Complex sentence: In science fiction, biological uplift is a common but by no means universal term for the act of an advanced civilization helping the development of another species by bringing a non-sapient species into sentience, or by giving a sapient species spacefaring capabilities.
Split into simpler sentences: In science fiction, biological uplift is a common but by no means universal term for the act of an advanced civilization helping the development of another species. This may be done by bringing a non-sapient species into sentience, or by giving a sapient species spacefaring capabilities.