Studies show that most Americans reject facts when

[oldhippie]

50. This subthread illustrates a big part of the problem - what's a fact?

Facts are different things to different people. You certainly won't get agreement as to the definition of a "fact" here on DU.

To me a fact is either something that I can verify with my own senses (like gravity causing a dropped book to fall on my toe) or something told to me by someone I trust. And that is the big problem. Different people will trust different sources. I might trust Neil DeGrasse Tyson when he tells me something about the Cosmos as a fact. I might trust Anderson Cooper telling me something is a fact. I won't trust Rush Limbaugh or Ann Coulter telling me something is a fact.

Take, for example, man caused global climate change. Many people claim that it is a "fact". Why? Because a number of scientists and others that they trust have agreed so. But not everyone. Who do you trust? The majority consensus? Well, it turns out that if you go back in history you can find many examples of where the consensus opinion of something was, in fact, not a "fact". But it may have been the consensus of opinion of the clergy, which were the *trusted* sources of the time. I have no problem *believing* (another problematic word) in global climate change, as I believe the climate is always changing. It has to. But man caused? WEll, maybe, maybe not. Some say yes, some say no. And I don't know which group to trust as I feel each has an agenda or a desired outcome. So I cannot find a "fact" there yet. Maybe someday I'll find a reason to trust one side or the other.

I am very selective and skeptical as to my acceptance of "facts". Way too many here confuse fact, belief, and opinion. Be careful out there.