What is Reality: Definition and 432 Discussions

Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, reality is the totality of a system, known and unknown. Philosophical questions about the nature of reality or existence or being are considered under the rubric of ontology, which is a major branch of metaphysics in the Western philosophical tradition. Ontological questions also feature in diverse branches of philosophy, including the philosophy of science, philosophy of religion, philosophy of mathematics, and philosophical logic. These include questions about whether only physical objects are real (i.e., Physicalism), whether reality is fundamentally immaterial (e.g., Idealism), whether hypothetical unobservable entities posited by scientific theories exist, whether God exists, whether numbers and other abstract objects exist, and whether possible worlds exist.

View More On Wikipedia.org
Recent contents Top users
  1. Artlav

    EMP Effects on Electronics: Exploring the Reality Behind Fiction

    In a recently released computer game there is a scene where a nuclear bomb goes off in space over the active war zone on the east USA coast (too high for anything but EMP). Moments later, it starts raining helicopters and everything that uses electricity, from lights to laser sights goes out...
  2. S

    Antibonding MO do they exist in reality?

    do antibonding molecular orbital exist in reality or is it an empty space in which an electron can move about freely and not involving itself in bonding. if they exist then how can the 2 atomic orbitals interfere both constructively as well as destructively simultaineously to give both...
  3. M

    What Would a Picture of Consciousness Look Like?

    I just had a thought what would a picture that did not use words that most people would say represents consiousness look like? Also I was wondering if every concept could be drawn in a way that most people would agree with what its describing? What do you think the drawing for conciousness...
  4. V

    Exploring Idealism: Reality Beyond Space, Time, and Matter

    "His book The Nature of Experience (1927) contained his arguments that space, time, and matter cannot possibly be real. In his Studies in Hegelian Cosmology, Cambridge, 1901, p. 196," What you think about that? What if if everything do not exist, but comes enterly from nothing? I mean nature...
  5. G

    Boundary between deterministic reality and probabilistic reality

    Is there a firm boundary? For example, if a scientist makes an observation which is probabilistically determined, his actions (for example recording data) are altered, although we would generally think of a scientist as a deterministic system. How do physicists deal with this conceptualy?
  6. P

    Why does math work in our reality?

    I’m reviewing my mathematics knowledge, except I’m looking for a different reason. I understand how it works you know, 1 plus 1 so on, I’m trying to understand why it works. Pure and applied mathematicians and physicists have tied our understanding of reality with mathematics. They believe...
  7. I

    The Reality of Majoring in Astrophysics: Is it Worth It?

    So this is the deal, I'm 17, and I have a passion for science, especially Astrophysics, and I want to major in that department, but the thing is, a lot of people that I know tell me Astrophysics is way too hard, it's not stable, you need to be a genius to make something out of it, not enough...
  8. F

    Is there a perfect correspondence between spacetime and reality?

    I am interested in the correspondence between reality and the mathematics of spacetime and wonder if that is an issue with anyone else? How is the question of correspondence handled in teaching students about General Relativity? I characterized the issue of correspondence as follows and...
  9. K

    Does Quantum Physics Challenge Our Understanding of Reality?

    Hi, I'm new here and I apologise in advance for any perceived abruptness and hope I am not causing offence :) I am debating a guy, religious philosophy type, who claims that virtual and real universes would be indistinguishable from each other ... to some degree I suppose that is true i.e...
  10. A

    Reality, locality and determinacy.

    I would like to get some opinions from those of you who prefer a One-World interpretation of QM (CI,Bohm,Transactional,Relational, etc) about the following: 1) I understand it is already clear that QM puts a limit on our ability to predict the future. But if you believe that the universe is a...
  11. J

    In search for a holistic perspective on the physical reality

    Abstract This post introduces a holistic approach to the description of the physical reality. The solution, referred to as the Dynamic Universe (DU) [1], is based on a zero-energy balance of motion and gravitation in spherically closed space. The Dynamic Universe allows the derivation of all of...
  12. M

    Physical reality of string theory demonstrated

    http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-07/lu-pro070309.php Well, according to this article, at least. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/1174962 Just thought I'd share. Problem is, they didn't entirely describe high temp superconductivity. O well.
  13. A

    A problem as part of an Alternate Reality Game (we're stuck)

    Hello all. I apologize for not following the exact format requested... I honestly have little to no understanding of any of these subjects. I come here as member of a gaming community that has been presented with a problem as part of an ongoing puzzle. I hope I'm posting this in the most...
  14. C

    Antimatter excotic particle or another reality?

    Antimatter excotic particle or another reality? Is it a mirror of matter or just another form of matter?
  15. G

    Observation and Reality Question

    As I was reading some information on Quantum Mechanics, I came across the following statement: (http://www.thekeyboard.org.uk/Quantum%20mechanics.htm) From this, several questions arose, but I'll only share a few. If indeed nothing is real until it is observed, and something must exist...
  16. W

    Can electric vehicles have battery packs exchanged at gas stations?

    Hello all. Forgive me, this has been piling up inside me for-- years. I tried a few other forums and no one can do anything but agree with me and express their equal ignorance. After reading quite a few post here, I think I may have found a group with the knowledge to answer my question...
  17. Y

    Math High impact on society, reality tested, and heavy use of logic and symbolic math

    I am looking to make a career shift. I am looking for a career track with the following characteristics: 1) Heavy use (and need to learn) advanced mathematical concepts (especially symbolic in nature). I want to be working with equations and logic in a symbolic manner on a daily basis. 2) A...
  18. Loren Booda

    The physics concept most indicative of reality

    What physical theory represents best fundamental and universal experience?
  19. M

    Time Dilation in Twin Paradox: Exploring the Puzzling Reality

    I can't fully understand why a person who makes a journey into space in a high-speed rocket will return home to find his age less than an identical twin who stayed on Earth. It makes since for the twin who stayed on earth, but for the twin who traveled into space, he sees himself at rest and...
  20. G

    If McCain-Palin are elected what is the reality of the chance of an AA president?

    I placed this thread here rather then the politics forum because I wanted the answers of a more diverse group of people i.e. not just the politically savvy. I'm not intending it to become flagrant. Hopefully it won't , however , I imagine that some of the moderators believe this may be the...
  21. V

    About rendering physical reality

    Hello all, as far as rendering physical reality, isn't sampling frequency the main thing ?... VE
  22. O

    Does mathematical reality lie outside us ?

    Does "mathematical reality lie outside us"? The mathematician G.H. Hardy 68 years ago expressed his belief that "mathematical reality lies outside us" in "[URL A mathematicians apology, p.35 [/URL]. I'd like to know how philosophers of the new Millennium have decided this question -- if at...
  23. L

    Graviton and photon point particles in reality

    Suppose you have a fine layer of dust facing perpendicular to a strong gravitational body. If gravitons are point particles then could you expect to observe the gravitons pulling at the dust particles one by one as they come into contact with the dust or would the dust move uniformly closer to...
  24. M

    The Reality of Climate Change?

    While I have quickly looked at Monique's sticky thread on ‘Reviews on Global Warming’ I believe the scope of this thread is still relevant. If not, please delete, as I was only making a general inquiry. -------- It appears that the media, in general, is now committed to constantly...
  25. L

    Are You Ready to Tackle Roger Penrose's Road to Reality Exercises?

    My webpage http://camoo.freeshell.org/roadtoreality.html" has answers to exercises in Roger Penrose's book "The Road to Reality". Many of which I worked quite hard on. Laura
  26. wolram

    Is dark energy really responsible for the expansion of the universe?

    arXiv:0807.1635 [ps, pdf, other] Title: Dark energy: myths and reality Authors: V.N. Lukash (Astro Space Centre of P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute, Moscow, Russia), V.A. Rubakov (Institute for Nuclear Research, Moscow, Russia) Comments: 17 pages, 2 figures Journal-ref...
  27. wolram

    Unmasking the IPCC's 2500 "Scientists": A Climate Crisis Reality Check

    http://www.sciencealert.com.au/opinions/20081007-17643.html It’s an assertion repeated by politicians and climate campaigners the world over: “2500 scientists of the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) agree that humans are causing a climate crisis.” But it’s not...
  28. I

    Truth is a complete fiction( So is reality).

    I think we can do without the whole notion of truth and reality.The traditional notion of truth is that a statement is true iff there some "correspondences" between the statement in question and reality. An attack on this conception of truth is a either/and attack on: 1) The notion of...
  29. C

    Is Time Real? Exploring the Physics and Philosophy of Time

    sometimes i wunder if time really exists. just because you can use it to callculate projectil motion or whatever, is it actually a physical issue or is it just the human way to deal with a situation? do you know what i mean? what if clocks can tell your passage from the past to now but nothing...
  30. pellman

    Quantum myth 4: The only reality is the measured reality

    We are discussing the Demystifier's paper "Quantum mechanics: myths and facts". http://xxx.lanl.gov/abs/quant-ph/0609163 Previously: Myth 1 https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=229497 Myth 2 https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=230693 Myth 3...
  31. Holocene

    Using mathematics to escape the disconsolation of reality?

    Has anyone found that doing mathematics actually results in a sort of soothing "disconnect" from the drudgery of everyday life? I'm being serious. Something about the numbers, variables, mathematical symbols and theorems...they seem to represent a very unambiguous "reality", entirely free...
  32. A

    What is charge and what are the reality of fields?

    please what is the charge and is there anything else except +ve -ve and neutral and what is the electric field? I don't want to know on what it depends but i want to know what is it matter or what and then comes my question why a force of magnetic field moves a wire from the high magnetic flux...
  33. Holocene

    Is there any real difference between reality and a dream?

    Is there any real difference between "reality" and a dream? You're reading this right now, and it might seem very real to you. You might truly believe that you really are reading this. Why do you believe that though? The answer must, at least in part, lie with the fact that you are...
  34. L

    Can I Read Road to Reality Without Calculus?

    Hello, I have a question for those of you who have read Road to Reality by Roger Penrose. I've been debating on whether or not I should read this book for ages. I have always wanted to understand science at a mathematical level rather than just a popular science and conceptual level. The thing...
  35. E

    Please recommend a complex analysis book for The road to reality

    Please recommend a complex analysis book for "The road to reality" Guys I am a electrical engineer who studied calculus III about 15 years ago. That time I memorized formulas to pass exams and never have much of a understanding of complex analysis. Never touched high math again after...
  36. H

    What are the potential uses for virtual reality technology beyond video games?

    With some additional software and hardware modifications, this guy creates a virtual reality display using his Wii. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd3-eiid-Uw&NR=1 Okay, so when are the new VR shooters cooming out? I'm tired of trying to peek around corners in vain. The technology for...
  37. O

    What Is Reality Not? - Philosophers' Perspectives

    In a previous thread I asked folk in this forum the question “What is reality?” and got a whole heap of interesting replies. An early reply that proved to be the most apt was In the end it sadly turned out (to misquote Omar Khayyáám’s Rubááiyáát) that : Myself when old did eagerly...
  38. Shaun Culver

    Exercises in Roger Penrose's "The Road to Reality

    Is anybody doing the exercises in Roger Penrose's book, "The Road to Reality".
  39. wolram

    The Harsh Reality of Farming Life

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/13/ncosts113.xml This is so much rubbish, year after year i see more fields laying fallow, one time traveling through the countryside one could see nothing but rape crops growing and empty fields, one of the local farmers takes his...
  40. N

    Does reality change from person to person

    is it possible that in one persons eyes red would be my yellow and their yellow would be my red and their sphere could be my cube and so on and so forth so that we would be describing an object with a matching description but at the same time be talking about something completely diferent
  41. P

    Reality described by geometry or algebra?

    Many people say that geometry is at the heart of physics. However Albert Einstein in his last paper worte that he believed purely algebraic methods will provide a framework for nature i.e unification, TOE etc. Has he got representation theory on his mind? Or something else? It raises the...
  42. G

    What Is Reality? Can Anyone Define It?

    Can anyone define me reality please?Is it what we see real or it is just an illusion?
  43. S

    Reality as Perception and Experience

    thought it would be cool to put this here to get some input from other people and possibly people who have a much beefier academic record than myself :p Basically my thesis for my philosophy course: we can only know reality from experience and perception. my arguments are: humans have a...
  44. L

    Schools I need a grad school reality check

    First, a little background. I am a senior double major in electrical engineering and physics (with minor in chem, with 2 semesters of ochem and ochem lab) at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, MI. I have a modest overall GPA of 3.45, but a physics GPA of 3.92, an engineering GPA...
  45. nicksauce

    The road to reality by Penrose

    I just borrowed this book, and am about to start reading it. However, I am a just a third year undergraduate, and flipping through the book, there looks like there is going to be a lot of new material, and some difficult math. How hard do you think it will be for me to get through it? Is it...
  46. O

    What is Reality? Philosophers' Views

    I need some help from Philosophy-oriented folk in answering this question, which I've been sounding off about in the Relativity forum in the thread "Raindrops and Gravity". After having a few of my deviant ideas ironed out there by people who know much more than I do, I've arrived at the...
  47. H

    Exploring Buddha's Ultimate Reality: A Scientific Perspective

    Hi All ! here is a quote from the movie Little Buddha(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107426/) "Buddha could see beyond universe.Buddha has seen ultimate reality of all things." Although the statement looks simple but it didnt make enough sense to me.It is also said that "we can see only...
  48. C

    Reflexivity: The Interconnectedness of Thinking and Reality

    Thinking is part of reality Our educational system and our culture lie to us. We are taught by our educational system and by our culture that there is thinking and there is reality and that thinking’s job is to discover reality; never informing us that reality and thinking go together, one...
  49. M

    Schools High School Teachers-What's the Reality?

    I'm thinking of becoming a High School Teacher, perhaps in math or science. I've heard a lot of rumors about the job, but are there any High School Teachers who could tell me more about the nature of the job? What's the reality? Is the low pay hard to live on? Is it a very demanding job? Is...
  50. A

    Mathematica E=mc2:Mathematical Proof of the Reality of God

    <LINK DELETED> Will someone help me to answer these questions? Does energy contain intelligence? I was reading <LINK REFERENCE DELETED> an experiment based off an 1803 experiment done by Thomas Young... that suggests that atoms are able to do rudimentary thinking... If energy...
Back
Top