls (co-ordinated by the EU's Frontex agency), temporary entry (under Schengen Visas), and cross-bord...

SDI
Abbreviation for Strategic Defense Initiative

SDLP
Abbreviation for Social Democratic and Labour Party, a Northern Ireland political party

SDP
Abbreviation for Social Democratic Party, former British political party

Seyfert galaxy
Galaxy in which there is a small, bright centre, caused by hot gas moving at high speed around a massive central object, possibly a black hole. Almost all Seyferts are spiral galaxies. They seem to be closely related to quasars, but are about 100 times fainter. They are named after their discoverer, US astronomer Carl Seyfert

Serpens
Constellation on the celestial equator (see celestial sphere), represented as a serpent coiled around the body of Ophiuchus. It is the only constellation divided into two halves: Serpens Caput, the head (on one side of Ophiuchus), and Serpens Cauda, the tail (on the other side). Its main feature is the Eagle nebula

semiconductor
Material with electrical conductivity intermediate between metals and insulators and used in a wide range of electronic devices. Certain crystalline materials, most notably silicon and germanium, have a small number of free electrons that have escaped from the bonds between the atoms. The atoms from ...

septicaemia
General term for any form of blood poisoning

seaborgium
Synthesized radioactive element of the transactinide series, atomic number 106, relative atomic mass 263. It was first synthesized in 1974 in the USA and given the temporary name unnilhexium. The discovery was not confirmed until 1993. It was officially named in 1997 after US nuclear chemist Glenn Seaborg. The University of California, Berkeley, bo...

Semite
Any of the peoples of the Middle East originally speaking a Semitic language, and traditionally said to be descended from Shem, a son of Noah in the Bible. Ancient Semitic peoples include the Hebrews, Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, Babylonians, Assyrians, Chaldaeans, Phoenicians, and Canaanites. The Semitic peoples founded the monotheistic religion...

Seljuk Empire
Empire of the Turkish people (converted to Islam during the 7th century) under the leadership of the invading Tatars or Seljuk Turks. The Seljuk Empire (1055–1243) included Iran, Iraq, and most of Anatolia and Syria. It was a loose confederation whose centre was in Iran, jointly ruled by members of the family and led by a great sultan exercisi...

Sea Peoples
Unidentified seafaring warriors who may have been Achaeans, Etruscans, or Philistines, who ravaged and settled the Mediterranean coasts in the 12th–13th centuries BC. They were defeated by Ramses III of Egypt 1191 BC

Sephardi
Jews descended from those expelled from Spain and Portugal in the 15th century, or from those forcibly converted during the Inquisition to Christianity (Marranos). Many settled in North Africa and in the Mediterranean countries, as well as in the Netherlands, England, and Dutch colonies in the New World. Sephardim speak Ladino, a 15th-century R...

Seoul
Click images to enlargeCapital and largest city of South Korea, in the northwest of the country, 32 km/20 mi inland on the Han River, and with its chief port at Inchon on the Yellow Sea; population (2002 est) 11,153,200. The metropolitan area, in which about a quarter of the total population of South Korea live, h...

Sennacherib
King of Assyria from 705 BC. Son of Sargon II, he rebuilt the city of Nineveh on a grand scale, sacked Babylon 689, and defeated Hezekiah, King of Judah, but failed to take Jerusalem. He was assassinated by his sons, and one of them, Esarhaddon, succeeded him

Senegal
(river) River in West Africa, formed by the confluence of the Bafing and Bakhoy rivers and flowing 1,125 km/700 mi northwest and west to join the Atlantic Ocean near Saint-Louis, Senegal. In 1968 the Organization of Riparian States of the River Senegal (Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, and Se...

Seneca, Lucius Annaeus
Roman Stoic playwright, author of essays and nine tragedies. He was tutor to the future emperor Nero but lost favour after Nero's accession to the throne and was ordered to commit suicide. His tragedies were accepted as classical models by 16th-century dramatists

Semele
In Greek mythology, the daughter of Cadmus of Thebes and mother of Dionysus by Zeus. At Hera's suggestion she demanded that Zeus should appear to her in all his glory, but when he did so she was consumed by lightning

Semarang
Port and capital of Java Tengah province in north Java, Indonesia, at the estuary of the Kali Semarang River; population (2000) 1,281,500. Industries include shipbuilding, fishing, textiles, electrical goods, glass, and footwear. Exports include coffee, teak, sugar, tobacco, kapok, and petroleum from nearby oilfields. The Klinteng Sam Poo Kong ...

semaphore
Visual signalling code in which the relative positions of two movable pointers or hand-held flags stand for different letters or numbers. The system is used by ships at sea and for railway signals

Selznick, David O(liver)
US film producer. His early work includes King Kong, Dinner at Eight, and Little Women, all 1933. His independent company, Selznick International (1936–40), made such lavish films as A Star is Born (1937) and Gone With the Wind (1939). He produced En...

semantics
Branch of linguistics dealing with the meaning of words and sentences. Semantics asks how we can use language to express things about the real world and how the meanings of linguistic expressions can reflect people's thoughts. Semantic knowledge is compositional; the meaning of a sentence is based on the meanings of the words it contains an...

Sellers, Peter
English comedian and film actor. He was particularly skilled at mimicry. He made his name in the innovative British radio programme The Goon Show (1949–60). His films include The Ladykillers (1955), I'm All Right Jack (1960), Lolita (1962), Dr Strangelove&...

Selene
In Greek mythology, the goddess of the Moon; daughter of the Titan Hyperion; and sister of the Sun god Helios and Eos, goddess of the dawn. In later times she was identified with Artemis

Selangor
State of the Federation of Malaysia; area 7,956 sq km/3,071 sq mi; population (2000 est) 3,947,500. The state consists mainly of a coastal plain of alluvial soils bordering the Strait of Malacca on the western side of the Malay Peninsula. Selangor is agriculturally rich, producing coconuts, palm oil, pineapples, rice, coffee, and tea, b...

Seine
(river) Click images to enlargeFrench river rising on the Langres plateau in the département of Côte d'Or, 30 km/19 mi northwest of Dijon, and flowing 774 km/472 mi northwest through Paris and Rouen to join th...

Sedgemoor, Battle of
In English history, a battle on 6 July 1685 in which Monmouth's rebellion was crushed by the forces of James II, on a tract of marshy land 5 km/3 mi southeast of Bridgwater, Somerset

sedition
In the UK, the offence of inciting unlawful opposition to the crown and government. Unlike treason, sedition does not carry the death penalty. It includes attempting to bring into contempt or hatred the person of the reigning monarch, the lawfully established government, or either house of Parliament; inciting a change of government by other th...

sedan chair
Enclosed chair for one passenger carried on poles by two or more bearers. Introduced into England by Sanders Duncombe in 1634, by the 18th century it was the equivalent of a one-person taxi. The name derives from an Italian dialect word for seat, rather than from the French town of Sedan

secret society
Society with membership by invitation only, often involving initiation rites, secret rituals, and dire punishments for those who break the code. Often founded for religious reasons or mutual benefit, some have become the province of corrupt politicians or gangsters, like the Mafia, Ku Klux Klan, and the Triad. See also freemasonry

secret service
Any government intelligence organization. In the USA the Secret Service is a law-enforcement unit of the Department of Homeland Security since 2003 and provides the president's bodyguard. The secret service in Britain is concerned with the detection of offences, civil or political, committed or threatened by people who act in secrecy, and t...

secretary of state
In the UK, a title held by a number of ministers; for example, the secretary of state for foreign and commonwealth affairs. Originally the title was given under Elizabeth I of England to each of two officials conducting the royal correspondence. In the USA the secretary of state deals with foreign affairs

Sebastopol
Alternative spelling of Sevastopol, a Black Sea port on the peninsula of Crimea in Ukraine

second
(time) Basic SI unit of time, one-sixtieth of a minute. It is defined as the duration of 9,192,631,770 cycles of regulation (periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between two hyperfine levels of the ground state) of the caesium-133 isotope. In mathematics, the second...

Sebastian, St
Roman soldier. He was traditionally a member of Emperor Diocletian's bodyguard until his Christian faith was discovered. He was condemned to be killed by arrows. Feast day 20 January

sea law
Set of laws dealing with fishing areas, ships, and navigation; see maritime law

Seattle
Port on Lake Washington in King County, Washington, USA, and the largest city in the Pacific Northwest; population (2000 est) 563,400, Greater Seattle (King, Snohomish, Pierce, and Kitsap counties) 3,275,800. It is the fifth-largest container port in the USA and the main transit point for supplies to Alaska; trade with Japan is importan...

setter
Any of various breeds of gun dog, called `setters` because they were trained to crouch or `set` on the sight of game to be pursued. They stand about 66 cm/26 in high and weigh about 25 kg/55 lb. They have a long, smooth coat, feathered tails, and spaniel-like faces. The Irish setter is a rich red, the English setter ...

serval
African wild cat Felis serval. It is a slender, long-limbed cat, about 1 m/3 ft long, with a yellowish-brown, black-spotted coat. It has large, sensitive ears, with which it locates its prey, mainly birds and rodents. Servals weigh about 11–13 kg/24–28 lb. They are solitary animals, except for female...

secretary bird
Ground-hunting, long-legged, mainly grey-plumaged bird of prey Sagittarius serpentarius. It is about 1.2 m/4 ft tall, with an erectile head crest tipped with black. It is protected in southern Africa because it eats poisonous snakes. It gets its name from the fact t...

seagull
See gull