The human mind likes things simple so there's less work to understand things. The problem is, most things are not simple—at least, most things that are important. The result is that we spend a great amount of time teaching people a simplified version of the world, while for those who go on to study in more depth, we spend even more time teaching them why much of what they've learned isn't really so.
Take teaching about desert plants. We tend to give the impression that
survival is either through having small, waxy leaves to prevent loss of water or by
having cactus-like bodies that store water in their swollen tissues. The trouble is,
there are many, many other ways of surviving in the desert. Some, like the Mexican
Poppies, sprout only when there is sufficient water to carry them through a short life
cycle. Others, like the Ocotillo, merely drop their leaves under water stress and
regrow them with the return of precipitation. We won't mention all the other
ways—after all, we need to keep it simple!
Contributor: Arthur H. Harris, Laboratory for Environmental Biology, Centennial Museum, University of Texas at El Paso.
Desert Diary is a joint production of the Centennial Museum and KTEP National Public Radio at the University of Texas at El Paso.