---
title: "Why \"oxygen\" and \"intelligence\" confuse people"
subject: "Communication English"
chapter: 2
key: "semester_5/communication_english:oxygen-intelligence-confusing-words"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_5/communication_english/oxygen-intelligence-confusing-words
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Why "oxygen" and "intelligence" confuse people

Communication English · Chapter 2: Extensive Reading

- Asked in: 2069 Chaitra, 5 marks
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_5/communication_english/oxygen-intelligence-confusing-words
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_5/communication_english/chapter-2

## Question

Why do the ordinary non-technical people find the words 'oxygen' and 'intelligence' confusing? (Straight and crooked thinking)

## Short answer

People confuse 'oxygen' and 'intelligence' because they carry multiple meanings. Oxygen means a specific element to chemists but 'good air' to laypeople. Intelligence ranges from IQ scores to general cleverness, causing ambiguity and disagreement from unclear definitions.

## Answer

In "Straight and Crooked Thinking", Robert Thouless explains that ordinary non-technical people find words such as "oxygen" and "intelligence" confusing because the same word is used with different meanings by experts and by laypeople, or for several different things.

#### Oxygen
- To a chemist, oxygen is a specific chemical element, a gas with fixed properties.
- To an ordinary person, oxygen may mean "the part of the air which is good for us" or "something in an oxygen cylinder or in medicine", and the layman may not know that it is a single chemical element found in many compounds such as water.
- When a word is used in several senses, people argue or draw conclusions without realising that the meaning has shifted.

#### Intelligence
- To a psychologist, intelligence may be a quality measured by tests (such as IQ).
- To an ordinary person it can mean cleverness, quickness, good sense, general ability, or even information, as in "intelligence service".
- People therefore disagree about "intelligence" while actually talking about different things.

#### Why this causes confusion
1. A single word has several meanings (ambiguity).
2. Technical words enter everyday speech and change meaning.
3. Words fail to separate clearly the different varieties of the "same" thing.

Thus the confusion is in the words, not in the facts. Clear definition of terms is the remedy.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. Why do laypeople find such words confusing?
   A. The words are long
   B. The same word has different meanings for experts and laypeople, or several meanings
   C. They are new words
   D. They have no meaning
   Answer: B. This is ambiguity. (Key point: Why confusing)

2. To a chemist, oxygen is what?
   A. The good part of air
   B. Something in cylinders only
   C. A medicine
   D. A specific chemical element, a gas with fixed properties
   Answer: D. Laypeople may use looser meanings. (Key point: Oxygen)

3. Which is a layperson's meaning of intelligence?
   A. Score on tests only
   B. Cleverness, quickness, general ability or information as in intelligence service
   C. A chemical
   D. A school subject
   Answer: B. Psychologists mean a measurable quality. (Key point: Intelligence)

4. What is the remedy?
   A. Avoid technical words
   B. Use more words
   C. Ignore the problem
   D. Clear definition of terms
   Answer: D. The confusion is in the words, not facts. (Key point: Remedy)

## Related in Communication English

- [Straight and Crooked Thinking: avoidable errors](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Astraight-crooked-thinking-avoidable-errors) — Communication English, chapter 2, asked 2×
- [Cause and effect confusion in thinking](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Ascientist-cause-effect-confusion) — Communication English, chapter 2
- [Interpret: avoidable errors and use of words](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Ainterpret-avoidable-errors-in-reasoning) — Communication English, chapter 1