Game Sciences

The academic study of games as systems, exploring the rules, mechanics, and dynamics that make play possible and enjoyable. It's the discipline that explains why Monopoly ruins friendships (unequal resource distribution plus player elimination equals resentment), why sports are compelling (clear rules, measurable outcomes, tribalism), and why children will spend more time playing with the box than the toy inside (the box is a blank slate; the toy has pre-determined functions). Game sciences reveal that play is not trivial; it's how we learn, compete, and avoid doing actual work.

Example: "He applied game sciences to his office life, analyzing the 'game' of corporate advancement. The rules: appear busy, agree with bosses, never say what you actually think. The reward: a slightly better office and a title that impresses strangers at parties. He realized the game was rigged but played anyway because the alternative was getting fired, which is game over."

by Nammugal February 14, 2026

Game Social Sciences

The study of how human behavior manifests in game contexts, from cooperation in team games to cheating in solitaire (we've all done it). It examines why players form guilds and clans (tribalism extends to pixels), why some people rage-quit (emotional regulation issues, usually), and why virtual economies develop real-world value (people will pay actual money for a digital sword if it makes them feel powerful). Game social sciences reveal that games are not escapes from society; they're societies in miniature, with all the same drama, just with more loot.

Example: "A game social sciences study examined why players in an online game formed a powerful guild that dominated the server. The answer: the guild leader was a charismatic former middle manager who applied corporate team-building techniques to orc-slaying. Members reported feeling 'valued' and 'productive,' which are not words usually associated with sitting in front of a screen for six hours."

by Nammugal February 14, 2026

Gaming Sciences

The academic study of the activity of playing games, as opposed to the games themselves—examining player behavior, psychology, and the physical effects of sitting in the same position for eight hours. Gaming sciences investigate why gamers develop "the claw" (hand cramps from gripping controllers too tightly), why "one more turn" syndrome leads to 4 AM bedtimes, and why the phrase "just a minute, I'm at a save point" is universally understood as "I will be available in 45 minutes."

Example: "She studied gaming sciences and wrote her thesis on the physiological effects of marathon gaming sessions. Her findings: dehydration, eye strain, and a condition she called 'gamer posture,' characterized by rounded shoulders and a forward-jutting neck. She then spent three days playing a new RPG and experienced all of these symptoms firsthand, which she called 'participant observation.'"

by Nammugal February 14, 2026

Gaming Social Sciences

The study of how people behave when they're playing games, from the cooperative (teamwork, strategy, shared victory dances) to the competitive (smack talk, rage quitting, blaming lag) to the bizarre (players who spend hours just decorating their virtual houses). It examines why gaming communities develop their own languages (GG, noob, pwned), why some players become toxic (anonymity plus frustration equals disaster), and why watching someone else play games has become a multi-billion-dollar industry (parasocial relationships, mostly, plus it's easier than playing yourself).

Example: "A gaming social sciences study observed a team of players in a competitive shooter. When they were winning, they were friendly and coordinated. When they started losing, they immediately began blaming each other, the game's balance, their internet connections, and, finally, the alignment of the planets. The study concluded that winning has friends; losing has excuses."

by Nammugal February 14, 2026

Spaceflight Sciences

The multidisciplinary field dedicated to figuring out how to leave the planet without exploding, burning up, suffocating, or any combination of the above. It combines physics (thrust, trajectory), chemistry (fuel that doesn't blow up too soon), biology (keeping humans alive in a metal can), and psychology (keeping those humans from murdering each other in said can). Spaceflight sciences have mastered the art of launching multi-billion-dollar equipment into the void, where it either works perfectly or becomes very expensive space junk. The field's greatest achievement is making the impossible merely extremely difficult.

Example: "He studied spaceflight sciences for eight years to learn how to calculate orbital insertion burns. He now works at a company that launches satellites and spends most of his time explaining to management why launches get delayed due to 'weather,' which is spaceflight-scientist for 'something's wrong and we need to pretend it's nature's fault.'"

by Abzugal February 14, 2026

Spaceflight Social Sciences

The study of how human societies organize, fund, and react to space exploration, from the Cold War space race (we'll go to the moon because they're going to the moon) to the modern era of private spaceflight (billionaires racing to see who can build the coolest rocket). It examines why nations spend billions on space when problems exist on Earth (prestige, mostly, plus the off chance of finding aliens), how space agencies manage public perception (carefully staged photos, heroic narratives), and what happens to astronaut marriages (usually divorce, space is not kind to relationships).

Spaceflight Social Sciences Example: "A spaceflight social sciences study examined why public interest in space spikes during launches and crashes during the years of preparation in between. The conclusion: humans have short attention spans and space is mostly waiting. The study recommended more explosions, as those get views. NASA declined to comment but did schedule more test flights."

by Abzugal February 14, 2026

Space Sciences

The umbrella term for all the disciplines that study what's out there, from astronomy (looking at things) to astrophysics (mathematically looking at things) to cosmology (looking at everything, all at once). Space sciences have revealed that the universe is vast, beautiful, and largely indifferent to our existence, which is either humbling or depressing depending on your perspective. The field has mapped cosmic microwave background radiation, discovered exoplanets by the thousands, and still can't explain dark matter, which makes up most of the universe and is apparently very shy.

Example: "She got a PhD in space sciences and now spends her nights at an observatory, collecting data on distant galaxies. When people ask what she's found, she says 'mostly noise, but occasionally something interesting, and that makes the noise worthwhile.' It's also how she describes her dating life."

by Abzugal February 14, 2026