John Lahr

Like the tail fins on fifties American cars or the parabolic shapes of Populuxe furniture, 'West Side Story' incarnates the dream of momentum in the golden age of the twentieth century.

American Critic

Think of a thrown ball's arc for the curve described by 'parabolic'.

Visual Imagery

'Parabolic' is often used to describe the motion in sports or physics.

Use In Motion

Metaphorically, it can describe situations that rise and fall rapidly.

Non-literal Usage

'Parabolic' in math refers to the U-shaped graph of quadratic functions.

Graphical Representation

Used in higher-level math, 'parabolic' implies formal educational settings.

Academic Context

'Parabolic' in math is specific to quadratic curves, not general curves.

Precision Required

'Parabolic' mirrors or antennas collect and focus waves for a clear signal.

Focus and Direct

In technology, 'parabolic' applies to equipment with a specific curved shape.

Technical Equipment

Scientists use 'parabolic' to describe precise shapes, not just any curve.

Precision in Science

 the consequence of which was that the receiving antennas could be smaller and smaller, and after going through direct television broadcasting, I had the idea that if we could make a more powerful satellite, the receiving dish could be so small that it would just be a section of a parabolic dish,

Martine Rothblatt: My...

 parabolic flights and you know when we first my first saw the results of our work I was really I was really happy because we built something that not only function but now function in the environment we wanted to function and a lot of people always say you know oh I'm

Made in Space: 3-D...

 or use gravity to shed light on the parabolic trajectory of a baseball. In simplest terms, a law predicts what happens while a theory proposes why.