Of Ekpyrotic and Froods

Posted: December 5, 2014

Someone pointed out that they were not sure what the terms in my domain name meant. While it is probably very fun and safe to Google either term, I will explain both briefly here for reference.

"Ekpyrotic" is a term that was coined in 2001 by Paul Steinhardt, from Ancient Greek ἐκπύρωσις (ekpurōsis) "conflagration, ekpyrosis", referring in Stoic philosophy to the destruction and recreation of the world in fire. Source: Wikipedia

The word was coined specifically to name the "ekpyrotic universe" or "ekpyrotic scenario" theories.

Paul Steinhardt explains the theory succinctly here in "A Brief Introduction to the Ekpyrotic Universe" available here:
http://reprints.gravitywaves.com/Time/Dimensionality/Steinhardt-2011_ABriefIntroductionToTheEkpyroticUniverse_Princeton.pdf
or here:
https://web.archive.org/web/20221206095347/http://wwwphy.princeton.edu/~steinh/npr/

However I think Brian Greene explains it more elegantly in his book "The Fabric of the Cosmos" in his discussion of The Universe on a Brane.

Ultimately "ekpyrotic" isn't anything deep and mysterious, just a fun word with roots in science that sparks my imagination.

"Frood" means "really amazingly together guy", from Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:

"Hence a phrase that has passed into hitchhiking slang, as in “Hey, you sass that hoopy Ford Prefect? There’s a frood who really knows where his towel is.” (Sass: know, be aware of, meet, have sex with; hoopy: really together guy; frood: really amazingly together guy.)" Adams, Douglas (2010-09-29). The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (p. 21). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition.