What is a Fact?

One sticking point I reach in certain discussions on this site is trying to pin down exactly what constitutes a fact in science. Let’s try a simple one as a test case.

The temperature is 68° Fahrenheit.

Is this measurement a fact, or a conclusion based on a tall tower of theories? I’ll bet that you forebode where I’m going with this.

First, let’s get legal and precise: The air temperature in the shade in my garden at the location of my thermometer at precisely this moment (as defined by some reading at GMT-6 on the radio-synchronized clock on my wall) is 68°F (292.0K). We cannot conclude (absent other information) what the temperature is elsewhere in the neighborhood, or the rate and direction of the change of temperature from this single reading.

Next, considered as an experiment: The incident radiant heat from reflecting sources is minimal, estimated as an error of increase of less than 0.1°F. The relative humidity and breeze are constant enough to ensure that the thermometer is dry, therefore evaporative cooling can be ignored. The temperature is safely too high for quantum effects, yet far too low for relativistic effects to be measurable. The instrument is viewed at eye level normal to its plane at teh reading height, reducing parallax effects to negligible.

Next, how well is this thermometer calibrated? Um. Well, it has numbers and marks. But those indicate only about one degree of precision, without indicating any accuracy in particular. It is not a laboratory …

Share

Continue ReadingWhat is a Fact?

Palin: Obama is a Communist and he wants to steal your freedom

Palin argues that Obama is trying to steal your freedom by stealing your money. He's essentially a Communist, and he wants to give your money to someone else, like they do in some other countries where people aren't free. Or so the argument goes (Huffington Post interprets Palin's rant similarly).…

Continue ReadingPalin: Obama is a Communist and he wants to steal your freedom

Those “intelligent design” cheerleaders keep coming back

Steve Fuller, who supported the wrong side at the 2005 evolution trial in Dover, Pennsylvania, has now written a book making the entirely discredited argument that intelligent design is "science." Fuller's book ("Dissent over Descent") has been reviewed (actually, savaged) by philosopher Michael Ruse, whose review "A Challenge Standing On…

Continue ReadingThose “intelligent design” cheerleaders keep coming back

Pallin’ around with…huh?

I am not sure what is more troubling - Palin dodging this question, or doing it sitting right next to John McCain. Anyone else think they see the realization that his campaign is hurtling over the bridge to nowhere flash over his face?  Perhaps I am imagining things. This is…

Continue ReadingPallin’ around with…huh?

The Coming Four (Eight) Years

Maybe there's something wrong with me.  I am not enthused about the coming election.  I hope Obama wins, but only because I have had enough of the Republicans and their wistful, "wish it were 1952 again" attitudes, and the ideological leech they've been carrying around since 1980 that wants to…

Continue ReadingThe Coming Four (Eight) Years