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Tech Terms 2: Nature

A lot of words we use almost daily when talking about technology come from NATURE.
Read about male bees, water, rodents or invertebrates and become aware of just how much the natural world inhabits technology.


• BUG

Tech: A hardware malfunction or a programming error.
Non-tech: An insect which can cause damage or at least annoy us (bug us), for example a moth.

• CLOUD

Tech: A virtual space on the internet, used for storing information and offering services.
Non-tech: An accumulation of tiny drops of water or other particles forming a white or grey body visible in the sky.

• CORE

Tech: The portion of the CPU which actually performs arithmetic and logical operations.
Non-tech: The central part of such diverse things as an apple, our body, or our planet.

• DRONE

Tech: Essentially, a flying robot. Also called UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle).
Non-tech: A male bee.

• MOUSE

Tech: A navigational device, with a pointer, used for computers.
Non-tech: A small, grey rodent inhabiting both rural and urban areas.

• SNAIL MAIL

Tech: The opposite of email, which is fast and practically immediate.
Non-tech: A snail is a small invertebrate which moves very slowly and carries its house on its back.

• STREAM

Tech: Streaming is the activity of listening to sound or watching video ‘live’ on the internet, without downloading any data to your device.
Non-tech: A small current of water.

• VIRUS

Tech: A piece of programme code that spreads by making copies of itself, damaging the computer memory.
Non-tech: A microorganism that infects living organisms and replicates in their cells.

• THE (WORLD WIDE) WEB

Tech: A synonym for the internet.
Non-tech: A net made by a spider.

• WORM

Tech: A self-replicating programme that can take up all your computer’s memory.
Non-tech: A long, thin invertebrate that often lives in soil.

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