Muddle about Osmosis.

Quiite frequently I hear someone claim that either that person, or people in general, have aquired some idea 'by osmosis'

Osmosis is a process occurring when two solutions of different concentrations are separated by a semi-permeable membrane, that is a membrane that allows the passage of solvent but not solute.

I see no analogy between that process and the transfer of ideas from one person to another.

As ignorance about osmosis seems to be widespread, I add a short explanation.

In osmosis, solvent usually moves from the dilute solution into the more concentrated, tending to equalise the concentrations. The process can be stopped, or even reversed, by applying pressure to the more concentrated solution. The pressure needed to just prevent osmosis between a solution on the one hand, and pure solvent on the other, is called the osmotic pressure of the solution.

Solutions we regard as quite dilute may have surprisingly high osmotic pressures. The osmotic pressure of sea water is around 27 atmospheres, that is around 2.7 million pascals.

Osmosis involving the transport of water is very important in the operation of living things.