HUMAN+

Human+ is used in some projects to denote the more-than-human as it appears within the vessel of human bodies. Human+ acknowledges that all life is fundamentally symbiotic and collaborative, that the ‘human’ is a site of complex multispecies and multiscalar assemblage. It is akin to Lynn Margulis notion of the holobiont.

EXOLOGICAL

The term "exological" is imagined as an extension of ecology, recognising the limitations present in a frame visioned from a heteronormative, euro-centric perspective that emerged in alignment with and historically furthered dualisms such as nature/culture or abiotic/biotic. Exological is offered as a gesture towards the myriad fugitive figures who both commonly evade ecological consideration due to scale of affect (such as bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms) and those new forms who have entered into relational fields in more recent years, such as s genetically modified organisms, artificial life, hybrid bodies and off-planet life-ways. The Exological celebrates the perpetual expansion of interconnection and evolution of both diverse agents and their processes, recognising the science of relation, and embracing transformative potential disruptive, post-natural, or post-human mutation and evolution. The Exological approach rejects the binary and heteronormative frameworks that have limited ecological thought and practice, recognising the fluid and dynamic nature of the relationships between all beings and their environment. It encourages an ethical and respectful engagement with the more-than-human world, promoting a sense of responsibility and care towards all living beings and their habitat.

TRANSTOPIC

In the ever-shifting landscape of post-normal times, transtopic thinking emerges, intertwining transecology, future thinking, and multispecies theory. Inspired by Octavia Butler's wisdom that 'the only lasting truth is change,' it discards binary visions shaped by colonial ideologies. Anchored in lived trans* experiences, it views transition as a continual, iterative process, rejecting rigid conclusions. Posturing itself amid the complexity, transtopic thinking encourages a non-linear, non-teleological approach to understand the constant and emergent nature of change. It challenges the binary pitfalls of utopia and dystopia, offering a dynamic alternative – transtopia. This conceptual, fluid terrain invites engagement with diverse lives intersecting and influencing each other. Rooted in multispecies and intersectional ethics, trans*topic thinking celebrates ongoing processes of becoming, symbolized by the asterisk – an imperative to keep an eye on the margins, where meaning unfolds beyond the known horizon.

A complete definition can be read here.

TOXICOCENE

Toxicocene is a newly coined term in the lineage of era-oriented words, such as Anthropocene, Capitalocene, and Chthulucene, used to describe the current state of the planet in which all living beings are inextricably interconnected through co-contamination and pollution. It reflects a recognition that the human-made chemicals, plastics, and other materials have infiltrated every aspect of our environment, from the depths of the oceans to the air we breathe, and have led to the mutation and transformation of living beings in unforeseen ways. The concept of Toxicocene points to a post-normal and post-human future, characterized by forms that are less familiar, challenging the traditional notions of what constitutes life, and what kind of existence is possible. It is a neutral term that emphasises the need to acknowledge the reality of the present and to generate adaptive visions of what might come next. Toxicocene thinking encourages us to move beyond the binaries of nature/culture, human/non-human, and to recognize the complexity and entanglement of our shared existence in a world shaped by the byproducts of industrialisation and capitalism.

A complete definition can be read here.

SYMBIOPUNK

Symbiopunk, emerging from the intellectual traditions of Hopepunk and Solarpunk, disrupts conventional utopian futures by challenging the anthropocentric perspectives that persist despite efforts to provide sustainable visions of more harmonious, environmentally centered futures. Inspired by Lynn Margulis' symbiosis and Glenn Albrechts Symbiocene and founded in the affirmative ethics of Posthumanism, Symbiopunk asserts the future as a relational practice, and a possibility that only emerges from the multiscalar, multispecies efforts of eathly life, within which humans are only one amidst millions. Arising amidst and in response to a tine of global polycrisis, Symbiopunk is intended as a critical tool and an applied method, urging deliberate, transformative actions. With an expanded sense of self and an acknowledgment of non-human brilliance, the Symbiopunk effort is to work across disciplines to radically oppose anthropocentric frames, vision multibeing futures, and experiment with methods to actively contribute to generating in the symbiocene.

A complete definition can be read here.

POLY-TEMPORAL

Poly-temporal is a term that has been adopted from music composition and is used in speculative and futures thinking to denote the existence of multiple and divergent futures. It recognizes that the future is not a singular, monolithic entity but a complex and dynamic entity that can be influenced by a range of factors, including human and non-human agency, technological advancements, political, economic and social conditions, and environmental changes. Repurposed Luna Mrozik Gawler and Ana Tiquia for use in the Multispecies Engagement Evaluation Program (2022), Poly-temporality acknowledges that the future is not predetermined or fixed, but is constantly in flux, shaped by multiple forces that operate at different levels and scales. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing and engaging with the diversity of perspectives, values, and interests that shape the future, and encourages the development of strategies that are inclusive, adaptive, and resilient in the face of uncertainty and change. In this sense, poly-temporality highlights the need for creative and imaginative thinking that is open to new possibilities, perspectives, and ways of being in the world.