black box vs resource

black box

noun
  • A theoretical construct or device with known input and output characteristics but unknown method of operation. 

  • A flight recorder; the brightly colored cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders in an aircraft designed to aid in determining the cause of an accident. 

  • A device used in phreaking that prevents the calling party from being billed for the call placed. 

  • A type of theater characterized by a lack of decoration or complex mechanisms. 

  • Any similar device on motor vehicles, such as rail event recorders and ship trip recorders. 

verb
  • To focus on the inputs and outputs without worrying about the internal complexity. 

resource

noun
  • Something that one uses to achieve an objective, e.g. raw materials or personnel. 

  • Something that can be used to help achieve an aim, especially a book, equipment, etc. that provides information for teachers and students. 

  • A person's capacity to deal with difficulty. 

  • Hardware or software accessible by a computer, network, or another object connected to a computer. 

verb
  • To source anew or differently; to find or provide a new source for. 

  • To supply with resources. 

How often have the words black box and resource occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )