Antennae vs. antennas

[Liz Day]

>From the Wrong:  (hi Mike!)

> There is a right way....and a wrong way.  DO NOT try to villify
> the "correct" way because some people either don't have the capacity or
> inclination to learn to do things correctly.  

See, there we differ.  I don't see "tongue" as wrong; just as
non-technical.  A lot of things (not all) can be adequately described
without the technical term.  A corbicula on the tibia is a pollen basket
on the middle segment of the leg. 

> If you want to be a lep person, you learn

But see, a lot of people don't know they want to be a lep person YET.  Or
they know they aren't THAT into it, but are still interested in knowing
something about it.  I care that the second type learn something they can
remember about science, and I assure you that using common language is the
most effective way to do this.  Then if we see that we're dealing with the
first type, we can add more information and detail, which will include
technical terms. 

This is not dumbing down.  It's teaching people (and I mean adults, not
peole in school) stuff about nature at the level that interests them.  Too
much information actually causes people to learn LESS.  I've watched it
happen!

I have asked many, many people why they aren't more interested in biology,
because it bothered me, and they ALL (!) said it involved too much
memorization.  They couldn't see the forest for the trees.  And I agree. 
Is it worth turning off so many people, who wouldn't have become
scientists or lep people regardless, but at least would have learned, and
appreciated! SOMETHING, by swamping them in scientific words?  Not to me. 

Liz Day