The following discussion may seem esoteric, but I think it may be useful for many reefers. This first post is not intended to be a complete discussion, but a starting point for more discussion.
Since this is a science forum in a hobby filled with lots of facts and lots of opinions, I thought I'd initiate a discussion on what are facts, what are opinions, and how can one tell them apart, and why it matters.
First off, facts can be right, or wrong, or even shades of grey in between, or be unknown to any given person (maybe to all persons). So something being a fact does not make it correct.
For example, these are all facts:
1. I do not presently have a reef tank (a correct fact).
2. I never had a reef tank (an incorrect fact)
3. I want to get a reef tank (a fact whose accuracy is known only to me, not anyone else unless I have told them and not changed my mind since I told them)
4. I may get a reef tank in the future (a correct fact unless there is no possible scenario where I will get a reef tank, regardless of what I presently believe)
6. There are three reef tanks within 300 yards of where I was sitting when I wrote this (a fact that no one knows the accuracy of)
7. There is an alien on a planet 10,275 light years away from earth who keeps a reef tank of earth organisms (a fact of unknown accuracy, even if many believe they know the answer)
These are all opinions:
1. Reef tanks are fun to have.
2. Reef tanks are expensive to have.
3. Carpet anemones are hard to keep.
4. Green chromis do not do well in reef tanks.
5. Reef tanks are loud.
6. Salt mix A is the best for a reef tank.
How can one easily tell opinion from fact? It can be hard.
Why does it matter?
One reason is that facts are not generally decided by people. Facts just are. We may debate the accuracy of facts (for example, fact 7 above), but they are not decided by poll. Even if every person thinks a fact is right, that does not prevent it from being wrong. Fact 7 is either right, or wrong, no matter what anyone on earth believes about it.
Opinions, on the other hand, are inherently created by people thinking something, and are very susceptible to change. Many opinions could be facts if there was a metric involved, but without it, are dependent on the reader to use their own metrics, making it not a fact. For example:
"Reef tanks are loud"
has a value judgement (opinion) buried in it that makes it an opinion, while a related sentence
"The majority of reef tanks exceed 73 dB when measured 1 meter from the aquarium"
would be a fact (whether it is accurate or inaccurate)..
Looking at the opinions 1-6 above, it is clear that they have value judgements in them. That is often a hallmark of an opinion. If a different person has a different view of that value judgement, they will come to a different conclusion about whether it is accurate or not.
Unfortunately, many people ask questions without knowing whether they are asking for opinions or facts, and many people answer questions without regard to whether their answer is a fact or an opinion.
Q: How do I raise alkalinity?
A: Add baking soda.
That question is unclear whether the author is asking for the best way (an opinion), for all ways (facts) or something else. The answer too is unclear whether it is an opinion that the author thinks is best, a fact that the author believes is the only way, or something else.
Thus, my suggestion is for folks posing question to make it as clear as possible if they are looking for facts or opinions, and for folks answering questions to make it clear which the answer is.
Q: How should I raise alkalinity? (asking for opinions)
Q: How can I raise alkalinity? (asking for facts)
A: Adding baking soda is the best/easiest/cheapest way (opinion)
A: Adding baking soda is the only way (fact, but inaccurate)
A: Adding baking soda is one of many possible ways (accurate fact)
Thanks for reading and Happy reefing!
Since this is a science forum in a hobby filled with lots of facts and lots of opinions, I thought I'd initiate a discussion on what are facts, what are opinions, and how can one tell them apart, and why it matters.
First off, facts can be right, or wrong, or even shades of grey in between, or be unknown to any given person (maybe to all persons). So something being a fact does not make it correct.
For example, these are all facts:
1. I do not presently have a reef tank (a correct fact).
2. I never had a reef tank (an incorrect fact)
3. I want to get a reef tank (a fact whose accuracy is known only to me, not anyone else unless I have told them and not changed my mind since I told them)
4. I may get a reef tank in the future (a correct fact unless there is no possible scenario where I will get a reef tank, regardless of what I presently believe)
6. There are three reef tanks within 300 yards of where I was sitting when I wrote this (a fact that no one knows the accuracy of)
7. There is an alien on a planet 10,275 light years away from earth who keeps a reef tank of earth organisms (a fact of unknown accuracy, even if many believe they know the answer)
These are all opinions:
1. Reef tanks are fun to have.
2. Reef tanks are expensive to have.
3. Carpet anemones are hard to keep.
4. Green chromis do not do well in reef tanks.
5. Reef tanks are loud.
6. Salt mix A is the best for a reef tank.
How can one easily tell opinion from fact? It can be hard.
Why does it matter?
One reason is that facts are not generally decided by people. Facts just are. We may debate the accuracy of facts (for example, fact 7 above), but they are not decided by poll. Even if every person thinks a fact is right, that does not prevent it from being wrong. Fact 7 is either right, or wrong, no matter what anyone on earth believes about it.
Opinions, on the other hand, are inherently created by people thinking something, and are very susceptible to change. Many opinions could be facts if there was a metric involved, but without it, are dependent on the reader to use their own metrics, making it not a fact. For example:
"Reef tanks are loud"
has a value judgement (opinion) buried in it that makes it an opinion, while a related sentence
"The majority of reef tanks exceed 73 dB when measured 1 meter from the aquarium"
would be a fact (whether it is accurate or inaccurate)..
Looking at the opinions 1-6 above, it is clear that they have value judgements in them. That is often a hallmark of an opinion. If a different person has a different view of that value judgement, they will come to a different conclusion about whether it is accurate or not.
Unfortunately, many people ask questions without knowing whether they are asking for opinions or facts, and many people answer questions without regard to whether their answer is a fact or an opinion.
Q: How do I raise alkalinity?
A: Add baking soda.
That question is unclear whether the author is asking for the best way (an opinion), for all ways (facts) or something else. The answer too is unclear whether it is an opinion that the author thinks is best, a fact that the author believes is the only way, or something else.
Thus, my suggestion is for folks posing question to make it as clear as possible if they are looking for facts or opinions, and for folks answering questions to make it clear which the answer is.
Q: How should I raise alkalinity? (asking for opinions)
Q: How can I raise alkalinity? (asking for facts)
A: Adding baking soda is the best/easiest/cheapest way (opinion)
A: Adding baking soda is the only way (fact, but inaccurate)
A: Adding baking soda is one of many possible ways (accurate fact)
Thanks for reading and Happy reefing!
