Lessons learned from coin collecting

Hmmm...can you give an example of a fact? Generally, a fact is nothing more than a widely held opinion based on some empirical evidence...like "Global Warming".

 

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I get what he is trying to say but maybe just saying it wrong,
A fact is something that can be shown with proof like Christopher Columbus landed in North America in 1492.
An opinion is a collection of thoughts that my be true but not able to be backed by proof.
I think that is what he was trying to say. Either way, there are times were you cant have facts and have to go off opinions only. Most of the time, you learn more by peoples opinions than there facts IMO. lol

 

fact... the roman empire no longer exists. fact... george washington is dead. are those opinions based on empirical evidence?

 

Then why can't Rush and Barack agree? Both have laid out the facts...Are they both right?

 

That's an easy one. Rush is most always wrong. A political hack. A republican shill.

 

no, he's his own party... the insane party!

 

Thank you Sir. Yes a fact is something that is not disputable. Provable. Water freezes at 32 degrees farenheit. Fact.
Steel/concrete structures cannot fall to the ground as fast as similarly weighted objects in freefall with zero resistance. Fact.
Your heart stops beating..you die. Fact.
Cotton feels better than silk. Opinion.
Coins should never be cleaned because they will always be damaged by the inexperienced. Opinion.
Money is the key to success. Opinion.

I love opinions. They convey knowledge. That's a good thing.
I hate opinions substituted in place of facts. They are destructive at worst, and misleading at best. Those aren't good things.

 

See that one could go into opinion. Many think we, America, are modern day Rome, and it's burning now. But I digress.

Proof of George Washington being dead represents facts via summation. Washington, (accepting that he existed when history says he did) cannot possibly be alive now because humans cannot live that long. Therefore he HAS to be dead. I don't need to see the body to prove it.

 

Well, you certainly picked a few examples with a great deal of empirical evidence and commonly held views. However, you have to define "exist" and "dead". The effects of both are certainly felt today...just look at a dollar bill.

Has George Washington's heart stopped beating...my guess is "yes" (because I have no personal evidence to the contrary). Is his "essence" dead (his impact on those who are still living), I would say "no".

Other facts, such as "the sky is blue" or the "world is round" are more easily questioned.

 

to debunk your statement, it's been above freezing here in cincinnati for weeks, yet there is still snow on the ground. guess it doesn't unfreeze above 32. (and i mean 60 degrees for 2 weeks)

i know a person, whose heart stopped for 30 minutes, yet is still alive today.

i like how you refer to america as "modern day rome"... gotta try and argue against you somehow.

 

This thread has turned into a real philosophical debate now hasnt it. LOL
In my opinion

 

The ground is still cold. The air is above freezing. Anyway. Water cannot turn frome a liquid state to a solid state, aka, freezing, until at least 32 degrees is first achieved. Fact.

If your heart stops PERMANENTLY, you'll die. Fact.

 

exist = "1. to have actual being; be real. 2. to have life; live. 3. to occur."

dead = "1. no longer alive. 2. lacking feeling; unresponsive. 3. inanimate. 4. lifeless. 5. not running or working."

does george washington fit word 1 or 2?

 

you left out permanently the first time. ok, now i'm being a smart donkey!

 

Yes you are and I did. Touche'.

 

all in good fun, right?

touché on water and 32. i have NO comeback to that one. :thumb:

 

All in good fun.

That's why I like facts. Inarguable. Opinions never end and everybody has an end. People get mad when their opinions aren't accepted as fact. On the other hand, facts always trump opinions. I like facts.

 

How did we stray from the original thread?

 

because we're bored on a friday night. wait, is that an opinion or fact?

 

That tends to happen a lot around here. I think we all like to hear ourselves talk. (or type in this case)
I know i catch myself getting off subject all the time. That is what makes this forum fun. You learn a lot and there is always something going on