black box

1. (Jargon) descriptive of a method of reasoning or studying a problem, in which the methods and procedures, as such, are not described, explained, or perhaps even understood: conclusions relate solely to the empiric relationships observed;

2. in some contexts, the term can mean a piece of apparatus or an experimental animal in which the pharmacologic or toxicologic pathway has not yet been worked out.

Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

black box

Pathology
adjective Referring to the testing of a histopathology trainee’s diagnostic skills by using unknown glass slides, as in “a black box case”.

noun A group of 4 to 8 glass slides of tissue that are given periodically to trainees to test their diagnostic skills.

Vox populi
An electronic device mounted in all modern aircraft, which records specific aircraft performance parameters and instructions sent to any electronic systems on board.

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References in periodicals archive

Though the flight recorder manufacturers cannot go into detail on what allows their individual black boxes to withstand the most extreme conditions, the recorder is generally protected with a type of insulation and a series of hard materials including stainless steel.

Looking for clues: flight recorders have proved invaluable in improving aircraft performance and safety. Heath Reidy looks at the black box and how it is developing

Fourteen days after an Ethiopian civil airplane crashed off the coast of Beirut, killing around 90 people, one of two flight recorders was found, according to a report in the Beirut daily AL MUSTAQBAL on Monday.

Lebanon-plane crash

According to GE, the enhanced airborne flight recorder, which is the newest in the company's recorder product family, includes improved capabilities for safety investigators to find and remedy the causes of incidents.

GE Aviation to commence delivery of flight recorders for Boeing 787

The flight recorder was found on Saturday (31 May) and investigators hope it will provide clues to help explain what caused the crash.

Flight recorder from crashed TACA aircraft is found

The black box flight recorder was only recovered this month and it sheds new light on the mysterious disappearance of Airbus Flight 447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

4 MIN BATTLE TO SAVE FLIGHT AF 447; Last moments before Atlantic death plunge

Latest media reports from Beirut said Thursday that signals from the flight recorder of the Ethiopian Plane which crashed on Monday just after taking off from Beirut's airport have been heard off the coast of Lebanon.

Signals from black box heard off coast of Lebanon

AIR crash investigators have given up their search for the black box flight recorder from a French passenger jet that came down in the Atlantic.

Black box hunt 'over'

The flight recorder was found on May 1 and the cockpit device three days later.

Mystery of Flight 447; 228 DIED WHEN AN AIR FRANCE JET FELL INTO THE ATLANTIC..NOW ITS FLIGHT RECORDERS WILL UNLOCK.

The US embassy in Jakarta has said that the signals are thought to be coming from the flight recorder of the aircraft.

Adam Air flight recorder may have been located - claim

INVESTIGATORS last night recovered the black box flight recorder which could explain why Flight 587 crashed.

Data box recovered from plane