neophilia
 /nee`oh?fil'?ee?@/, n.

    The trait of being excited and pleased by novelty. Common among most
    hackers, SF fans, and members of several other connected leading-edge
    subcultures, including the pro-technology ?Whole Earth? wing of the ecology
    movement, space activists, many members of Mensa, and the Discordian/
    neo-pagan underground (see geek). All these groups overlap heavily and
    (where evidence is available) seem to share characteristic hacker tropisms
    for science fiction, music, and oriental food. The opposite tendency is
    neophobia.

neophilia

   /nee"oh-fil"-ee-*/ The trait of being excited and pleased by
   novelty.  Common among most hackers, SF fans, and members of
   several other connected leading-edge subcultures, including
   the pro-technology "Whole Earth" wing of the ecology movement,
   space activists, many members of Mensa, and the
   Discordian/neo-pagan underground.  All these groups overlap
   heavily and (where evidence is available) seem to share
   characteristic hacker tropisms for science fiction, music,
   and oriental food.  The opposite tendency is "neophobia".

   [Jargon File]

   (1999-06-04)