"35 Scientific Concepts That Will Help You Understand The World"

[browngirl]

http://www.businessinsider.com/scientific-concepts-that-will-make-you-smarter-2013-5?op=1

With thanks to amaebi.

I was especially chuffed to find the concept of "Fixed-action patterns", which I think many people confuse with instincts (as in "It's instinctual for men to act in X way and women to act in Y way that ends up creating a society that looks like stereotypes of 1950's USA!" or "It's instinctual for everyone to see Black women as less attractive than other women because dark skin and masculinization and so on all of which has nothing to do with the last several hundred years of history!" As you might guess I have a grudge against [the popular-culture oversimplification and distortion of] evolutionary psychology, and this is a useful concept through which to examine its claims.

(Of course in pulling that one out I'm falling into the first one, aren't I?)

Comments

[hitchhiker.livejournal.com]

"externalities" is my favourite one; there are so many arguments where people simply cannot see why something is wrong even though it seems to benefit everyone involved, because they don't have the concept of externalities in their toolbox.