Teadustekste

Teadustekste is a coined term used in speculative fiction and certain avant-garde literary circles to describe a class of textual artifacts said to arise from the residue of tea-related media. In practice, a teadustekst refers to a brief inscription or fragment that readers claim to discern when tea dust settles on a surface and, under specific lighting or perceptual conditions, resembles readable language. The concept blends English “tea dust” with a word resembling the Dutch/German word for text (tekst/text), signaling a crosslingual and transmedia sensibility common in contemporary fiction and online subcultures.

Origins and usage

The term emerged in online communities and experimental writing spaces as a playful way to explore the materiality of text and the ways meaning can be co-created with everyday substances. Teadustekste are typically described as ephemeral and fragile; they may appear on porcelain, paper, or glass surfaces that have been exposed to tea or tea stains. Writers often use the idea as a writing prompt or worldbuilding element, prompting readers to imagine how a culture might interpret residue-based inscriptions or how such artifacts might function within a plot.

Characteristics

Teadustekste are usually fragmentary, short, and open to multiple readings. They emphasize the material conditions of inscription, the role of memory and hospitality, and the unpredictability of interpretation. Because the phenomenon is largely narrative or fictional, there is no standardized form or canon, and authors may vary the plausibility and sensory details to suit their story or exercise.

See also

Found poetry, marginalia, materiality of text, ekphrasis.