Grouping is a cognitive function that is fundamental to human survival and higher learning. By mentally organizing things, we are able to learn more about them, but invariably, this also omits information. The first circle exemplifies this phenomenon in the context of E.Coli with its record of contaminating food items. The second circle reveals the linguistics that fuels grouping, with many people subconsciously grouping E. Coli and bacteria into the “bad” category when in fact there are many bacteria that are vital to life. The triangle shows recent headlines marking E.Coli as an evil. Language programs the mind; in context, certain neutral words (e.g. lettuce) take on negative connotations. The third circle shows the layer behind linguistics: abstract thought. The drawings were 2x2 ft, then shrunk to fit in a petri dish. The text becomes legible only under a microscope, summarizing how grouping allows us to examine things in more detail, but at the cost of the big picture.
