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. A

    Fluid dynamics: Knowledge continuity equation

    Homework Statement Please click on the link for the question. http://i1154.photobucket.com/albums/p526/cathy446/physicsquestion_zps49e16ab1.jpg Assume that air spreads out after coming out from the tube at 2. The speed over tube 1 is almost zero. Homework Equations Knowledge problem on...
  2. haael

    Enlightenments on the track of knowledge

    Do you remember your best enlightenment? When you finally understand something after a year of reading some obscure chapter back and forth? Your most pleasurable eureka moment? That one second after you discover something no one has known before? When you outsmart your teacher in his field...
  3. M

    Gradient of a Simple Surface at a point (without knowledge of derivative)

    Homework Statement The statement that the simple surface F has gradient at the ordered pair ((x,y),F(x,y)) of F means that there exists only one ordered number pair (p,q) such that if c is a positive number then there exists a rectangular segment , S, containing (x,y) such that, if (u,v) is in...
  4. A

    Trouble due to incomplete knowledge

    I am a very curious guy and I often wonder about how stuff around me works - like when I speak how does my mouth produce sound and how my ears interpret it,what are quarks and boson...I might learn later on but currently I don't know these things. Its a bit irritating for me to not know...
  5. B

    What knowledge is needed for Electromagnet design?

    guys, I want to design a electromagnet. but i do not know how to start. so could you please tell me what knowledge is needed for electromagnet design? Or you can recommed some data that i can find and buy myself. thanks in advance!
  6. M

    Greater Knowledge = More Evidence for Design?

    Greater Knowledge = More Evidence for Design?? I was studying bacteria. With better technology we have been able to determine that bacteria have an extremely detailed motor that allows for transportation. It is equivalent to a human swimming thru thick grease at 60 miles an hour. It baffled...
  7. L

    What effects can occur when a body moves in a circular motion?

    when a body moves in a circular motion or a path,how many effects are possible..?
  8. C

    What MCB Should I Use for a 4 Kw Instrument According to European Standards?

    Does anyone has knowledge about European standards for Electrical instruments?? I want to know what MCB can be used if my instrument's power rating is 4 Kw? if anyone knows from where I can get this info ?? European standards give VDE certification.
  9. F

    Knowledge of division & fractions indicates math success

    I've seen handouts that get distributed at the beginning of first-year calculus courses spelling out the rules of adding & multiplying fractions (among other things), and all the mistakes that are made by students coming out of high school. I think that was mostly based on instructors'...
  10. C

    Where to Start for Knowledge: Exploring Physics as an Amateur?

    Hello everybody. I am brand new to the forum, and to physics, so please forgive me if I am a total noob, or if I do not adhere to a guideline. Quick background about who I am so you know where I am coming from: I am a 22 year old licensed personal banker living in queens working in...
  11. C

    Courses Essential background knowledge before enrolling on a physics course

    Hello, as I'm about to finish high school and I want to pursuit the field of physics (more interested in particle physics, theoretical physics etc) I would really appreciate if you could tell me what prior knowledge should I have in Mechanics, Electricity and Magnetism before I start college as...
  12. V

    Electrical & Electronic Engineering ( Health & Safety knowledge questions)

    Hey all I'm new to this site and I got to say after lurking around for a while and browsing this is a great site. I'm in my first year studying Electrical & Electronic Engineering and I got my heart towards getting into university to gain a HNC or HND. I have a lot of questions to answer (130...
  13. J

    Looking for the best books to increase my knowledge

    Hello, This is my first post, I signed up especially to ask it. I recently finished reading Steven Hawking + Leonard Mlodinow's "The Grand Design" and I found it really interesting. The bits I found most interesting were the parts on quantum physics, more specifically wheeler's delayed...
  14. H

    What's this type of knowledge called?

    Greetings everyone, This is just a vocabulary question, rather than a conceptual one. Is there a word for "qualitative knowledge"? For example, through science we have quantitative descriptions of all sorts things - the color blue, for example, is described as photons with wavelengths in the...
  15. Z

    Practical knowledge in electronics

    Hi guys , I don't know anything in electronics past how to calculate voltage and currents in circuits containing resistors and batteries . I lack the practical knowledge of how to construct real circuits . I want to know how to design real circuits . Can some one please point me to resources on...
  16. Evo

    History 12,000 year old megalith circles turn knowledge of ancient humans upside down

    This is incredible. This archaeological find predates Stonehenge and the Great pyramids by 6,000 years and makes Stonhenge look like rubble in comparison to this 12,000 year old find. It's before stoneage man had agriculture, before the wheel, a time of hunter gatherers. This site brings up...
  17. L

    Studying Career, def. of studying hard, knowledge gaps etc.

    Hello all, Firstly, sorry for the long post, I was just wondering if someone is in a similar position and would like to hear their thoughts and how they deal with certain things. If it is too long, just skip to the questions I have under each paragraph. I was never spending much time...
  18. N

    Introducing Rigor to my existent knowledge (Calculus and Linear Algebra)

    I am an Mechanical Engineering major and just recently I found myself to be very interested in Computational Mathematics. I have taken the typical 3 courses on Calculus but the problem is that since they were being taught majorly to an engineering audience, no one bothered with the epsilon...
  19. 2

    Math problems to tell where you are with your knowledge of math

    Sort of a strange topic But I was wondering if some of you could suggest some problems for me to try to see how much math I understand. My background is I am a Mech Eng student in my last year of my bachelors degree. So I have taken calc 1-3 Diff Eq, Linear and a Applied math course for...
  20. C

    Time is money, knowledge is power.

    You may've heard this one before: 1. Time is money 2. Knowledge is power 3. Power = Work/time Therefore; Money = work/knowledge which proves the less you know, the more money you get. I was thinking about this when someone mentioned the 'pressure of time' preventing them from...
  21. M

    Advancing Your Physics Knowledge: Recommended Books

    I finished my first semester of physics and calc, and now that I have a brief intoduction to physics I think I can handle reading a little more advanced phy book.. Are there any good phy books that anyone can recommend?
  22. T

    Is There a Limit to Our Understanding of the Universe?

    Im new on this forum. I hope that this is where this discussion belong. On my time off work, I take my mind off it by looking for basic information on a certain subject. Lately it's been science (specifically astronomy). As I search for answers, it's come to my attention that we have limited...
  23. P

    Mathematics and Theory of Knowledge

    Hi, As part of my Theory of Knowledge course I am studying the areas of knowledge, more specifically, Mathematics. I am researching about the idea of absolute and relative truths. I am looking for the most basic, fundamental principle of mathematics, that is, maybe an "assumption(?)" that...
  24. M

    How to consolidate one's knowledge of pre-calculus

    Over the holidays (very long ones), I intend on going through the two Calculus volumes of Apostol. However, I feel my pre-calc knowledge of math is very shaky. There's lots of little tricks I just can't see. I'm not saying I can't do harder problems, just that they're not very obvious to me...
  25. A

    A zero knowledge system for voting?

    My memory on this is a bit foggy, but a couple of years ago one my math professors had a digression about a system of voting where no one would be able to know what anyone else voted. It involved the graph of a polynomial, and the kicker was that this system couldn't be implemented in society...
  26. Evo

    How LinkedIn Got My Client Names Without My Knowledge

    I was invited to sign up for LinkedIn years ago by a friend, never did a profile except a job title. What made me check is that I just got an e-mail from linkedIn asking if I know this list of people that I might want to add. What is upsetting is that the people listed are old clients of...
  27. R

    Why would you ever want to share your knowledge?

    So? why?
  28. L

    How does knowledge affect randomness?

    Suppose I have a true random number generator. It generates a string of 10 numbers. I then look at those numbers. Are they still random? If no then why, and would they be random for a bystander who did not see the numbers? If yes then consider this. I am an omniscient being. This same random...
  29. S

    Test your knowledge of inertial forces

    We have had several threads lately discussing the nature of inertia and inertial forces. Here is a practical exanmple for open discussion. Take a flexible bar and closely thread several masses onto it. Clamp both ends. Arrange a disturbance to provide a flexing of the bar. This will...
  30. J

    Physics Simulation Question (Collision Detection no physics knowledge required)

    I'm writing a physics simulation/game in java applets, I have a quick question about collision detection. DISCLAIMER: I am not a math or a CS major, so this is probably a ridiculously easy question for most people on here: My question regards speed when there are lots of objects. Right now...
  31. S

    Basic knowledge about real analysis

    members i need some basic knowledge about real analysis i got lot of trouble... about this topic
  32. M

    Would this be a suitable path for gaining the maths knowledge to study GR?

    The attached PDF shows an analysis sequence of books on the left. If I followed the sequence all the way to differential geometry, would I be prepared to study the subject of general relativity? Also, would it be feasible to skip the real analysis books or would they be required as well...
  33. A

    Prerequisite knowledge for intro thermodyanmics

    Hello I'm taking my first ME course in thermodynamics this fall (two or so weeks away), and was just a little curious if these intro courses are generally self-contained, or if the brief introduction to thermo found in physics I will play a pivotal role (or mechanics, as a whole)... edit...
  34. khurram usman

    My knowledge of superconductors is limited to the fact that they are

    my knowledge of superconductors is limited to the fact that they are substances whose resistnce bcme zero below a certain temperature and current once established continues to flow indefinitely. a) how can substances behave as supercondictors?(i don't know the name of any...superconducting...
  35. A

    Knowledge required for a research project using Kelvin Probe

    Alright so a professor took me up for a research project which makes use of a Kelvin Probe. However I only have a year of introductory Physics under my belt (Mechanics and Waves & Oscillations). I started studying some of E&M which I assumed I needed to know, this summer but didn't get too far...
  36. C

    Interest: Basic knowledge at medicine making

    It would be awesome if there was a course - intro to medicine making where I would get to create a pill but there isn't. What would be the closest thing to it? I thought I could major in 1 field to get the medicine knowledge but even that's not true. Even inside pharmacology, there are more...
  37. maverick_starstrider

    Is Moore's Law Based on Knowledge? Or is it Recursive

    Hi, here's my question. If all our technology were to suddenly disappear but all our knowledge and designs were to remain, would our progress back to where we were, in terms of chip design, follow Moore's Law? In other words, could one just make a chip with speed X provided one had the...
  38. F

    Employee's Insufficient Knowledge

    As I've spent some time reading about careers on the internet; I've found some posts with employers complaining about how most students that are graduating from college these days don't know enough to be useful for their jobs. I've found examples of this primarily in Software Engineering, but I...
  39. Femme_physics

    The usefulness of statics VS dynamics knowledge in mechatronics

    In my practical engineer degree for mechatronics, our technical mechanics test consists of 80% statics questions and 20% dynamic questions. I'm curious, why does statics appear to be more important than dynamic in this engineering discipline?
  40. D

    Refreshing Electrical Engineering Knowledge After 3 Years

    I wrapped up my BSEE three years ago and have been working as a EE since then. However, the vast majority of my work has been geared toward test/manufacturing/embedded. As a result, I fear that a substantial amount of my fundamental EE knowledge has atrophied and I'm just plain rusty. This...
  41. L

    Special case of angular momentum components simultaneous knowledge

    Lets say we measure L_z and L^2 simultaneously and L^2 happens to be equal to (L_z)^2. This requires a zero value for the x and y components of angular momentum. Does this mean, in this special case, we know the values of L_x L_y L_z & L^2 simultaneously?
  42. K

    Infinity of chemical knowledge

    I'm interested in philosophers' opinions on a question that I posed in another forum (https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=496119). As I say in my latest post, the entire thread was sparked by the comments of the Philosopher of Chemistry, Joachim Schummer: We have no reason at...
  43. A

    I have a very limited knowledge of the quantum but I was wondering if

    I have a very limited knowledge of the quantum but I was wondering if it was possible, barring probability, that two electrons could end up co-locating or being in the same place at once.
  44. A

    Expanding knowledge on the Classical Groups

    I need some material on the properties and relationships between classical groups. I was using Robert Gilmore's "Lie Groups, Lie Algebras and Some of their Aplications", but it barely covers it (section 2.iv). Does someone know about a book or any lecture notes that could be used to...
  45. B

    Interpolation with knowledge of derivatives

    I want to interpolate a function between the points A, B, C. At A and C I only know the value of the function, but at B (lying between them) I also know the function's first and second derivatives. How would you interpolate between these points?
  46. A. Neumaier

    On the myth that probability depends on knowledge

    Please elaborate it here!
  47. H

    Is scientific knowledge ultimately limited

    Are two electrons identical in every way? I think that's what we know so far, but is there any research that proves/doubts this or any reason to expect why it should or should not be the case? I ask because no two things in (the macroscopic) world are absolutely identical, and so I wonder if...
  48. K

    Infinity of Chemical Knowledge

    I have been advised that the questions that I ask in another thread in the Chemistry Forum may be better assessed by those who frequent the General Physics Forum. I would be much obliged if you could take a look at the following link, and provide any thoughts, feedback, ideas that you may...
  49. K

    Infinity of Chemical Knowledge

    If this is the wrong place for these sorts of musings, I greatly apologize and I would be profoundly obliged if someone could point me in the right direction. Otherwise, on with the question. I have repeatedly heard it said that the number of chemical species and, by extension, the...
  50. BobG

    Test Your Knowledge of Dictator Literature

    How well do you know your dictator literature? Test yourself by matching the literary sample to the dictator that authored it: A. Saddam Hussein B. Kim Jong Il C. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini D. Muammar al-Qaddafi E. Joseph Stalin #1 #2 (edited to eliminate giving away the...
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