PatentA legal right granted by a government that gives an inventor exclusive rights to make, use, and sell their invention for a limited period, usually 20 years.PrototypeAn early sample or model of an invention built to test a concept or design before mass production begins.InnovationThe process of turning a new idea or invention into a product or method that creates value. Innovation improves upon existing technology or creates something entirely new.EngineeringThe application of science and mathematics to design, build, and maintain structures, machines, systems, and processes that solve real-world problems.CircuitryA system of electrical circuits — paths through which electric current flows — that forms the basis of all electronic devices from radios to computers.BinaryA number system using only two digits (0 and 1) that forms the foundation of all modern computing. Every instruction a computer executes is ultimately in binary.AlgorithmA step-by-step set of instructions for solving a problem or completing a task. Algorithms are the basis of all computer programs and software.AutomationThe use of machines, control systems, or software to perform tasks with minimal human intervention, increasing speed, consistency, and efficiency.SemiconductorA material (like silicon) that conducts electricity better than an insulator but worse than a metal. Semiconductors are the foundation of all modern electronics and computer chips.Electromagnetic SpectrumThe full range of electromagnetic radiation, from radio waves and microwaves through visible light to X-rays and gamma rays, all travelling at the speed of light.Renewable EnergyEnergy from sources that are naturally replenished, such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, as opposed to fossil fuels which are finite.Open SourceSoftware whose source code is freely available for anyone to view, modify, and distribute. This collaborative model has produced tools like Linux, Firefox, and Python.Intellectual PropertyCreations of the mind — inventions, literary works, designs, brand names — that are protected by law through patents, copyrights, and trademarks.Reverse EngineeringThe process of taking apart an existing product or system to understand how it works, often to improve upon it, find vulnerabilities, or create compatible products.NanotechnologyThe manipulation of matter at the atomic and molecular scale (1-100 nanometres). A nanometre is one-billionth of a metre — about 100,000 times thinner than a human hair. 