The Newsletter of Record
for the Future of Now
Token Wisdom
No. 153
SAT · JUN 13, 2026
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The Lexicon

The Lexicon

The working vocabulary of the future of now — 1,941 terms, defined by hand in The Less You Know across 74 editions. Every definition is the newsletter's own; recurring terms trace how the language of the field accumulated, week over week.

2,348 definitions · 62 recurring terms · 2024 Q1 – 2026 Q2 · 100% authentic humanly chosen
Technologies 585Concepts 577Technical Terms 541Acronyms 229People & Works 9

Core Vocabulary

Recurring in 3+ editions
AI

Artificial Intelligence
Quantum Computing

Theoretical foundations
CEO

Chief Executive Officer
LLM

Large Language Model
MIT

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
3D

Three Dimensional
DARPA

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency: the U.S. Department of Defense agency responsible for developing emerging technologies for…
VC

Venture Capital
Cybersecurity

Sports technology
Digital Privacy

Data sovereignty
VPN

Virtual Private Network
BBC

British Broadcasting Corporation
CIA

Central Intelligence Agency
Consciousness Research

Electromagnetic fields and cellular membranes as seat of mind
Data Privacy

Mass surveillance implications
Environmental Impact

Technology costs
GPU

Graphics Processing Unit
TPU

Tensor Processing Unit
TSMC

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company
AGI

Artificial General Intelligence
AI Development

Architecture optimization
AI Ethics

Implications of AI in surveillance and law enforcement
AMD

Advanced Micro Devices
Artificial Intelligence

Impact on industries and decision-making processes
BCI

Brain-Computer Interface
CPU

Central Processing Unit
Entropy

Measure of disorder; second law of thermodynamics states entropy always increases
FBI

Federal Bureau of Investigation
ICE

Immigration and Customs Enforcement
IoT

Internet of Things
MCP

Multi-Computing Platform
NASA

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
SaaS

Software as a Service
Semiconductor

Material with electrical conductivity between a conductor and an insulator
AI Ethics and Development

Physical world integration
AI-Designed Computer Chips

Efficiency surpassing human-designed counterparts.
AI-Powered Video Creation

Tools making video production more accessible to brands and content creators.
AIP

American Institute of Physics
Brain-Computer Interfaces

Revolutionary medical applications and neural integration
ChatGPT

Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer
Digital Security

Massive exploit campaigns
Digital Twin

Virtual system replica
DNA

Deoxyribonucleic Acid
Encryption

Data protection
ESP32

Espressif Systems Microcontroller
EUV

Extreme Ultraviolet: the 13.5nm wavelength band used in ASML's lithography systems; shorter wavelengths enable smaller transistor features
Generative AI

AI systems capable of creating content across various mediums
GPS

Global Positioning System

Technologies

Top 20 of 585
Brain-Computer Interfaces3× Revolutionary medical applications and neural integration Post-Quantum Cryptography3× encryption schemes designed to resist attacks from sufficiently capable quantum computers. Agricultural AI2× Automated farming systems AI Architecture2× Sparse model optimization AI-Powered Drug Discovery2× Machine learning algorithm identifies potential treatment for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. AI-Powered Mathematics2× Using artificial intelligence to accelerate mathematical discovery Ancient Disease2× DNA analysis techniques ARM Architecture2× Energy-efficient processor designs powering billions of devices Asteroid Detection Systems2× Technologies tracking interstellar objects through our solar system Atmospheric Water Harvesting2× Technology extracting moisture from air in arid regions Biodegradable Materials2× Truly decomposable alternatives to conventional plastics Brain Mapping2× Neural connectivity analysis Computational Cosmology2× Modeling fundamental forces as optimization processes Cryptocurrency Experiments2× Large-scale implementations testing adoption and value growth Digital Rights Management (DRM)2× Security systems for controlling digital content Digital Twins2× F1 racing technology Drone Defense2× Stadium security systems In-Cabin Sensing2× Advanced monitoring systems for vehicle safety and compliance iPhone Security2× Local backup innovation Manufacturing Innovation2× 3D printing breakthroughs
See all 585 Technologies terms →

Concepts

Top 20 of 577
Cybersecurity7× Sports technology Digital Privacy7× Data sovereignty Consciousness Research5× Electromagnetic fields and cellular membranes as seat of mind Data Privacy5× Mass surveillance implications Environmental Impact5× Technology costs AI Development4× Architecture optimization AI Ethics4× Implications of AI in surveillance and law enforcement Artificial Intelligence4× Impact on industries and decision-making processes AI Ethics and Development3× Physical world integration AI-Designed Computer Chips3× Efficiency surpassing human-designed counterparts. Digital Security3× Massive exploit campaigns Neuroscience3× New insights into neurological diseases like Parkinson's Space Exploration3× Innovative approaches to mapping space objects AI in Consulting2× Automation of high-level strategic analysis Archaeological Computing2× Ancient mechanism analysis Architectural Trends2× Changes in religious and spiritual space design Automotive Intelligence2× Integration of advanced sensing in transportation Cognitive Science2× Impact of writing methods on brain function Computational Universe2× Theoretical frameworks modeling reality as information processing Cultural Preservation2× Documentation of disappearing technological spaces and practices
See all 577 Concepts terms →

Technical Terms

Top 20 of 541
Quantum Computing15× Theoretical foundations Entropy4× Measure of disorder; second law of thermodynamics states entropy always increases Semiconductor4× Material with electrical conductivity between a conductor and an insulator AI-Powered Video Creation3× Tools making video production more accessible to brands and content creators. Digital Twin3× Virtual system replica Encryption3× Data protection Generative AI3× AI systems capable of creating content across various mediums Machine Learning3× AI systems that improve with experience Open-Source AI3× Hugging Face's initiatives promote the democratization of AI, fostering collaborative innovation and accessibility in AI development. Quantum Entanglement3× Quantum state where particles remain connected AI Copyright2× Thomson Reuters' landmark legal victory sets a precedent in the ongoing debate surrounding AI-generated content and the use of copyrighted material… Ancient Pathogen2× Historical disease analysis Autonomous Navigation2× Self-driving vehicle technology Biometric Security2× Authentication systems using unique physical or behavioral characteristics. Blockchain Technology2× Decentralized ledger system underpinning cryptocurrencies Brain-Computer Interface2× Direct communication pathway between brain and external device Chip Design2× Process of creating integrated circuits Chirality2× Molecular handedness determining biological compatibility Circuit-Sparsity2× AI model efficiency Computational Model2× Mathematical representation of a system or process
See all 541 Technical Terms terms →

Acronyms

Top 20 of 229
AI53× Artificial Intelligence CEO10× Chief Executive Officer LLM10× Large Language Model MIT10× Massachusetts Institute of Technology 3D9× Three Dimensional DARPA9× Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency: the U.S. Department of Defense agency responsible for developing emerging technologies for national… VC8× Venture Capital VPN6× Virtual Private Network BBC5× British Broadcasting Corporation CIA5× Central Intelligence Agency GPU5× Graphics Processing Unit TPU5× Tensor Processing Unit TSMC5× Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company AGI4× Artificial General Intelligence AMD4× Advanced Micro Devices BCI4× Brain-Computer Interface CPU4× Central Processing Unit FBI4× Federal Bureau of Investigation ICE4× Immigration and Customs Enforcement IoT4× Internet of Things
See all 229 Acronyms terms →

People & Works

Top 9 of 9
Charles Taylor author of Sources of the Self, referenced on the historicity of the inward self. 10 👍 This newsletter was curated by a human. We mention this because… Frank Lantz designer of Universal Paperclips (2017), the clicker game that became an alignment teaching tool. Frank Rosenblatt inventor of the Perceptron, 1958. McCulloch & Pitts authors of the 1943 paper that founded computational neuroscience. Michael Pollan author arguing boredom is a precondition for consciousness. Nate Soares president of MIRI, interviewed this week. Nikolai Brusentsov builder of the Setun ternary computer, Moscow State University, 1958. Plotinus third-century philosopher whose concept of emanation is invoked in the Closer Look. Thomas Nagel philosopher whose "What Is It Like to Be a Bat?" (1974) framed the consciousness question the opening quote adapts.

Coming to the Lab

The Lexicon is the data layer. Next on the bench, all powered by it: the Constellation (browse terms as a map of what's glossed together), Ask the Archive (question three years of writing), and the Zeitgeist Tracker (what mattered when, across 10 quarters).