Ephemeral

From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

(Difference between revisions)

Jump to: navigation, search

Revision as of 12:57, 16 October 2013

Vanitas (1603) by Jaques de Gheyn II

Related e

Wikipedia
Wiktionary
Shop

Featured:

Rhombicuboctahedron by Leonardo da Vinci

Ephemeral things (from Greek εφήμερος – ephemeros, literally "lasting only one day") are transitory, existing only briefly. Typically the term is used to describe objects found in nature (such as some flowers, insects, and diseases) , although it can describe a wide range of things.

1 Geographical examples
2 Biological examples
3 Ephemeral artifacts
4 Other uses
5 Further reading
6 Etymology
7 Synonyms
8 Antonyms
9 See also

Geographical examples

An ephemeral waterbody is a wetland, spring, stream, river, pond or lake that only exists for a short period following precipitation or snowmelt. They are not the same as intermittent or seasonal waterbodies, which exist for longer periods, but not all year round.

Examples of ephemeral streams are the Luni river in Rajasthan, India, Ugab River in Southern Africa, and a number of small ephemeral watercourses that drain Talak in northern Niger. Other notable ephemeral rivers include the Todd River and Sandover River in Central Australia as well as the Son River, Batha River and the Trabancos River.

Any endorheic basin, or closed basin, that contains a playa or dry lake at its drainage lowpoint can become an ephemeral lake. Examples include Lake Carnegie in Western Australia, Lake Cowal in New South Wales, Mystic Lake and Rogers Lake in California, and Sevier Lake in Utah. Even the driest and lowest place in North America, Death Valley (more specifically Badwater Basin), became flooded with a short-lived ephemeral lake in the spring of 2005.<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7182113/</ref>

There are also ephemeral islands such as Banua Wuhu and Home Reef. These islands appear when volcanic activity increases their height above sea level, but disappear over the course of several years due to wave erosion. Bassas da India, on the other hand, is a near-sea level island that appears only at low tide.

Biological examples

Main article{{#if:|s}}: Ephemeral plant{{#if:

 |{{#if:|, | and }}[[{{{2}}}|{{{2}}}]]}}{{#if:
 |{{#if:|, |, and }}[[{{{3}}}|{{{3}}}]]}}{{#if:
 |{{#if:|, |, and }}[[{{{4}}}|{{{4}}}]]}}{{#if:
 |{{#if:|, |, and }}[[{{{5}}}|{{{5}}}]]}}{{#if:
 |{{#if:|, |, and }}[[{{{6}}}|{{{6}}}]]}}{{#if:
 |{{#if:|, |, and }}[[{{{7}}}|{{{7}}}]]}}{{#if:
 |{{#if:|, |, and }}[[{{{8}}}|{{{8}}}]]}}{{#if:
 |{{#if:|, |, and }}[[{{{9}}}|{{{9}}}]]}}{{#if:

|, and [[{{{10}}}|{{{10}}}]]}}{{#if: | (too many parameters in {{main}})}}

Many plants are adapted to an ephemeral lifestyle, in which they spend most of the year or longer as seeds before conditions are right for a brief period of growth and reproduction. The spring ephemeral plant mouse-ear cress is a well-known example.

Animals can be ephemeral, with brine shrimp and the mayfly being examples. The placenta is considered an ephemeral organ present during gestation and pregnancy.

Ephemeral artifacts

Main article{{#if:|s}}: Ephemera{{#if:

 |{{#if:|, | and }}[[{{{2}}}|{{{2}}}]]}}{{#if:
 |{{#if:|, |, and }}[[{{{3}}}|{{{3}}}]]}}{{#if:
 |{{#if:|, |, and }}[[{{{4}}}|{{{4}}}]]}}{{#if:
 |{{#if:|, |, and }}[[{{{5}}}|{{{5}}}]]}}{{#if:
 |{{#if:|, |, and }}[[{{{6}}}|{{{6}}}]]}}{{#if:
 |{{#if:|, |, and }}[[{{{7}}}|{{{7}}}]]}}{{#if:
 |{{#if:|, |, and }}[[{{{8}}}|{{{8}}}]]}}{{#if:
 |{{#if:|, |, and }}[[{{{9}}}|{{{9}}}]]}}{{#if:

|, and [[{{{10}}}|{{{10}}}]]}}{{#if: | (too many parameters in {{main}})}}

Ephemeral can also be used as an adjective to refer to a fast-deteriorating importance or temporary nature of an object to a person. Brands are notoriously ephemeral assets, magazine publishing was once much more ephemeral than it is today, as was television programming.

Other uses

Often happiness is described as being ephemeral, as one does not find it to be a permanent state, within the scope of human lives. There are always varying shades of happiness and disappointment.

In computer networking technology, an ephemeral port is a TCP, UDP or SCTP port which is dynamically assigned to a client application for a short period of time (the duration of time the application is running). This is in contrast to the "well known" ports which are typically statically assigned to a specific application or service.

services, information, ...) while requiring less input (effort, time, resources, ...)

 [[Image:Vanitas (Jaques de Gheyn II).JPG|thumb|200px|''[[Vanitas (Jaques de Gheyn II)|Vanitas]]'' ([[1603]]) by [[Jaques de Gheyn II]]]]
 {{Template}}
-'''Ephemeral''' things are transitory, existing only briefly. Typically the term is used to describe objects found in nature, although it can describe a wide range of things.
-# Lasting for a [[short]] period of [[time]].
+'''Ephemeral''' things (from [[Greek language|Greek]] ''εφήμερος'' – ''ephemeros'', literally "lasting only one day") are [[transitory]], existing only briefly. Typically the term is used to describe objects found in nature (such as some [[flower]]s, [[insect]]s, and [[disease]]s) , although it can describe a wide range of things.
-# In [[biology]]: existing for only [[one]] [[day]], as with some [[flower]]s, [[insect]]s, and [[disease]]s.
+==Geographical examples==
+An ephemeral [[waterbody]] is a [[wetland]], [[Spring (hydrosphere)|spring]], [[stream]], [[river]], [[pond]] or [[lake]] that only exists for a short period following [[Precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]] or [[snowmelt]]. They are not the same as intermittent or seasonal waterbodies, which exist for longer periods, but not all year round.
+Examples of ephemeral streams are the [[Luni river]] in [[Rajasthan]], [[India]], [[Ugab River]] in [[Southern Africa]], and a number of small ephemeral [[watercourse]]s that drain [[Talak (Niger)|Talak]] in northern [[Niger]]. Other notable ephemeral rivers include the [[Todd River]] and [[Sandover River]] in [[Central Australia]] as well as the [[Son River]], [[Batha River]] and the [[Trabancos River]].
+Any [[endorheic basin]], or closed basin, that contains a [[Dry lake|playa]] or dry lake at its drainage lowpoint can become an ephemeral lake.  Examples include [[Lake Carnegie (Western Australia)|Lake Carnegie]] in [[Western Australia]], [[Lake Cowal]] in [[New South Wales]], [[Mystic Lake (California)|Mystic Lake]] and [[Rogers Dry Lake|Rogers Lake]] in California, and [[Sevier Lake]] in [[Utah]].  Even the driest and lowest place in North America, [[Death Valley]] (more specifically [[Badwater Basin]]), became flooded with a short-lived ephemeral lake in the spring of 2005.<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7182113/</ref>
+There are also ephemeral islands such as [[Banua Wuhu]] and [[Home Reef]]. These islands appear when volcanic activity increases their height above sea level, but disappear over the course of several years due to wave erosion. [[Bassas da India]], on the other hand, is a near-sea level island that appears only at low tide.
+==Biological examples==
+{{main|Ephemeral plant}}
+Many plants are adapted to an [[Ephemeral plant|ephemeral lifestyle]], in which they spend most of the year or longer as seeds before conditions are right for a brief period of growth and reproduction. The spring ephemeral plant [[mouse-ear cress]] is a well-known example.
+Animals can be ephemeral, with [[brine shrimp]] and the [[mayfly]] being examples.  The [[placenta]] is considered an ephemeral [[organ (anatomy)|organ]] present during [[gestation]] and [[pregnancy]].
+==Ephemeral artifacts==
+{{main|Ephemera}}
+Ephemeral can also be used as an adjective to refer to a fast-deteriorating importance or temporary nature of an object to a person. [[Brands]] are notoriously ephemeral assets, [[magazine]] publishing was once much more ephemeral than it is today, as was [[television]] programming.
+A number of art forms can be considered ephemeral because of their temporary nature. Early [[land art]] and all [[sand sculpture]]s, [[ice sculpture]]s and chalk drawings on footpaths are examples of ephemeral art. [[G. Augustine Lynas]] and [[Duthain Dealbh]] create ephemeral sculptures.
+==Other uses==
+Often [[happiness]] is described as being ephemeral, as one does not find it to be a permanent state, within the scope of human lives. There are always varying shades of happiness and disappointment.
+In computer networking technology, an [[ephemeral port]] is a [[Transmission Control Protocol| TCP]], [[User Datagram Protocol| UDP]] or [[Stream Control Transmission Protocol| SCTP]] [[TCP and UDP port| port]] which is dynamically assigned to a client application for a short period of time (the duration of time the application is running). This is in contrast to the "[[List of TCP and UDP port numbers#Well-known ports: 0–1023|well known]]" ports which are typically statically assigned to a specific application or service.
+Other uses also include:
+* [[Ephemeral film]], a film made by a particular sponsor for a specific purpose other than as a work of art
+* [[Ephemeral key]], a cryptographic key generated for each execution of a key establishment process
+* ''[[Ephemeral (EP)]]'', a 2009 EP by [[post-metal]] band [[Pelican (band)|Pelican]]
+* ''Ephemeral'', a 1997 album by [[Synæsthesia (band)]]
+* Ephemeral data structures, the opposite term for [[Persistent data structure|persistent data structures]]
+* [[Ephemeralization]], an accelerating increase in the efficiency of achieving the same or more output (products,
+services, information, ...) while requiring less input (effort, time, resources, ...)
+==Further reading==
+* [[Christine Buci-Glucksmann]], ''Esthetique De L'ephemere'', Galilee, ISBN 2-7186-0622-3
 ==Etymology==
 From New Latin ''ephemerus'', from Ancient Greek ''ἐφήμερος'' (ephēmeros), the more common form of ''ἐφημέριος'' (ephemerios, “of, for, or during the day, living or lasting but for a day, short-lived, temporary”), from ''ἐπί'' (epi, “on”) + ''ἡμέρα'' (hēmera, “day”).
 ==Antonyms==
 *lasting for a long period of time: [[permanent]], [[eternal]], [[everlasting]]
+== See also ==
+* [[Mayfly|Ephemeroptera]]
 {{GFDL}}

Ephemeral

From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

Revision as of 12:57, 16 October 2013

Contents

Geographical examples

Biological examples

Ephemeral artifacts

Other uses

Further reading

Etymology

Synonyms

Antonyms

See also

Views

Personal tools

Search

Metas

Navigation