What is Knowledge: Definition and 379 Discussions

Knowledge is a familiarity, awareness, or understanding of someone or something, such as facts (descriptive knowledge), skills (procedural knowledge), or objects (acquaintance knowledge). By most accounts, knowledge can be acquired in many different ways and from many sources, including but not limited to perception, reason, memory, testimony, scientific inquiry, education, and practice. The philosophical study of knowledge is called epistemology.
The term "knowledge" can refer to a theoretical or practical understanding of a subject. It can be implicit (as with practical skill or expertise) or explicit (as with the theoretical understanding of a subject); formal or informal; systematic or particular. The philosopher Plato famously pointed out the need for a distinction between knowledge and true belief in the Theaetetus, leading many to attribute to him a definition of knowledge as "justified true belief". The difficulties with this definition raised by the Gettier problem have been the subject of extensive debate in epistemology for more than half a century.

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  1. S

    Quantum Building a Solid knowledge of Quantum Field Theory

    Hello! I read several books and took courses on quantum mechanics and particle physics and I understood the topics. However I feel that I have only pieces of informations without a global image of what is going on. For example in the particle physics classes we were given Feynman rules without...
  2. M

    I Future Cosmology knowledge

    OK, let's imagine that in a few billion years time, when our local group of galaxies have merged, our Sun has reached and surpassed it's giant red phase stage and has become a White Dwarf, and we as a species are extinct. At the same time the distant galaxies will have moved beyond our...
  3. L

    Studying Beginning physics knowledge while in middle school

    Hi, I'm slowly making my way through eighth grade, and bored - though I'm set to enroll in an ib high school next year in order to dodge the costly mess, still for the duration of 8th grade I'll probably have a lot of free time, since I have no means of transportation right now. I think that...
  4. Greg Bernhardt

    NASA Test Your NASA Knowledge - Comments

    TheAdmin submitted a new PF Insights post Test Your NASA Knowledge Continue reading the Original PF Insights Post.
  5. Delta Force

    Required Level of Physics/Engineering Knowledge?

    I'm trained in energy policy, not physics or engineering. How much physics and engineering knowledge do you need to know on this site?
  6. W

    Studying Should I expect myself to "know everything"?

    I'm not sure how to put this into words but...here goes. After going through chapters and chapters of introductory mechanics, I think I can say that I at least some of the basics down. However, when I introduce myself to extremely novel problems, I get stunned at their complexity and have to...
  7. M

    Physicists' knowledge of differential equations

    <<Moderator's note: this is a spin-off of https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/how-long-to-learn-physics.891250/>> To Zapper. Some differential equations have no analytical solutions but some do. I remember a case where a co worker was using a computer to find the solution to x dot = 1 /...
  8. Psinter

    What physics knowledge would be required to build a house?

    Curiosity question: What physics knowledge would be required to build a house? I am not going to build a house, this is just a question out of curiosity because it may not look like, but I think that a well built structure may actually be something complex that employs many physics concepts...
  9. Radu Mitroi

    B What percentage of the universe do we know

    Hello. First of all, I must say that I'm new to this forum, so I apologize if I'm posting in the wrong section. I'm a 17 year old with not that much knowledge about physics, so if what I'm talking about makes no sense or is completely stupid, just let me know. A couple of days ago I asked...
  10. Philethan

    Other How to use my physics knowledge to help this world?

    Hello, every one! I'm 26 now. I majored in Chemical Engineering and graduated from National Taiwan University. Then I applied college again (major in physics now) to fulfill my dream ---- be a philosopher of physics. Now, I'm senior. I've studied the quantum Physics, thermal physics, classical...
  11. M

    MHB Show that AN=1 cm using the knowledge of equiangular triangles.

    I need help with the fourth part of this series of the questions, Here's the copied figure ii. AM=MB (M midpoint) NAM=MBP($90^\circ$) AMN=BMP(vertically opposite) $\therefore \triangle AMN \cong \triangle BMP \left(AAS\right)$iii.MN=MP (triangle AMN & triangle BMP congruent) MC=MC (Common...
  12. M

    MHB Find the value of x using the knowledge of equiangular triangles.

    Any ideas ? (Tauri)
  13. J

    Is there physics knowledge hidden to public domain?

    I was wondering if our governments hide us some knowledge. Military industry for sure, but What about physics? Is all the knowledge public? I include in my question biology. I am sure that the richest people in this planet are investing right now hundreds or thousands of billions researching...
  14. D

    Classical The best physics books to build theoretical knowledge

    Could you name your best picks of books that expand on the high school knowledge. Example is the Goldsteins Classical Mechanics which is a classic. What do you recommend for Electricity and Magnetism, Optics, Relativity and Quantum Mechanics? Also what would be the same criteria for some Math...
  15. P

    I Using prior knowledge to recover signal

    I have a signal corrupted with normally distributed uncorrelated white noise. The noise has zero mean and known variance sigma1. I'd like to recover the signal as far as possible. However, the only thing I know is that the signal itself is normally distributed also, with mean zero and known...
  16. davidbenari

    Studying I study physics -- How can I expand my computer knowledge?

    I'm interested in expanding my computer knowledge. Specifically, computer science knowledge. I've taken a few numerical methods courses, but they were all in MATLAB. My strategy this summer was to study physics problems like PDEs and solve them in some language I don't know like C++. Also, I...
  17. Trent21

    Aerodynamics and general dynamics knowledge requirements.

    Long story short. Want to know waaaay before I get deep into Aerospace Engineering, what I need to know to do it and if I can, I've already retrieved books on it. Like Fundamentals Of Aerodynamics... Some Calc 2 books.. Calc 1.. etc etc. However I look at Calc 1/2, then look at my Aerodynamics...
  18. B

    What blue collar trade requires the most academic knowledge?

    I'm curious about what blue collar trade requires the most academic knowledge to perform in a competent manner. I'm not asking what blue collar trade requires the most knowledge or skill to perform competently. I'm asking about academic knowledge only. Both HVAC technicians and electricians...
  19. micromass

    Test Your Knowledge: Wason's Selection Test

    The recent thread of @ProfuselyQuarky reminded me of this fun puzzle. It's called the Wason's Selection Test. I stole it pretty obviously from the following website, so do check it out: http://www.philosophyexperiments.com/wason/ About 75%-80% get this wrong. You are a quality control...
  20. N

    I Randomness as a function of the observer's knowledge

    I found a couple of closed threads related to the definition of randomness, but my question is slightly different. Is there a mathematical way to express the fact that randomness is the eye of the beholder? For example, if I give a sequence of 1000 numbers such that you cannot predict the...
  21. shaun curley

    B Exploring Scientific Knowledge & the Universe: Questions & Answers

    Hi everyone, I am a 41 year old and a newbie and I have a few questions... 1. Is there a single global database of public domain scientific knowledge on the internet? 1.1. If not should there be? 2. Why aren't the base unit definitions for the International System Of Units based on a single...
  22. wolram

    The Useless Burden of Unwanted Knowledge

    Watching one of these boring TV quiz shows i found i new answers to questions i have no interest in, it had me thinking how much stuff i know i do not want to know and how much of my memory capacity is used up with useless information.o0)
  23. M

    Advanced devices made with no knowledge

    Let's imagine following: For one reason or the other life on Earth evolved much faster and 2 or 3 billions years ago we got equivalent of mid 18 century civilization. At this time U-235 content of total U in ore would be greater than 20%. Say that engineers of this world were processing that...
  24. Lagraaaange

    Do exams really reflect knowledge?

    Do you guys think exams and problems in physics really reflect your knowledge of the subject? I find myself having superior knowledge of theory in my courses relative to classmates (I often explain it to them), but then I can't reproduce this on exams which are all computation. What do you think?
  25. J

    Do I need knowledge of trigonometry for this course?

    I've started community college after being out of school for a while. I started with Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Geometry: I have a strong grasp on all three. The next class offered at my school is Precalculus. Trig is not offered. The PreCalc course description "An intensive preparation for...
  26. P

    Is the Knowledge on the Web Reliable?

    I'd like some opinions on whether the following observation which I found on the web is legitimate. Sometimes, one sees things on the WWW that are not *gasp* on the level.
  27. Matejxx1

    Please ask me questions to challenge my knowledge

    So I was checking the How to self-study math thread and saw that someone suggested that It would be helpfull to create this kind of thread. And because we are writting a test on thursday on Probability I though it would be nice to find out which parts I still need to double-check. So these...
  28. HeisenbergGER

    Is All Human Knowledge Fundamentally Ambiguous?

    I recently engaged in Kant's philosophy and I have now a "knowledge dilemma". I understood physics to this point as the deeper understanding of nature. However, it seems to my that we are only describing nature, without fathoming the reasons why it behaves how it does. Since I was a little...
  29. C

    Any examples of disagreements leading to new knowledge?

    I'm wondering if you guys could give me any examples (not necessarily just in physics) where a disagreement lead to new knowledge. I was thinking about the Bohr-Einstein debates, but I don't know if they strictly lead to new knowledge, so much as several interpretations of quantum mechanics. Are...
  30. chikou24i

    Necessary knowledge condensed matter physics

    Could someone tell me about what I must have as a knowledge to study condensed matter physics ?
  31. Vannay

    Ideal advisor wary of my lack of knowledge in biochem....

    I'm in a physics graduate program shopping around for research advisors and I met with my number one pick today. He works with biological systems using calorimetry and other lab methods a biologist would know. He saw my enthusiasm and liked it but was wary about my lack of biochem knowledge. He...
  32. M

    Pre-Big Bang Environment & Rules: Insights on the Known Laws of the Universe

    The Big Bang process (with or without inflation) followed known rules which had to exist prior to time zero (start of big bang). For example, some of the obvious rules of the game included: mathematics, conservation laws (symmetry), thermodynamic laws (energy conserved, entropy increases)...
  33. ZapperZ

    Insights Imagination Without Knowledge Is Ignorance Waiting To Happen - Comments

    ZapperZ submitted a new PF Insights post Imagination Without Knowledge Is Ignorance Waiting to Happen Continue reading the Original PF Insights Post.
  34. S

    Technical Knowledge of Technologists in Rock n Roll Bands

    The mid-end and high-end rock n roll performance bands have technical people or technologists to help with equipment (electric guitars, amplifiers, and variety of devices used with them; modifications, and repairs). Exactly what do these technical know, and how do they learn it? There have...
  35. J

    Optics for Graduate Engineering: Pre-Req E&M Knowledge?

    Does anyone know how much undergraduate E&M you need to know in order to do well in a graduate engineering Optics course? Is it an absolute pre-requisite?
  36. Kai The Guy

    How much knowledge do I need in Math

    I am starting grade 10, and want to become a doctor of some sort. But I admit, I am a little dodgy in math (Around 75%). In my other coarses, I excel at like Science, Socials, and French. But have never really grown a talent for math. So my question, Should I have better grades in math, or is...
  37. Yumrey

    Balancing Review and New Material: Tips for Retaining Knowledge

    Hello, I realized that I tend to forget the course material I've learned quickly after the final exam, so I think it may be a good idea to review those material even when I've done the course. Does this happen often to you? How do you deal with it while taking new courses and having other...
  38. S

    Science education vs general science knowledge

    This feels like a strange question but it's something I've often wondered so I was curious about other peoples opinions. I'm currently half way through a Chemistry degree and have been doing reasonably well. However I feel that the chemistry knowledge I have is only good for helping me answer...
  39. C

    My Take on the Limitations of Scientific Knowledge

    Imagine an intelligent ant living in a sealed glass tank, with nothing inside but sand and himself, for his entire existence. He has the intelligence of a human but no way to escape, and nothing to see outside of the glass tank. The temperature never changes, the air is static, the source of...
  40. R

    Best way to improve knowledge of electronics/circuit theory?

    Hi guys, I recently finished my Physics undergraduate degree, and will be starting my first job in September. My employers have asked me to improve my knowledge of electronics before I begin work. I would like to improve my ability to analyse and understand circuits, and also learn more about...
  41. micromass

    Other Exploring Biology: A Beginner's Guide for Mathematics Majors

    Hi membraneinos! :) Mathematics is interesting and all. But sometimes I miss the touch for something real. So I am trying to expand my horizons a bit. And I think that perhaps biology would be fun to learn. So please recommend me any books in biology (but beware, I'm just a beginner!). Also...
  42. Graeme M

    What is the Definition of Knowledge?

    I posed a question about 'mind' on the Biology forum the other day and was frustrated that I didn't seem to make sense to anyone else, at least not sense in the way I was thinking. I've thought about it a fair bit because clearly my own thinking is in error, but without a shared understanding of...
  43. A

    Necessary knowledge of standard model for string theorist

    I wasn't sure whether I should post this question in this category or "High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics", but I decided to post here, since I want to get opinions from the people who are studying the topics discussed in this category, not the experts on standard model or particle physics...
  44. C

    New beginner's help -- learn which programming language to enrich my knowledge?

    I am a physics undergraduate and is going to pursue a physics Ph.D. degree from 2015 Fall. I am thinking about learning some programming language to enrich my knowledge. Also, I hope this kind of skill could enlarge the scope of my future career. Please give me some advice on which language...
  45. M

    As a High school senior, my knowledge of physics is limited

    My question is this: how do I break the chains? I took honors physics last year and absolutely fell in love. Unfortunately we don't have any Calculus-based physics courses in my school… I've asked some of my teachers for textbooks I could borrow and they've been nice enough to give me some...
  46. M

    Do we have a complete knowledge of the spectrum of light?

    The question is pretty simple really, do we have a complete knowledge on the different wavelengths of light? Or are there possibly other sources of light out there that are unknown to us?
  47. Wesley Chambers

    Guidance in my quest for knowledge and understanding

    Hello Everyone, I am a young college student that just realized how little of an education I received growing up and attending school in Southern Mississippi. I won't say that it is entirely the fault of my teachers, as soon as I realized I could graduate while barely passing Algebra one I did...
  48. W

    Certifying Knowledge of Statistics

    Hi, just curious, I have taught myself a good chunk of statistics , up to non-parametric methods, but I don't have any official proof of it, i.e., I don't have a degree on it I could use to convince a potential employer. I know in other areas one may use, e.g., the GRE to show one's competence...
  49. sushichan

    Knowledge Production in Physics

    How is knowledge in physics produced? When I think about how Newton's First Law of Motion was produced, it first came from intuitive thought experiment due to the observations made. Can one actually observe an object moving with a constant velocity without any force acting on it? Or is reason...
  50. jk22

    Can Bell's Ansatz Explain the Correlation in the EPRB Experiment?

    considering the eprb experiment, the correlation is written in terms of local hidden variable : The density of probability at the source is uniform it cannot depend on the measurement angles. Rho(v) The measurement are made at the two places a(ta,v) b(tb,v) The datas are the recollected at...
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