The nineteenth century has been claimed to be the age of chemistry, especially due to birth of the periodic table in 1869, among other landmark changes. It is also claimed that the twentieth century was the age of physics, due to the birth of relativity and radioactivity at the turn of the

century, and then nuclear power. Despite the expectation that the twentyfirst century will be the age of biology, it is actually the age of complexity. The amazing scientific and technical advances and their interrelatedness have changed our lives. It is within this backdrop that this book was born. It has many aims including rectifying the lack of Arabic glossaries in the advanced fast-moving world of biochemistry, genomics, and molecular biology, in a multidisciplinary complex world. It is a much- needed effort towards engagement of the Arab intelligentsia with the leading edge of science. But there is more.

The enclosed lexicon in this book is extremely challenging authorship for scientists and translators alike. Even machine learning algorithms are challenged by its complex and daunting syntax. Look at its spectrum: the longest word in the English language is commonly believed to be Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. This 45 letter long word from the world of biology has longer competitors from the same fields. But let›s move to the other end of the spectrum towards the shortest words, or symbols. Here, you will find that in the periodic table with its current 118 elements, 14 of them such as Hydrogen, Oxygen, Carbon, Nitrogen, and Wolfram, among others, are represented with simply one letter. Each tells stories about its history and properties. Some have entire books written about them. But, we can still move down a notch. If we look at Lewis structures in the world of chemistry, you will find that these are represented with dots and dashes. Each one tells a entire story about the reactivity of the element or compound. This language moves effortlessly from a single dot to a gargantuan word

which makes the translation challenge unequalled.

Finally, please note that this fine glossary is a work in progress. It is meant to initiate a lifelong effort towards mitigating the «friction of language» in science. As such, it shall be undergoing continuous updates towards easing the flow of knowledge. I sincerely believe that it will play a great role in facilitating the understanding, imagination, inspiration and hard work of scientists, and lest we forget, this work is not just useful, but also beautiful.

Tarek Ali Fadaak

Jeddah, April 2024

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Tarek Ali Fadaak holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, a Master of Management, and a Doctorate in Urban Studies from the USA. He taught in Saudi Arabia and the US for over thirty years. He was a Visting Scholar and Research Fellow at Harvard University, the Chairman of the Jeddah City Council, and a Member of the Saudi Shura Council, among other things. He is a weekly columnist, and a perennial student of the periodic table.