Oracle
1. Dating back to approximately 1400 BC, the Oracle of Delphi was the most important shrine in all Greece. In theory, all Greeks respected its independence. Built around a sacred spring, Delphi was considered to be the omphalos, the center (literally “navel”) of the world. People came from all over and outside Greece to have their questions about the future answered by the Pythia, the priestess of Apollo, who answered their questions for payments in gold. Her answers, usually cryptic, could determine the course of everything from when a farmer planted his crops to when an empire declared war.
2. Supplier of software for information management and well known for its relational database products (notably Oracle9i), which are used in Fortune 1000 corporations and by many of the largest websites. Oracle’s relational database was the world’s first to support the Structured Query Language (SQL), which is now an industry standard. When CEO Lawrence J. Ellison and a few associates formed Oracle in 1977, they were out to prove wrong the prevailing theory that relational databases could not be commercially viable, turning an initial $2,000 investment in the company into an annual revenue exceeding $9.7 billion. Oracle targets high-end workstations and minicomputers as the server platforms on which to run its database systems. Along with Sun Microsystems, Oracle has long been a champion of network computers. It now boasts that it was the world’s first software company to develop and deploy 100% internet-enabled enterprise software across its entire product line: database, server, enterprise business applications, as well as application development and decision support tools. Based in Redwood Shores, California, Oracle has more than 43,000 employees worldwide and does business in over 150 countries.
3. Also known as Barbara Gordon and DC Comics’ original Batgirl, Oracle was a unique character, in that she was a superhero who used a wheelchair. As part of its “New 52” initiative, DC removed the 1989-2011 character in Justice League # 1. Her appearance in Batman Incorporated #8 is reportedly to be Barbara’s final adventure as the handicapped über-hacker Oracle, a character that had become one of the most beloved and culturally significant in superhero comics history. A fully-mobile Barbara Gordon returned as the title character in Batgirl #1.
Gail Simone, a longtime Birds of Prey writer, wrote the storyline depicting Barbara’s transition to Batgirl. Simone was probably most responsible for Oracle’s popularity over her last decade, but the first person to write an Oracle solo adventure was Scott Peterson, in Showcase ’94 #12. Along with artist Brian Stelfreeze, Peterson introduced concepts like Barbara’s clock tower headquarters and her mastery of the Escrima fighting style, both of which went on to become major trademarks of the character.
Orc
A member of a brutal race in Middle-earth, from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. The word is derived from the Old English “orcþyrs” (singular) and “orcneas” (plural), meaning “ogre” or “devouring monster.”
Orchdork
A derogatory term for a member of an orchestra (particularly a school’s orchestra).
Oread
See Nymph.
Oregon Trail, The
An “edutainment” computer game developed in 1971 that was used by schools across America as a History teaching tool. The Oregon Trail is an old simulation game, the original part of a game series. The Oregon Trail is a single-player abandonware game that runs on Disk Operating System (DOS). MECC released a version of The Oregon Trail in 1990.
Organa, Princess Leia
As portrayed by Carrie Fisher in the Star Wars film franchise, Princess Leia is a member of the planet Alderaan’s royal family, born a daughter of Queen Amidala and Anakin Skywalker, as well as sister to Luke Skywalker. No fragile pampered princess, Leia grew to face Darth Vader, fight as a Rebel Alliance leader against the tyranny of the Empire, and eventually become a founder of the Resistance, opposing the First Order. With husband Han Solo, she would bring Ben Solo into the world, only to see her son grow to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and join the Dark Side as Kylo Ren. Ren has a key presence in an attack on the Resistance’s capital ship, in which Leia proves herself at last as a master of The Force.
Princess Leia appeared in the last five Star Wars films (according to the story’s timeline): Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope, Star Wars – Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars – Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi, Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens, and Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi. Princess Leia will appear (with the use of archival footage of Carrie Fisher, who passed away in 2016) in 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Organians
Initially appearing to be a simple humanoid race that had no significant social or technological advancements for over 10,000 years, in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode “Errand of Mercy,” which originally aired on March 23, 1967, the true nature of Organia and the Organian race revealed an extremely advanced civilizations of noncorporeal beings, having developed beyond their physical bodies a millennia ago, and who merely created the physical appearance of a simplistic culture for the benefit of the life forms that visit them. The Organians are the party responsible for the Organian Peace Treaty, which called for a mandatory peace between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire, which remained in place until the two forces formed a mutual alliance many years later. A century earlier, as shown on the Star Trek: Enterprise episode “Observer Effect,” which originally aired on January 21, 2005, two Organian entities had an encounter with the Enterprise NX-01. They occupied the bodies of crewmembers in order to observe the humans’ response to a deadly virus on a planet they had just visited. In defiance of their own protocols, the Organians ultimately intervened to cure the infected crewmembers, then erased the memories of the encounter among the humans. At that time, they decided to recommend preparations for an official first contact mission, though they thought that at the rate humans were progressing, they would need 5,000 years to prepare.
Organic evolution
A change in a population’s gene pool between generations, as through mutation, natural selection or genetic drift; the process by which changes in plants and animals occur over time; the process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth.
The idea of organic evolution was originally proposed by some ancient Greek thinkers, but was long rejected in Europe as contrary to the literal interpretation of the Bible. Lamarck proposed a theory that organisms eventually transformed by their environments and their efforts to respond to the demands of those environments. However, he was unable to describe a mechanism for this. Lyell demonstrated that geological deposits were the cumulative product of slow processes over vast ages. This helped Darwin develop a theory of gradual evolution over a long period of time, via the natural selection of those varieties of organisms slightly better adapted to the environment, and therefore more likely to produce progeny. Combined with the subsequent discoveries of the cellular and molecular basis of genetics, Darwin’s theory of evolution has, with some modification, become the dominant unifying concept of modern biology.
Organic light-emitting device/diode (OLED)
A display technology that offers bright, colorful images with a wide viewing angle, low power, high contrast ratio and fast response time for sports and action movies. The OLED technology differs greatly from the screens in plasma and LCD/LED TVs, and more resembles plasma because the colors are intrinsically generated. Because OLEDs do not require backlights, the screens can be ultra-thin. OLEDs also have great potential for general lighting. Passive matrix OLEDs appeared in cellphones and MP3 players in the 1990s, and active matrix OLEDs followed in 2003. Four years later, Sony introduced the first active matrix OLED TV, but with only an 11″ screen. Significant progress was made in the next five years, and LG and Samsung debuted 55″ OLED TVs in 2012. OLED screens consist of a series of organic layers between two electrical contacts (electrodes). Like light-emitting diodes (LEDs), when electrons and holes combine in the organic layer, they emit photons. Unlike LCDs, which have separate layers, each OLED layer is deposited on the other, creating a monolithic unit. Commonly constructed on glass, OLEDs can also be fabricated on plastic and flexible films, such as the Flexible OLED (FOLED) from Universal Display Corporation.
Original animation video (OAV)
An interchangeable term with Original Video Animation (OVA), both used in Japan to refer to animation that is released directly to the video market without first going through a theatrical release or television broadcast (known in the United States as “straight to video”). At first, only the term OAV was used in Japan, but due to confusion with both Adult Video and Audio/Video electronics, this acronym was gradually abandoned in favor of OVA. OAVs are supposed to have original scripts, although there are exceptions. They can be based on a manga or TV series, but each episode should be original. For example, the Ranma ½ TV series follows Rumiko Takahashi’s manga fairly closely, however the Ranma ½ OAV series contains stories that were not in the original manga series. OAVs are generally higher quality than TV series, because a larger budget is allocated to the production and more time is allowed for the work. An Original Anime Digital video disc (original animation DVD or OAD), is an OAV released on DVD as an extra with a volume of manga.
Original video animation (OVA)
See Original animation video (OAV).
Orion
1. A handsome giant in Greek mythology who was a skilled hunter, Orion can be seen in writings as early as Homer (Iliad, Book XVIII). The story of Orion has many different versions. He is considered to be Boeotian by birth, born of the earth. Some legends have him as the son of Poseidon. He is associated with the island of Chios, from which he is said to have driven the wild beasts. There, he fell in love with Merope, daughter of Oenopion, the king of Chios. Oenopion disapproved of Orion and continually deferred the nuptials, eventually having Orion blinded. His vision restored by the rays of the rising sun, Orion is said to have gone to Crete to live with Artemis as a hunter. Accounts of his death vary widely: some legends have him killed by Artemis for trying to rape her, others of Apollo’s jealousy over Artemis’ love of Orion; still other legends have him killed by a monstrous scorpion. Regardless of the cause, after his death, Orion was placed among the stars as a constellation.
2. The constellation Orion can be identified by his club, lion’s skin, girdle (belt), and sword. In the sky, he chases the Pleiades and is himself pursued by the scorpion. The constellation is probably more recognizable than most, as it was used by Orion Pictures as a logo, seen at the beginning of each of their films.
Orkdork
See Orchdork.
Orogeny
The process of mountain-making (also called “mountain-building” or “upheaval”) due to the folding of the Earth’s crust.
Orwell, George
Sometimes called the “conscience of a generation,” George Orwell authored two literary classics that could be seen as crosses between science fiction and social satire: Animal Farm (1945) and Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949). Born Eric Arthur Blair, Orwell was a smart but sickly child. Unpopular with peers, he found solace in reading and writing. His first major work, Down and Out in Paris and London (1933), explored his time eking out a living in these two cities. Orwell is best known for two novels, both of which were published toward the end of his life. Animal Farm (1945) was an anti-Soviet satire in a pastoral setting featuring two pigs as its main protagonists. These pigs were said to represent Josef Stalin and Leon Trotsky. The novel brought Orwell great acclaim and financial rewards. Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) is a bleak vision of the world divided into three oppressive nations, where the government monitors and controls every detail of a person’s life, down to their own private thoughts. Both Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four cast a spotlight on imperialism, fascism and communism. Unfortunately, Orwell was in the late stages of his battle with tuberculosis when Nineteen Eighty-Four was published. He died on January 21, 1950.
OS
See Operating system.
OS/X
The operating system that powers every Mac, built on a UNIX foundation.
Osiris
1. The Egyptian god Osiris (the Greek/Latin form of his name) is also known via Egyptian vocalizations as Asar, Asari, Asaru, Aser, Asir, Ausar, Ausare, Ausir, Usire, Usir, Wesir, Wser and Yasar. He is one of the most important gods of ancient Egypt. He is the only deity in all of Egyptian mythology who is referred to simply as “God.” The English translation of the name is “Almighty” or “The Powerful.” By about 2400 BC, Osiris, whom Greco-Roman writers associated with Dionysus, served a double role, as after his murder by his brother Set (also known as Seth), he was considered the god of the underworld (presiding over the judgment of the dead) and king of the underworld, as well as a god of agriculture and fertility. In Christian-like tradition, he was seen as the embodiment of a dead-then-resurrected king. In the Egyptian concept of divine kingship, each king (pharaoh) at death became Osiris, the god of the underworld; and the dead king’s son, the living king, was identified with Horus, a god of the sky. The mother of the pharaoh was seen as the personification of the goddess
Later, Seth developed a vendetta against his extremely popular sibling, possibly either because Osiris had inherited the throne or because he had gotten Seth’s wife pregnant. According to the legend, Osiris’ jealous brother Set invited him to a banquet and had a beautiful cedarwood and ebony chest made just for the occasion. He offered the chest to anyone who could fit into it. Just as Set planned, none of the other guests fit in the chest perfectly, and Set arranged for Osiris to be the last to try to fit in it. When he laid down in the chest (which had been made to fit him), Set closed the lid and nailed it shut. He sealed it with molten lead and threw it in the Nile.
The chest was swept out to sea and landed on the coast near Byblos (in modern-day Lebanon). The instant it touched the land, a huge Tamarisk tree sprouted up to protect it. The tree grew so large that the king of Byblos trimmed it and set it up as a pillar in his palace. Isis tracked his body to Byblos and persuaded the king to give it to her. She took her husband’s corpse back to Egypt and used magic to conceive his child, Horus. (Other accounts suggest that Isis was already pregnant when Osiris died, or that Nephthys took on the appearance of Isis and presented herself to Osiris as his wife. Not knowing the difference, Osiris was seduced by Nephthys and she became pregnant and gave birth to Anubis.) However Horus was conceived, Set found Osiris’ body unattended and cut the corpse into fourteen (or sixteen, depending in the source of the legend) parts and distributed them around Egypt. Isis was distraught, and enlisted the help of her sister, Set’s wife Nephthys. They found all but the phallus, believed to have been swallowed by a fish sacred to Set. Isis and Nephthys mourned over the dead body of their brother and Ra (also known as Re) took pity on them. He sent Anubis to prepare Osiris for the very first mummification, and instructed Thoth, Isis and Nephthys to piece the body back together. Isis transformed into small common bird called a kite and breathed life into him, but it was not sufficient for him to take his place with the living. Instead, he travelled to the underworld, a seemingly dark and desolate place, but Ra reassured him that he would find peace and contentment as the king of the dead, and his son Horus would rule over the living until the time that Ra chose to unmake his creation and return everything to the nothingness from whence it came.
Osiris’ symbols included the crook (shaped like a small shepherd’s staff) and the flail (a straight stick with tassels), which became important symbols of the pharaohs that came after him. To his followers, his reign represented an ideal time of peace, unity, and fertility, and all succeeding Egyptian pharoahs attempted to emulate him.
2. In the DC Comics universe, the alter-ego Osiris debuted in Teen Titans #38, Titans Around the World Part 1, published in September 2006. After Amon Tomaz and his sister Adrianna were captured by Intergang with many other hostages, Adrianna was sent as a “gift” to Black Adam. Black Adam was so impressed by Adrianna’s fiery spirit, he asked Captain Marvel to grant her the powers of a goddess. Adrianna was transformed into the famed Egyptian deity Isis. After falling in love, Adam and Adrianna were married. Shortly after their wedding, Adrianna resumed her quest to rescue her captured brother. Black Adam and Isis located Amon, badly beaten and left for dead after resisting Intergang’s brainwashing efforts. As Amon struggled for his life, Black Adam shared a portion of his powers with his newfound brother-in-law. When Amon spoke the words “Black Adam,” a bolt of lightning immediately healed the young man, and transformed him into the avatar of the Egyptian god Osiris. In this form, his powers include: superhuman stamina, the ability to fly and move at incredible speeds, nearly limitless superhuman strength (which is often compared to that of Superman), vast knowledge and a photographic memory, clairvoyance, hypnosis, the ability to speak any language and communicate with aliens, resistance against magic, physical enhancement (added height and muscle mass), teleportation, sorcery, healing, invulnerability, indomitable courage and confidence, as well as the ability to survive without having to eat, breathe or sleep. He later acquired additional powers granted unto Isis: telekinesis and control over Nature. Like the other members of the Marvel family (in reference to Captain Marvel; not to be confused with Marvel Comics), Osiris can share his powers with others.
He does, however, have weaknesses. Although Osiris’ abilities give him a resistance to most magic, magic of a High Order does have the ability to harm him. Lightning has the ability to transform Osiris back into his mortal form. In that mortal form, he is paraplegic, due to the torture he was forced to endure at the hands of Intergang.
In the TV series Smallville episode “Isis,” as in the original Egyptian legends, Osiris is the lover of Isis, who is cut into a thousand pieces and has his spirit ripped from his heart. Isis spends a lifetime searching for her soulmate. Eventually, Lois Lane (controlled by the goddess Isis) tried to bring Osiris back to life through Clark Kent’s body, but Clark defeated Isis before she could complete the ritual.
Osiris died in the DC series 52, issue #43.
Osmosis
1. The movement of a solvent (such as water) through a semipermeable membrane (as of a living cell) into a solution of higher solute concentration, the action of which equalizes the concentrations on each sides of the membrane.
2. A process of absorption or diffusion, suggestive of the flow of osmotic action. Particularly used metaphorically and colloquially to represent a usually effortless, often unconscious, assimilation, such as the flow of information into someone’s brain without effort (i.e. studying).
Otaku
Japanese slang term that describes someone who has an obsessive interest in specialized subcultures and hobbies, particularly anime, manga, pop idols and/or video games. In English, it is usually used to refer to an obsessive fan of anime/manga, and to a lesser extent Japanese video games.
Otome
Translated as “girl” or “maiden” in Japanese, the word is used in the gaming community to describe a story-based game geared toward a female consumer/player.
Ouranos
See Uranus.
Outer Limits, The
An anthology series similar to Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone, that featured science fiction themes and morals to the stories. Many episodes had twist endings and involved aliens. The original series aired from 1963 to 1965 (which rivaled Twilight Zone during that show’s final 1963-64 season), and a revival series aired from 1995 to 2002.
Outliers
Author Malcolm Gladwell argues that rather than success being based on intelligence and ambition, it is based more on elements around successful people, such as family, birthplace, or even their birthdate. In discussing that hidden logic, Gladwell attempts to transform the way we understand success. His examines the elements that make some people phenomenally more successful than others (the “outliers,” as he calls them). Gladwell concludes that in addition to receiving an opportunity to gain experience, a successful person also benefits from his or her cultural legacy.
Output
1. Information in a form suitable for transmission from internal to external units of a computer, or to an outside medium.
2. The process of transferring data from internal storage to an external medium, as paper or microfilm.
Output device
Any user-computer communication device used to send data from a computer to a peripheral device or user. Examples include monitors, projectors, speakers, headphones, printers, network interface cards (NIC), modems, IR ports, RFID systems, wireless networking devices, and mechanical output devices, like solenoids, motors and other electromechanical devices.
Outro
1. A sequence of graphics and music presented to a gamer as a reward for his or her successful completion of a game.
2. The section which concludes a piece of music, a radio program, or in the case of a television show or motion picture, the music that plays during the end credits.
Outsiders, The
Created by Mike W. Barr and Jim Aparo, and first appearing in The Brave and The Bold # 200, published in July 1983, the Outsiders are a rotating frontline team of non-primary superheroes in the DC Comics universe that handles major threats to the Earth and its people. Some of the members of The Outsiders have been Batman, Black Lightning, Geo Force, Halo, Katana, Metamorpho, the Looker, Faust, Technocrat, Wylde, Dervish, Dr. Light, the Atomic Knight, and a clone of Windfall. Windfall’s clone died in The Outsiders #20 (June 1987), and the real Windfall later joined the team. Another Outsiders team was formed in a rebooted Outsiders #1 (August 2003) with Arsenal, Grace, Boomerang, Indigo, Shift, Thunder, Nightwing and Jade. Huntress, Captain Marvel Jr. and Starfire later joined the team. Over the years, the team’s foes have included Agent Orange, the Cryonic Man, Force of July and the Masters of Disaster (New Wave, Shakedown, Heatwave and Coldsnap).
Overextend
In the gaming world, to exceed a recommended limit of some sort, which can vary from game to game. For example, in the game Team Fortress 2, “overextending” is a specific mistake in attack/defense maps, when a player repels an initial offensive wave and proceeds to push the offense as far as it can, hoping to push them all the way to their base. Overextending isn’t always a bad thing, as sometimes it can be used as a tactic to break apart an opposing team’s formation. Risky barons/dragons, backdooring (using a back door aka back door program), and sometimes just pushing are examples of overextensions that can be good.
Overrealm
Introduced into the game EverQuest II with the 2005 “Kingdom of Sky” expansion, The Overrealm consists of floating islands. It is made up of three zones, each comprised of a number of islands connected by Cloud Stations.
Overworld
In a broad sense, an area within a video game that interconnects all its levels or locations. For example, in The Legend of Zelda, the overworld is Hyrule Field. In The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, the island of Vvardenfell is a single continuous explorable location, dotted with countless entrances to smaller dungeon and indoors levels. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is similar to Morrowind, except that entire cities are also rendered as smaller sub-levels, accessible from the overworld.
Owen, Clive
Born on October 3, 1964, in Coventry, England, Owen first took the stage in a school musical at the age of 12, and eventually went on to study at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Owen performed on the London stage in a number of productions, including several Shakespearean plays. The actor made his screen debut in the 1988 film Vroom, appearing on the British series Chancer and American telefilms Class of ’61 and Return of the Native in the early 1990s, but it was his work in Croupierthat attracted Hollywood’s attention. Critics and audiences alike were dazzled by Owen’s performance in the 2004 film Closer, and he also took the title role in King Arthur Pendragon in King Arthur that year. He appeared in co-director Frank Miller’s 2005 blockbuster Sin City and in Spike Lee 2006 film Inside Man. The next year, Owen appeared in the action film Shoot ‘Em Up and as Sir Walter Raleigh in the historical drama Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Most recently, Owen appeared in the 2014 sequel Sin City: A Dame To Kill For. Owen is married to actress Sarah-Jane Fenton. The couple has two daughters, Hannah and Eve.
Oxmyx, Bela
The native of the planet Sigma Iotia II possessed an Earth history book on the Chicago mobs of the 1930s, left behind by a Starfleet member and its most powerful boss until 2268. Featured in the original Star Trek series episode “A Piece of the Action,” which originally aired on January 12, 1968, Oxmyx’s reign as a crime boss ended when Capt. James T. Kirk took over, becoming “boss” of the planet, and keeping the local mobs in line by putting the planet under the jurisdiction of the Federation.
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