It's complicated

Perhaps my favourite phrase in the English language is ‘... but it’s a bit more complicated than that’. Anyone using this phrase is demonstrating their willingness to be clear and, most importantly, avoiding reductionism. 

But what excites me most about hearing this phrase while I’m learning about a topic is that it hints at deeper knowledge. More complicated? How? Why? What am I missing? It’s like catnip to a curious mind. 

Paul MacLellan explains why chemistry teachers everywhere should be unafraid of the limitations of simplified models - in fact they should point these limitations out!