The Cellar - I don't think that means what you think it means

The only way I know what you think is you telling me. The words we use have to mean the same thing to both of us in order for that to work. Phrases we use as shorthand for ideas/methods/concepts, are even worse. There seems to be a lot of miscommunication when certain words/phrases are used. Some may be intentional obfuscation, especially in advertising, but much confusion comes from what we were taught.

We went through this here in the Cellar awhile back with the "carrot & stick" phrase, where it meant different things to some people.

At io9 there is a list of "10 Scientific Ideas" which have migrated into daily conversations, often with wrong meanings. So when people hear scientific explanations the misunderstand the true meaning.

One example...

Quote:

8. Survival of the Fittest
Paleoecologist Jacquelyn Gill says that people misunderstand some of the basic tenets of evolutionary theory:
Topping my list would be "survival of the fittest." First, these are not actually Darwin's own words, and secondly, people have a misconception about what "fittest" means. Relatedly, there's major confusion about evolution in general, including the persistent idea that evolution is progressive and directional (or even deliberate on the part of organisms; people don't get the idea of natural selection), or that all traits must be adaptive (sexual selection is a thing! And so are random mutations!).

Fittest does not mean strongest, or smartest. It simply means an organism that fits best into its environment, which could mean anything from "smallest" or "squishiest" to "most poisonous" or "best able to live without water for weeks at a time." Plus, creatures don't always evolve in a way that we can explain as adaptations. Their evolutionary path may have more to do with random mutations, or traits that other members of their species find attractive.

Check out the other nine. :yesnod: