“Metalingual definition” is the term David Hays gave to the linguistic structure and process whereby some term, called the definiendum, is defined by a string of words, the definiens, where the string of words typically takes the form of a story. Charity was his standard teaching example: Charity (the definiendum) is when someone does something nice for someone without thought of reward (the definiens). Any particular story that matches that pattern is an example of charity. In this conception, charity inheres in the entire story; more precisely, in the pattern exhibited by that story. Note however that the definiens need not take the form of a story, though that may be the most perspicuous form. The point is simply that a pattern of words can be used to define a term.
The power of the construction becomes apparent when you realize that the definiens of any term can itself contain metalingually defined terms, each of which has its own definiens, and so on recursively through a large swath of the word stock. Thus in Hays’s standard example, charity, the term reward appears in the definiens. That term is abstract, and so must be linked to a definiens of its own.
From time to time I have investigated ChatGPT’s capacity explicitly to deal with metalingual definition. Here, for example, is a post in which I explore several such constructs with ChatGPT, Abstract concepts and metalingual definition: Does ChatGPT understand justice and charity?
This post collects some examples from science. My typical convention is to set my prompt in boldface and ChatGPT’s response in plain face.
Define gravity.
Gravity is a natural force that attracts any two objects with mass toward each other. The force of gravity is proportional to the product of the masses of the objects and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This is known as the Law of Universal Gravitation, which was first described by Sir Isaac Newton in the late 17th century.
The force of gravity is what keeps planets in orbit around the sun, moons in orbit around their planets, and galaxies held together. It also causes objects to fall toward the ground when dropped.
Gravity is one of the four fundamental forces of nature, along with the strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force, and the electromagnetic force. It is a non-contact force, meaning that it acts on objects at a distance without coming into direct contact with them.
Einstein's theory of general relativity, developed in the early 20th century, provides a more accurate and comprehensive description of gravity as a curvature of spacetime caused by the presence of matter and energy. This theory explains phenomena such as gravitational lensing and the behavior of black holes that are difficult to understand under the Newtonian theory of gravity.
Define entropy.
Entropy is a measure of disorder or randomness in a system. It is typically represented by the symbol S and has units of energy per temperature (typically joules per kelvin in SI units).
In thermodynamics, which is the branch of physics that deals with the relationships between heat, energy, and work, entropy is a measure of the amount of thermal energy in a system that is unavailable to do work.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that in any energy transfer or transformation, the total entropy of a closed system will always increase over time, this is also known as entropy increase principle.
In more general terms, entropy can also refer to the disorder, randomness, or uncertainty in a system. In information theory, entropy is a measure of the amount of uncertainty or randomness in a random variable. In statistical mechanics, entropy is a measure of the number of microscopic configurations of a system that correspond to a given macroscopic state.
Entropy, in the context of Thermodynamics is often referred to as a state function, which means that it depends only on the current state of the system, not on how that state was achieved.
Define atomic bond.
An atomic bond is the force that holds two or more atoms together to form a chemical compound. There are several types of atomic bonds, each with their own characteristics and properties. The main types of atomic bonds are:
- Covalent bonds: Covalent bonds form when atoms share one or more pairs of electrons. This type of bond is typically found in compounds made up of non-metals.
- Ionic bonds: Ionic bonds form when an electron is transferred from one atom to another. This type of bond is typically found in compounds made up of a metal and a non-metal.
- Metallic bonds: Metallic bonds form when atoms share a sea of electrons. This type of bond is typically found in pure metals and alloys.
- Hydrogen bond: Hydrogen bond is a type of dipole-dipole interaction, a weaker type of force that occurs between a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a highly electronegative atom such as nitrogen, oxygen, or fluorine and another highly electronegative atom nearby.
All of these bonds involve the sharing or transfer of electrons between atoms, which results in the formation of a more stable configuration known as a chemical compound. The strength of these bonds depends on the nature of the atoms involved, their electronic configurations, and the distance between them.
The properties of the chemical compound formed will be determined by the type of bond and the arrangement of atoms that holds it together.
Define momentum.
Momentum is a measure of the motion of an object. It is defined as the product of an object's mass and velocity. Mathematically, the momentum of an object (p) is given by the formula:
p = m * v
where m is the mass of the object and v is its velocity. The unit of momentum is typically kilogram meters per second (kg·m/s) in the International System of Units (SI).
The momentum of an object is a vector quantity, meaning it has both a magnitude and a direction. The direction of momentum is the same as the direction of velocity. When an object is at rest, its momentum is zero.
Momentum is a measure of the "inertia" of an object in motion, meaning how difficult it is to change an object's speed or direction of motion. The larger the mass of an object or the greater its velocity, the greater its momentum.
In physics, the principle of conservation of momentum states that in a closed system, the total momentum of all objects before and after a collision or other interaction will remain the same, unless acted upon by an external force.
momentum is an important concept in physics, specially in mechanics, that plays a role in understanding how objects move, and it is widely used in fields like physics, engineering, and aeronautics.
Define gene.
A gene is a functional unit of DNA that contains the instructions for the synthesis of a specific protein or RNA molecule. It consists of a specific sequence of nucleotides, the building blocks of DNA, which are located on chromosomes.
Genes are inherited from our parents and play a central role in determining our physical and behavioral characteristics, such as eye color, hair color, height, blood type and many others. Each gene carries specific information for the synthesis of a particular protein, and the collection of all genes in an organism, known as its genome, contains the complete set of instructions for the development and function of that organism.
The proteins made by a gene play a vital role in the body, acting as enzymes, structural molecules, hormones, and other key components. They also help in controlling when and where certain genes are expressed.
Genes can also be studied in the context of evolution, where variations in genes can lead to different traits that can be beneficial or harmful to an organism's survival. Some variations can be passed on to next generations, leading to natural selection and genetic drift.
Mutations, changes in the DNA sequence of a gene, can also occur and have effects on the proteins it codes for and the way the gene is expressed, these mutations can have positive or negative effect, some being benign and others causing diseases.
What is a molecule.
A molecule is a chemical structure composed of two or more atoms that are chemically bonded together. The atoms in a molecule are held together by chemical bonds, which are forces that result from the attractive or repulsive interactions between the electrons of different atoms. Molecules can be composed of any type of atom, and can vary greatly in size and complexity.
The basic building block of a molecule is an atom and the smallest molecule is diatomic (made up of two atoms, such as H2,O2). Larger molecules can be made up of many atoms and can be quite complex, such as DNA and proteins.
Molecules can also be characterized by their physical properties such as boiling and melting point, solubility, density, and others. The properties of a molecule are often determined by the atoms that make it up, the arrangement of those atoms, and the types of bonds that hold the atoms together.
Molecules can be broadly classified into two groups: organic and inorganic. Organic molecules are those that contain carbon, while inorganic molecules are those that do not contain carbon. Organic molecules are found in living organisms and include compounds such as carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids, and proteins, while inorganic molecules include compounds such as water, gases, and minerals.
Molecules play an important role in many chemical processes, including those that occur within living organisms, and are essential for the study of chemistry and biochemistry.
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