spontaneous transition
41education — /ej oo kay sheuhn/, n. 1. the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life. 2. the act or process of… …
42magnetism — /mag ni tiz euhm/, n. 1. the properties of attraction possessed by magnets; the molecular properties common to magnets. 2. the agency producing magnetic phenomena. 3. the science dealing with magnetic phenomena. 4. strong attractive power or… …
43nuclear fission — fission (def. 2). [1885 90] * * * Division of a heavy atomic nucleus into two fragments of roughly equal mass, accompanied by the release of a large amount of energy, the binding energy of the subatomic particles. The energy released in the… …
44painting, Western — ▪ art Introduction history of Western painting from its beginnings in prehistoric times to the present. Painting, the execution of forms and shapes on a surface by means of pigment (but see also drawing for discussion of depictions in …
45Ferromagnetism — Not to be confused with Ferrimagnetism; for an overview see Magnetism A magnet made of alnico, an iron alloy. Ferromagnetism is the physical theory which explains how materials become magnets. Ferromagnetism is the basic mechanism by which… …
46Mermin–Wagner theorem — In quantum field theory and statistical mechanics, the Mermin–Wagner theorem (also known as Mermin–Wagner–Hohenberg theorem or Coleman theorem) states that continuous symmetries cannot be spontaneously broken at finite temperature in systems with …
47technology, history of — Introduction the development over time of systematic techniques for making and doing things. The term technology, a combination of the Greek technē, “art, craft,” with logos, “word, speech,” meant in Greece a discourse on the arts, both… …
48Inflation (cosmology) — Inflation model and Inflation theory redirect here. For a general rise in the price level, see Inflation. For other uses, see Inflation (disambiguation). Physical cosmology …
49luminescence — luminescent, adj. /looh meuh nes euhns/, n. 1. the emission of light not caused by incandescence and occurring at a temperature below that of incandescent bodies. 2. the light produced by such an emission. [1885 90; < L lumin (see LUMEN) +… …
50human behaviour — Introduction the potential and expressed capacity for physical, mental, and social activity during the phases of human life. Human beings, like other animal species, have a typical life course that consists of successive phases of… …
