

What scientific concept would improve everyone's cognitive toolkit? - yummyfajitas
http://edge.org/responses/what-scientific-concept-would-improve-everybodys-cognitive-toolkit

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drallison
con·cept/ˈkänsept/Noun (Wikipedia)

    
    
        1. An abstract idea; a general notion.
    
        2. A plan or intention; a conception
    

Brockman clearly means the first definition.

The question is surprisingly deep. I believe "evolution" qualifies. So does do
concepts such as "simulation", "iteration", "recursion", "self-similarity",
"causality", "continuity", "entanglement", "null hypothesis", and so forth. Is
there any concept in the scientific community which has not yet moved into the
world of everyman? Sadly, I suspect that most people don't worry much about
concepts and the impact they may have on their world view. Still, conceptual
nomenclature leaks into everyday language. Computer terms of art ("interate",
for example) are now in common use.

