What is Facts: Definition and 119 Discussions

A fact is an occurrence in the real world. The usual test for a statement of fact is verifiability—that is whether it can be demonstrated to correspond to experience. Standard reference works are often used to check facts. Scientific facts are verified by repeatable careful observation or measurement by experiments or other means.
For example, "This sentence contains words." accurately describes a linguistic fact, and "The sun is a star" accurately describes an astronomical fact. Further, "Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States" and "Abraham Lincoln was assassinated" both accurately describe historical facts. Generally speaking, facts are independent of belief and of knowledge.

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  1. Ivan Seeking

    Surprising Fact: More English Speakers in India Than US

    There are more English-speaking people in India, than in the US.
  2. B

    IGE Antibodies & Allergy Increase: Facts & Statistics

    How are IGE antibodies related to an increase of allergies in the world?
  3. A

    Programs Myths vs. Facts About Majoring in Physics

    I just finished my first year as an undergrad, and am currently declared as a mechanical engineering major. However, I sort of have this nagging feeling that what I'd really like to study is physics (for the record, I am also considering changing which type of engineering I'm doing). In my...
  4. H

    Remembering facts from the book

    Hi, I am a first year physics undergrad and my exams are in September. I am wondering what's the best way to start tackling the preparation. Shall I start by memorising the material in the lecture notes and then solve the problem sheets? Or is it okay to begin by making notes of the 25 or so...
  5. M

    Exploring Empirical Facts: Challenges and Responses

    First off I just want to let everyone know I'm an extreme skeptic; I skepticize everything. Science is just something I find great pleasure in... With that being stated there is something I just cannot understand... Many people will question empirical facts; one example I can give is the...
  6. P

    Proved characteristic subgroup without using all facts

    Homework Statement This is question 30, section 2.5 from "Abstract Algebra 3rd edition" by Herstein. 2. Relevant information A subgroup H of group G is called characteristic if for all automorphisms phi of G, phi(H) is a subset of H. (I paraphrased this from question 29. I don't know...
  7. X

    Interesting facts about Schrödinger?

    I am doing a report and presentation on Erwin Schrödinger in my physics class and I want it to be exciting and interesting. Does anyone have and interesting facts about this great scientist? Not just FACTS, but INTERESTING facts! I have heard that he was quite the ladies man... Thanks! ~Matt
  8. B

    Exploring the Facts and Theories of Science

    I was just curious as to when science goes from fact to theory? What do we know to be absolute? Are balck holes for example still theory? Is GR and SR still only theory? Where is our line of absolute fact?
  9. J

    Schools Explore California's 4-Year Colleges: Admissions & Facts

    mentioned here? This is a list of 4 year Colleges in California, ranking from easiest to get into to most difficult. Anyone want to share any additional facts about them, other than that there are already a very limited number of comments down below a few of the schools listed here. Additional...
  10. Andy Resnick

    Uncovering Interesting Facts: Did You Know...

    "Did You Know..." Our department has bulletin boards for each faculty member; I'm looking for ideas on what to put on mine. The idea is for each member to advertise themselves to the (undergraduate) student body- not just majors, but any student that wanders by. My wife came up with a 'Did...
  11. P

    Atomic Time: Get the Facts and Learn How it Works

    Hi Iwant some inormation about atomic time.Can you help me?
  12. E

    Projectile Motion: Understanding Vertical and Horizontal Acceleration

    Homework Statement A projectile is fired at some angle theta to the horizontal with some initial speed vi, and air resistance is neglected. Which statements about the projectile are true? (Select all that apply.) 1.The projectile is a freely falling body. 2.Vertical acceleration is 9.8...
  13. Artlav

    Strong laser pointers - facts?

    Recently, i obtained a 100mW green laser pointer, and the thing gets me confused. On one side, the beam is bright enough to see from some distance at 90* angle to it, and the point is visible on a hillside some miles away. On the other hand, it doesn't burn anything, like advertisements often...
  14. A

    Get the Facts on Step Relays

    step relay? Hi everybody I heard that there is a step relay device and I didn't see it. Can anyone help me about it? I need information and pictures Thanks Best regards Ahmed Hassan
  15. H

    If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts

    Well, it is confusing the meaning of the quote, "If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts" by Albert Einstein. Anyone knows the exact meaning of it? :smile:
  16. T

    Further Facts of Consciousness

    "Identity theories" of consciousness generally assert that the physical basis of thought (brains, etc.) is identical with thought. For the more physicalist versions of identity theory there is nothing more to be said: what brains do can be labeled thought/consciousness and that is the end of the...
  17. N

    Amazing Mars animation with some facts

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2leVWAE3ck Wow! I didn't know the 2nd rover landed a week after. Ha, invasion of Mars!
  18. B

    Seeking easy to understand science facts behind simple experiments

    Hi. I am writing preschool science activities and would like to verify what the scientific principles behind them are. First example: when you put raisins in clear soda pop, exactly what causes the bubbles around the raisins to pop when they reach the top? Is it only the outside air...
  19. D

    India 450,000"Calculating India's Population: Logic & Facts

    How many people are living in India? With the help of following data can you find How many people were listed as living in India and give logic also ? . The population of some countries is calculated based upon some logic and listed here ( It has no link with the facts) :- . USA...
  20. wolram

    The Fascinating Facts of Science: A Closer Look

    The dodo is a bird that is almost decent by now. To remove air from a flask, fill it with water, tip the water out, and put the cork in quick before the air can get back in. The process of turning steam back into water again is called conversation. A magnet is something you find...
  21. F

    Light Reflection between Mirrors: Facts & Myths

    Why are we not able to capture and store light between two mirrors? I'm going to take a guess at the answer but I'd like to hear from someone who knows for sure... I'm wondering if you actually can for a small amount of time, but the inefficiencies of an imperfect mirror cause some light to be...
  22. J

    Friedmann Cosmology: Exploring the Fascinating Aspects of the Standard Model

    The purpose of this thread is to describe certain interesting aspects that are explicit or implicit in the “standard model” of cosmology for a flat universe, by reference to the Friedmann equations. I hope to provoke more interest and constructive dialogue about the substance of this topic...
  23. J

    Friiedman Fun Facts to know and tell

    Hi SpaceTiger, Pervect & Hellfire, Here are some follow-up thoughts about the Friedmann equation for expansion. Pervect, thank you for using Noether's Theorem to demonstrate that normal momentum (of movement) is conserved. The next challenge is to demonstrate that the "momentum-like"...
  24. Evo

    Useless Knowledge Quiz: How Much Pointless Information Do You Really Know?

    Brilliant You scored 70 % in Useless Knowledge! You know a fair bit of trivial facts. You probably aced that one about the thing with the stuff... You know what I mean. Maybe someday your brain will soak up enough useless knowledge to score higher. This test tracked 1 variable. How...
  25. Mk

    Zeitgeist movie/documentary mixing facts with fiction

    Ok, so there's this movie, called Zeitgeist. It's an online documentary that mixes facts with made-up things, and proclaims some pretty crazy stuff. It makes the average person sick, angry, and feel goosebumps. As far as I have inquired, I've seen no, big, debunking website against Zeitgeist...
  26. Cyrus

    Chuck Norris Counts to Infinity Twice

    Chuck Norris counted to infinity, twice.
  27. moe darklight

    Anyone know any facts about ginseng?

    Anyone know any facts about ginseng? anyone know any facts about it? i thikn its supposed to be like caffeine or something... I've tried doing some research but it's really hard to tell what websites are herbal b.s, which ones are true... one says it lowers blood pressure, another says it...
  28. B

    Electrical Engineering Notes, Formulas, Facts, and Study Guides

    I am a 2nd year student at an engineering school. I searched google and other sources to try to find anything and everything on electrical engineering. I found only a few good sites, though. So I was wondering if anyone could please give me a useful site or two. : ) Of course I am looking for...
  29. Evo

    The Facts Everyone Should Know Test

    Not an idiot You scored 100% not an idiot! Yay! You got them all right. You may not be a genius, but at least you won't show up on "Jay Walking" any time soon. http://www.okcupid.com/tests/take?testid=17467732079199013753
  30. Andre

    News NAS Findings on Al Gore's Facts: Late 20th Century Warming

    Although this thread seems to pertain to Earth/climate issues, it's actually about the idea of facts of a politician. Al Gore has a lot to say here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/core/Content/displayPrintable.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/11/19/nclim19.xml&site=5&page=0 and We don't know for a...
  31. Demystifier

    Quantum mechanics: Myths and facts

    A common understanding of quantum mechanics (QM) among students and practical users is often plagued by a number of "myths", that is, widely accepted claims on which there is not really a general consensus among experts in foundations of QM. These myths include wave-particle duality, time-energy...
  32. I

    Proving V is a Hilbert Space: Facts 1 & 2

    Fact 1: we know that a closed subspace of a Hilbert Space is also a Hilbert Space. Fact 2: we know that the Sobolev Space H^{1} is a Hlbert space. How do I show that the space V:=\{v \in H^{1}, v(1) = 0\} is a Hilbert space? Is V automatically a closed subspace of H^{1}? How do I show this...
  33. Q

    Scientific Facts Yet to be Explained

    If anyone knows any scientific facts that haven't yet been expained by science please post them here. Thank You.
  34. K

    News Facts of 9/11 - need confirmation

    I've come to realzed that i don't know much what really happened on 9/11 so i decided to do some research on the internet. I found the the following alleged facts to be very fascinating. I don't know whether these to be true or not. They may be just made up with lack of evidence to stir up...
  35. D

    Test Your Knowledge: Laser Light Facts

    hi, i have this Qns as follows : which of the following statements about laser is incorrect? a. Laser light can be focused to a tiny spot. b. Laser light must be visible. c. Laser light travels in vacuum at a speed of 3 X 10^8 m/s d. Laser light can be extremely powerful. e. Laser...
  36. wolram

    Visiting Day in the US: Origin & Facts

    I heard on the radio it is visiting day in the US, is this correct, and if so how did it originate ?
  37. D

    Test Your Knowledge: Laser Light Facts

    hi, i have this Qns as follows : which of the following statements about laser is incorrect? a. Laser light can be focused to a tiny spot. b. Laser light must be visible. c. Laser light travels in vacuum at a speed of 3 X 10^8 m/s d. Laser light can be extremely powerful. e. Laser...
  38. G

    Can using mathematical concepts in problems help with memorization?

    I'm having difficulty at the moment working through pure maths with the limitation that regardless of the time I spend on a subject..no matter how straight-forwards things seem...2 weeks or so afterwards I can only vaguely remember the concepts, such that when I'm reading another proof that uses...
  39. W

    Designing a Small Ski Lift: Facts and Assumptions

    I'm planning on building a small ski lift for my kids. It's been 20 years since I've taken a physics class so I'm lucky to remember what gravity is. :blushing: Here's a poor image of the hill. I would like to know the following: A) how much lbs of tension is against the lift wire? B)...
  40. e-realmz

    Facts about Earth for a story Im writing

    Im currently writing a story set in the distant future. 99 percent of the human race has vanished due to warfare and economic downfall. The 99 percent would be of the total number of the population when they were at their peak. So for the sake of argument, let's say that the human race reached...
  41. Astronuc

    History Chile's Most Renowned Patriot: The Strange History of Bernardo O'Higgins

    This struck me as odd. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chile It just struck me as strange that a guy name O'Higgins would be Chile's most renowned patriot. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernardo_O%27Higgins
  42. Mk

    Interesting Facts about Richard Feynmann

    Interesting guy, what do YOU know?
  43. Ivan Seeking

    US Statistics in 1905: Amazing Facts and Figures

    email received: Maybe this will boggle your mind, I know it did mine! The year is 1905, one hundred years ago. What a difference a century makes! Here are some of the U.S. statistics for 1905: The average life expectancy in the US. was 47 years. Only 14 percent of the homes in...
  44. C

    Exploring 9-11: Seeking Answers & Facts

    Hey all, this is my first post and I really like the way the forums are set up. It appears to me that this site can be really educational and helpful to everyone. I just went through the last 9-11 thread and being someone who's done quite a bit of research on the subject, I was disappointed...
  45. TheStatutoryApe

    News Exploring Clear Channel: Debunking Myths & Facts

    Clear Channel... I know that it isn't really current news but I have heard quite a bit of bad press in regards to Clear Channel. Alot of it seems to be embellished from what I have gathered. There seem to be two main complaints. One: Clear Channel is partisan and it's radio news, among...
  46. E

    Understanding the Mutation Rate of Viruses: Statistics & Facts

    i...I'd like to know if all of the attacks made by any kinds of virus are the same all the time. My answer although i am still not really sure is NO, IT ISN'T, therefore, ii...the mutation rate of different virus is always different, but where can i find or how to know of how fast it really...
  47. C

    Why is Bill Gates Worth $43 Billion? Exploring the Facts

    This is not specific to Bill gates. I read some where "Bill Gates !something! $43billion. (!something! -I'm not sure what the sentence was). Does Bill have $43 in cash( like not his company) and he can go spending all his 43 without any problem and does not need to sell any of his company to...
  48. G

    Does anyone know some light facts on the following topic?

    Einstein's Special Relativity Time Dilation Twin Paradox Theory I need to explain it to my teacher tomorrow and I just want some basic back-bone information...nothing too in-depth since I'm doing the research for that myself.
  49. S

    Any Facts about Newton Polygons

    I'm giving a talk in a few days about Newton Polygons for polynomials and I was wondering if anyone knew of a few (short) interesting uses I could discuss or perhaps a text with a chapter on the subject. I have a cool result about irreducibility and of course the basics but it would be nice to...
  50. K

    Don't you hate it when people refute established/proven facts?

    Don't you just hate it when someone, usually an idiot, blatantly denies or refutes an established fact? One of these situations came up today. A girl in one of my classes tried to claim that evolution is just a theory and isn't any more proven than (biblical stuff). I tried to explain to...
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