“The current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—which is used by psychiatrists to make clinical diagnoses—still employs the phrase mental retardation to describe people who score below about a 70 on IQ tests. However, most who work in the field—including psychologists, activists, and bureaucrats—prefer the term intellectual disability. (The next revision of the diagnostic manual, due out in 2012, may update its language accordingly.)”

[A shout-out to this article’s author, new-ish Slate employee Adrian Chen, a personal friend of half of this blog’s editorship. Congratulations on your summarizability, Adrian.]