The language of holography

Holography has evolved over its 70+ years of history across widespread and diverse communities and locations. This has produced a complex language that is sometimes inconsistent, confusing, and incorrect, resulting in a general public that often appears widely confused and/or ignorant regarding what holograms actually are and are not. Today’ s holographers employ many types of recording media to record all types of waves, such as light, sound, radar, and simulated waves, and for many different applications and purposes. This study examines the language of holography along with its origins, problems, and possible solutions, while recognizing that certain “errors” in the language are so embedded in society that simple and ideal fixes may be beyond reach. This leaves us with certain questions, as follows. First, can the correct language be restored and should we undertake the task, or are we stuck with every three-dimensional image being called a hologram? Is it our duty to better educate the public with a more useful and consistent language, or should we just go with the flow? In this work, beginning with the insights provided by the pioneers of the field, we attempt to set the stage for a more useful holography language and definitions, specialized so as to be understandable and usable by various audiences, including those interested in non-optical holography. Such knowledge can help the general public to take greater interest and enjoyment in holography; this would also be beneficial to those more involved in holography. Accordingly, this article offers advice for achieving this result.