This linguist has invented over 20 languages

chemical: A substance formed from two or more atoms that unite (bond) in a fixed proportion and structure. For example, water is a chemical made when two hydrogen atoms bond to one oxygen atom. Its chemical formula is H₂O. Chemical also can be an adjective to describe properties of materials that are the result of various reactions between different compounds. 

chemical signal: A message made up of molecules that get sent from one place to another. Bacteria and some animals use these signals to communicate. 

conservation: (v. conserve) The act of preserving or protecting something. The focus of this work can range from art objects to endangered species and other aspects of the natural environment. 

constellation: Patterns formed by prominent stars that appear to lie close to each other in the night sky. Modern astronomers divide the sky into 88 constellations, 12 of which (known as the zodiac) lie along the sun’s path through the sky over the course of a year. Cancri, the original Greek name for the constellation Cancer, is one of those 12 zodiac constellations. 

continent: (in geology) The huge land masses that sit upon tectonic plates. In modern times, there are six established geologic continents: North America, South America, Eurasia, Africa, Australia and Antarctica. In 2017, scientists also made the case for yet another: Zealandia. 

expertise: The knowledge in some field that experts develop through their experience, research and education. 

fungi: (sing: fungus) Organisms with one or more cells that reproduce via spores and feed on living or decaying organic matter. Examples include mold, yeasts and mushrooms. 

Hawaii: This central Pacific island chain became the 50th U.S. state on Aug. 21, 1959. Moving from west to east, its eight major islands are Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Maui, and Hawaii (also known as the Big Island). The entire crescent-shaped island chain spans some 2,400 kilometers (1,500 miles). Each of the state’s islands was created from one or more volcanoes that long ago sprang up from the ocean floor. The chain sits some 3,857 kilometers (2,397 miles) west of San Francisco, Calif., and 8,516 kilometers east of Manila, the Philippines. 

internet: An electronic communications network. It allows computers anywhere in the world to link into other networks to find information, download files and share data (including pictures). 

linguistics: The scientific study of language. 

literature: The books, studies and other writings published on a particular subject. In science, the term usually refers to published papers or meeting abstracts describing new research findings or the reviews of multiple papers on a topic within some field. 

native: Associated with a particular location; native plants and animals have been found in a particular location since recorded history began. These species also tend to have developed within a region, occurring there naturally (not because they were planted or moved there by people). Most are particularly well adapted to their environment. 

osmosis: The movement of certain molecules within a solution across a membrane. The movement is always from the solution where the concentration of some chemical is higher to the solution where the concentration of that chemical is lower. This movement tends to continue until concentrations on each side of the membrane are the same. 

society: An integrated group of people or animals that generally cooperate and support one another for the greater good of them all. 

synthesis: (v. synthesize) The production of a substance by the combining of simpler chemical building blocks. 

system: A network of parts that together work to achieve some function. For instance, the blood, vessels and heart are primary components of the human body’s circulatory system. Similarly, trains, platforms, tracks, roadway signals and overpasses are among the potential components of a nation’s railway system. System can even be applied to the processes or ideas that are part of some method or ordered set of procedures for getting a task done.