DESTINATION PRODUCTS
n. pl. Staple goods – from paperclips to panty hose – placed strategically around retail stores, forcing consumers to walk down every aisle.
PASER
n. A laserlike device that emits a high-energy stream of electrons, instead of light. A prototype paser fired its first electron beam in September, and physicists are already eyeing the technology for the next generation of particle accelerators.
NUCLEAR RENAISSANCE
n. The resurgence of nuclear power as a mainstream energy source. Pitching it as a clean and abundant alternative to fossil fuels, the nuclear industry has been pushing the "renaissance" for several years. Now, with more than 29 new US plants in the works, the term is being hyped by The Washington Post and The New York Times.
134340
n. The celestial object formerly known as Pluto. All asteroids and minor planets are assigned numbers, and Pluto is now 134,340 out of 136,563. The demotion has given pluto currency as a verb: If you've been plutoed, you've been dumped.
– Jonathon Keats (jargon@wiredmag.com)
START
What’s inside: Premium Unleaded
Jargon Watch
