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(n.)
The running count of tiny “off” visual details you notice when you’re trying to decide if something is real or generated.
Halfway through the video, the uncanny tally of awkward movements and illegible background text gave the hoax away.
Does it ring true?
From the future, or already here?
A pun on the uncanny valley, Masahiro Mori’s 1970 term for the slide into unease as something turns almost-but-not-quite human. But Mori’s valley helps separate man from machine; here, things will get even more uncanny if improved models drive the tally down to zero.
Future Words: A Non-Obvious Glossary of Terms That Don’t Exist (But Soon Will) collects all 100, each with its example sentence and coinage notes, from the bestselling authors of The Future Normal. Hardcover, October 20, 2026.