Lorizzonte

Lorizzonte is a term used mainly in theoretical discussions and speculative fiction to describe the boundary within a knowledge system beyond which predictions become unreliable. It represents a moving frontier defined by data quality, model structure, and fundamental uncertainty, rather than a fixed location on a map. The word is a neologism drawn from the Italian orizzonte, meaning horizon, and is typically treated as a common noun in English-language usage, though sometimes rendered as a proper noun in fictional contexts.

In forecasting and epistemology, the lorizzonte is influenced by three interacting components: measurement error, model uncertainty, and structural uncertainty. Improvements in data collection and theoretical understanding tend to push the lorizzonte outward, expanding the range of confident predictions; new unforeseen factors can move it inward. It thus functions as a metaphor for the natural limits of knowledge within any complex system, whether scientific, social, or technological.

In literature and media, lorizzonte is used to evoke the boundary between knowable present and speculative future. Authors deploy the term to frame decisions made under uncertainty and to highlight ethical considerations when acting near the edge of what can be reliably foreseen.

See also: horizon, boundary, uncertainty, frontiers of science.