Elephant Pilots Plane Across the Atlantic

What would you say if I told you the above headline was a fact?  If you doubt my fact for one second, you may not fully understand the definition of a fact. In fact, most people don't fully understand the definition of a fact.

If you check the dictionary you may get an idea of what I mean. Random House Websters College Dictionary says a fact is, "Something said to be true or supposed to have happened."

A fact doesn't have to be true. Anyone can dispute your facts. However, in order to be a fact, it must be a statement that can be proven or disproved.  It should be  easy to prove or disprove the title of this page.  That makes it a fact. Certainly it is a disputed fact, but a fact never-the-less.

How about the following statement? Vanilla ice cream is better tasting than chocolate.

This isn't a fact, because there is no way to prove or disprove it. This is an opinion.  The difference between a fact and an opinion is the ability to prove or disprove the statement.

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