> some weird term somebody started using to denote simulation. The OED lists the following definition with examples going back almost 60 years: "model, v. 10.

> some weird term somebody started using to denote simulation. The OED lists the following definition with examples going back almost 60 years: "model, v. 10. trans a. To devise a (usually mathematical) model or simplified description of (a phenomenon, system, etc.)." (The use of "simulate" to mean a similar thing dates from <70 years ago, so neither usage is hugely older than the other.) This is not "weird"; it's a standard term in applied mathematics and other fields. There's even a monthly journal Applied Mathematical Modelling: Simulation and Computation for Engineering and Environmental Systems.