Every day brings a fresh barrage of bewildering claims about science and technology. How do non-scientists tell the difference between the hyperbole and those developments that are important? With a modest amount of critical thinking, an understanding of how science is practised, and a qualitative understanding of the two most sacred principles in science - the first and second laws of thermodynamics - anyone should be able to make the distinction. This work introduces non-scientists to these topics and provides detailed applications to a variety of areas.