Regarding the illusion of confidence

I see you edited your quote in Message 1. Do you mean this Paul Sutter?A better way to use quotes is:type [quote]quotes are easy[/quote] and it becomes:

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quotes are easy

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You can also provide links to your source by using [url=http://www.http source](Paul Sutter)[/quote] and it becomes: (Paul Sutter)So here you could have done:

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(Paul Sutter)

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... our models and theories are representations and approximations of reality as we perceive it. That is not truth. The biggest giveaway is that scientific theories change with time. As we acquire new information or new data we have to update all of our beliefs. So how can it be the absolute truth if it is subject to change at a moment's notice"

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Also, the preferred link for your source would have the quote and where it came from so we can ensure it is a valid quote in both content and context.Now I note that "at a moments notice" is superfluous -- if it is absolute truth it is not subject to change, by definition.What we have in science, as others have said, is not "truth" but tentative conclusions, conclusions that are our best known approximations of truth to date. Being approximations they are subject to refinement or replacement by a better approximation. And I would add, supported by evidence and properly referenced material/articles/etc. We await. Take your time. One big question though: are you willing to learn? Or do you think you come here to teach? Not correct. If I measure it and say it is an inch give or take 1/16" as all those measurements show, then that is the most correct answer. The fact that those measurements can vary within those margins does not mean it is false and the answer is really 1 meter. This is what is meant by tentative conclusions and approximations of reality.Enjoyps -- you can add the Paul Sutter quote to your signature if you want. Just go to {your CP}.Edited by RAZD, : added last.Edited by RAZD, : .Edited by RAZD, : ..

You want to play definitions?You were talking about "absolute truth" before. Don't equivocate between truth and absolute truth. Truth is a word that has layers of connotations.

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Truth is most often used to mean being in accord with fact or reality, or fidelity to an original or standard.[1] Truth is also sometimes defined in modern contexts as an idea of "truth to self", or authenticity.

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Truth is usually held to be opposite to falsehood, which, correspondingly, can also suggest a logical, factual, or ethical meaning. The concept of truth is discussed and debated in several contexts, including philosophy, art, theology, and science. Most human activities depend upon the concept, where its nature as a concept is assumed rather than being a subject of discussion; these include most of the sciences, law, journalism, and everyday life. Some philosophers view the concept of truth as basic, and unable to be explained in any terms that are more easily understood than the concept of truth itself. To some, truth is viewed as the correspondence of language or thought to an independent reality, in what is sometimes called the correspondence theory of truth.

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Various theories and views of truth continue to be debated among scholars, philosophers, and theologians.[2] Language is a means by which humans convey information to one another. The method used to determine whether something is a truth is termed a criterion of truth. There are varying stances on such questions as what constitutes truth: what things are truthbearers capable of being true or false; how to define, identify, and distinguish truth; what roles do faith and empirical knowledge play; and whether truth can be subjective or if it is objective (in other words, relative truth versus absolute truth).

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Italics and underline added for emphasis.Scientists generally stay away from using "truth" because it is murky and because science is tentative and approximate rather than absolute. That is why "acceptance" is generally used instead. For instance:The theory of evolution is generally accepted as the best explanation for the diversity of life as we know it on earth. ... whether it is or isn't actually true ...One of several definitions given by merriam-webster:

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Definition of belief

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1 : a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing
// her belief in God
// a belief in democracy
// I bought the table in the belief that it was an antique.
// contrary to popular belief
2 : something that is accepted, considered to be true, or held as an opinion : something believed
// an individual's religious or political beliefs
especially : a tenet or body of tenets held by a group
// the beliefs of the Catholic Church
3 : conviction of the truth of some statement or the reality of some being or phenomenon especially when based on examination of evidence
// belief in the validity of scientific statements

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Note that only the last one mentions evidence, and that the last line would be better rendered as
// acceptance of the validity of scientific statements (when based on examination of evidence) Again, only part of what the link says:

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Definition of fact

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1a : something that has actual existence
  // space exploration is now a fact
  b : an actual occurrence
  // prove the fact of damage
2 : a piece of information presented as having objective reality
  // These are the hard facts of the case.
3 : the quality of being actual : actuality
  // a question of fact hinges on evidence
4 : a thing done: such as
  a : crime
  // accessory after the fact
  b archaic : action
  c obsolete : feat
5 archaic : performance, doing

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Note -- it does NOT say "proved to be true"A fact is something that exists in reality. It is objective and empirical - it can be studied by anyone. Theories are developed to explain facts. The better they explain the facts, and the more facts they explain, the closer they are to approximating reality.EnjoyEdited by RAZD, : theory