The biggest misunderstanding I find when talking Scientific concepts with lay people is the notion of 'Theory'. In general every day usage people seem to unanimously treat the term 'Theory' as just an Idea (more closely related to the concept of Hypothesis in the realm of science) - As if Evolutionary theory is JUST a theory (Just an Idea) that somehow has no 'REAL' weight and could be disregarded If one chooses not to believe in it. Though Lesser known or understood by the general public, the 'Quantum theory' muddies the lay person's understanding of what a Theory is in a scientific context when it goes by alternative labels: Quantum Mechanics or Quantum Physics (which simultaneously muddies the definition of physics and mechanics) although most people never think that far along; in any case, without further ado here is a short yet concise list of common words used by scientists and their meanings. (Image source: no idea sorry)
