This morning I put up a post about #GivingTuesday, and some readers responded with alarm because of a comment that seemed to insult my mother. That was not at all my intention. What I meant was that I always think of my mother when I'm trying to write to a general audience, not because she's stupid but because she's not a scientist. So when I'm trying to talk to a nonscientist, I imagine that I'm trying to explain things to her. That's all I meant. It was not intended to be an insult to her intelligence. So for all of you who were horrified, scandalized, or disgusted by my comment, I apologize. My mother is not stupid. I know that, and I did not intend to imply otherwise. Feedback? Email me at toddcharleswood [at] gmail [dot] com. If you enjoyed this article, please consider a contribution to Core Academy of Science. Thank you.