Something latent seems inactive or waiting to start working. For example: a latent storm.
The adjective latent has its origin in the Latin word latens and describes something that is hidden, that is waiting to come into operation or that, apparently, is inactive . The concept can be applied to multiple issues.
For example: “The storm was latent but we did not know how to interpret the atmospheric conditions” , “Many believe that social discontent is latent but is kept under control due to the good performance of the economy” , “I believe that the player has a latent anger that can awaken with any spark.”
The latent heat
From the perspective of physics , heat can be defined as latent when it is needed and applied in changes of state without this representing an increase in the temperature of the body that receives it. This means that the energy that a material needs to modify its state (which can vary from solid to liquid or from liquid to a gaseous state ) does not translate into a thermal increase. In other words, going from gas to liquid or from liquid to solid is a process that allows the same amount of energy to be released.
The idea of latent heat arose in ancient times since, upon noticing that when a phase change occurred the temperature did not change, it was thought that the heat was hidden (latent). On the other hand, if heat was applied to a substance that changed phase and increased temperature, it was called sensible heat .
An example of latent heat is obtained when ice melts and water returns to a liquid state. When heat is applied to the ice, the temperature rises until it reaches 0ºC, which is when the change of state occurs. From that moment on, even though heat continues to be applied, the temperature will not increase until the ice has completely melted.
Latent heat is required to achieve a change of state without increasing the temperature.
A type of inhibition
Throughout our lives, the brain develops countless mechanisms that make our daily lives easier, contrasted by a list of traumas that make us stumble when encountering situations that may go unnoticed by others . However, the great complexity of our mind means that many of these phenomena are halfway between both groups, that is, they are not completely beneficial or harmful; This is the case of latent inhibition (abbreviated IL ).
This is a way to prevent us from focusing our attention on details that are irrelevant in a certain context, allowing the brain not to be overloaded with apparently useless information . Given that each individual perceives their environment differently, it is easy to understand that not all of us present the same level of latent inhibition.
In a relatively large group of people, it is very common for one of them to be wrongly accused of being obsessive or exaggerated , with their respective more or less colloquial synonyms. While the majority attends only to those stimuli that they consider absolutely necessary , someone with a very low level of latent inhibition cannot help but stop when faced with an imperfection, whether physical or logical, and feels the obligation to process a large amount of details to search for their meanings. and, in the case of errors, a possible solution, even in matters that are not of interest to you.
As with other brain mechanisms, if someone with a low level of latent inhibition is able to capitalize on this condition, it can result in an invaluable skill, especially useful in fields where attention to detail is essential, such as music or art. computing. If, on the other hand, the inability to let certain data through is a nuisance to you, then your life can become torment.