What is Reality: Definition and 432 Discussions

Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, reality is the totality of a system, known and unknown. Philosophical questions about the nature of reality or existence or being are considered under the rubric of ontology, which is a major branch of metaphysics in the Western philosophical tradition. Ontological questions also feature in diverse branches of philosophy, including the philosophy of science, philosophy of religion, philosophy of mathematics, and philosophical logic. These include questions about whether only physical objects are real (i.e., Physicalism), whether reality is fundamentally immaterial (e.g., Idealism), whether hypothetical unobservable entities posited by scientific theories exist, whether God exists, whether numbers and other abstract objects exist, and whether possible worlds exist.

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  1. R

    Exploring the Possibility of Reality as a Union of Real and Imaginary Numbers

    I would like to start a thread to get feedback on this statement: Reality is an Unknown Thing. True or False and why please.
  2. I

    On Hume, Simultineity, the Fractal Nature of Reality in Time and Inductivism

    This came to me in the middle of the night. Literally. I got up and wrote it down at 4:09am. Having lain awake in bed pondering it for at-least an hour. I clearly need to get out more. Scientific belief is a funny thing... Inductivism hasn't had it easy in the last century or two. While...
  3. S

    Coffee Making Me Sick? A Bitter Reality

    I have never heard of this happening to anyone before but everytime i drink coffee lately i have been getting extremely sick. WHAT KIND OF SICK JOKE IS THIS! I love coffee and now I can't drink it...evilness! :grumpy This is going to put me in a bad mood for awhile...good thing i like tea...so...
  4. E

    Is the soulmate concept reality or myth?

    reality or myth? what traits make someone a soulmate? do you have one? i dont! and i even don't know what's that!:cool:
  5. 0TheSwerve0

    Is Your Dating Life in Need of a Reality Check?

    Funny and possibly on to something http://personals.yahoo.com/us/static/dating-advice_reality-check" for guys in their 20's.
  6. humanino

    Debating Geometry Reality: Unreasonable Effectiveness & Beyond

    I was just having this very old, neverending debate. I would like to have your opinion about this. It all started with geometry, but I think the argument extends to mathematics altogether. According to my friend, mathematics first come from experiment and thus belong to the category of...
  7. A

    The Road to Reality by Roger Penrose: A Physics Book Review

    What kind of Physics book is The Road to Reality by Roger Penrose? What is your opinion about it?
  8. wolram

    Sad Reality: Rising Homelessness in America

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6056600/ This is horrible ,and i would have thought impossible, how could anyone get this way ?
  9. F

    Alternative Realities: Physics Project Help

    i have to do a project on alternative realities for my physics final. I've struggled all terma nd i don't fully understand and when searching google i keep getting results for a game. can someone please explain what an alternative reality i or some other ideas what to search for?
  10. P

    Are E and B Fields Only Significant When Measuring Light's Intensity?

    Does the physical significance of the E and B fields in classical electromagnetism only come into physical significance when you measure the light's intensity? Just like how the wave function of QM come into physical significance when you take the square of it and it becomes the probability...
  11. T

    Personal Fable: The Illusion of Greatness in Science

    "personal fable" and reality there comes a point in life where one begins to think about life in a very serious way... and this is exactly what is happening in my mind. I have always wanted to do something great in my life. Amazed by many concepts and ingenuity in physics... I've decided...
  12. E

    Is Reality Real? Uncovering the Mystery

    First may I say to all, HAPPY holidays! ok, This may seem kinda whacky, but so often I almost feel as though I (or we) create our own daily reality show, and by our own minds, we decide how to fill in the blanks based on what is familiar in our own individual choices we choose to add to what to...
  13. A

    What about the nature of reality?

    How is the status of the "nature of reality" in philosophy? What are the most recent works and what is the modern view about it? Who are the most active researchers in the area and what are the best journals? I would like some indications about references (books, papers and online material)...
  14. L

    Dream reality and waking reality, no difference?

    Is there any difference? I guess i should say why I'm interested in this question. I've often had what is called 'lucid dreams' in which i realize I'm dreaming while I'm dreaming... it doesn't happen often, but I've defeinetely experienced it. For example, in the middle of a dream, i'll...
  15. Loren Booda

    Turing machine applied to virtual reality

    How can one readily determine that the reality one experiences is real, not virtual - perhaps through Turing machine logic?
  16. J

    Relativity and Lorentz Symmetry: What is the Relationship to Reality?

    [Mentor's note: This thread was extracted from another thread, SR transforms of matter/light interactions at the request of some of the participants because it drifts significantly from the original topic of that thread. You may want to edit some of your postings to reflect the changed context.]...
  17. S

    What is your take on random vs deterministic reality

    Do you think that 'deterministic' properties we observe in universe are subset/emergent from 'random/chaotic' reality or that 'random/chaotic' behavior is a subset of purely 'deterministic' reality? What is the strongest proof you would present to support what you belief?
  18. G

    Is reality single-player or multi-player?

    This is a question that I've always asked myself and it's an area where I"m a bit confused about in all the quantum theories (well the philosophical ones). I guess it's also my lack of understanding the many worlds interpertation as well. Anyways it all spawned from thinking about the...
  19. D

    How many dimensions compose reality?

    I have heard as many as eleven. But I vote for 4 and only 4. What is the evidence for more than 4? Or logic?
  20. M

    Special Relativity Between Reality and Illusion

    Hi, Q1: Do the effects of time dilation and length contration really happen, or they seem to happen to us being in different inertial frame, because our means of observation ( say, by looking by means of coming relativistic beams of light) draw this illusion on us and show us something...
  21. R

    Does Reality Exist Beyond Our Perceptions?

    Is reality created in the mind or is there an objective reality outside of the mind? It almost seems like an absurd question and most people would say the latter but some philosophers are skeptical. If you have a candy bar in front of you, you assume that it exist because you can see it. The...
  22. C

    What are the constraints for definitions in The Foundations of Reality?

    The purpose of this thread is to explore Dr. Richard Stafford's paper 'The Foundations of Reality' in order that I (and anyone else who wants to try) can come to some understanding of it. I'll quote from some introductory essays written by the author and also by Paul Martin, who has spent some...
  23. C

    Man-Made Diamonds a reality now.

    Greetings, I came across a company that is using Russian cold war technology to sythesize diamonds in their factory. The machines they bought from the Russians look like 5ft. high, 3 feet diameter metal cylinders. They approximate the temperature and pressure that the Earth uses to create...
  24. H

    The Road To Reality - Roger Penrose

    I was wondering if anyone had read this book and if it was a good book to read if you are not familiar with physics. I looked at the book at a bookstore and it seemed lengthy and filled with formulae. However the preface painted a very different picture so I was just wondering what other thought...
  25. ZapperZ

    UV LEDs could be a reality soon

    http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/10/5/10/1 Zz.
  26. wolram

    The Reality of Terminal Ballistics: Is it Really Like the Movies?

    I all ways thought films dramatized the act of some one being shot, like they fly backwards or jump in the air, but according to this it is true. http://www.bobtuley.com/terminal.htm
  27. V

    Is Relativity an Illusion or Reality?

    The fundamental mistake in SR is making a direct comparison between the movement of objects and the movement of light. If we take into consideration the fact that the light simply can not have a zero speed, these are different. Maybe there is a more profound explanation of why this...
  28. B

    A View of Reality: Exploring Time, Perspective, and Meaning

    This is a compliation of various trains of thought that I've tried bringing together into a wholistic understanding of reality; There is a basic factor which has been overlooked in how we normally conceive of reality. Time has two directions. As point of reference, the observer goes from...
  29. S

    Reality at what speed and what energy level

    When one attempts to understand REALITY it seems it eventually ends up connected to quantum mechanics. I do not think this is should be a factor when we are taking about a quark-based reality that exists at the temperatures, speeds and pressures found in the Earth's biosphere where life exists...
  30. T

    Medical Making the Consciousness Singularity a Reality

    Ok, enough wishy-washy fluffy talk of the Consciousness Singularity, how do we do this thing? I want details. No crystalline, chakra, or third-eye nonsense. Just suggestions rooted in hard facts. Here are some concrete ideas for bringing about the Consciousness Singularity: FIRST STEP...
  31. M

    What are the top 3 reality TV shows that people are watching right now?

    Most of us watch them, although only some will admit to it, lol. What is everybody's top 3 reality shows right now?
  32. B

    View of Reality: A Wholistic Understanding of Time, Energy & Existence

    This is a compliation of various trains of thought that I've tried bringing together into a wholistic understanding of reality; There is a basic factor which has been overlooked in how we normally conceive of reality. Time has two directions. As point of reference, the observer goes from...
  33. D

    Abstract & Reality: A Question of Balance

    Taking a different spin on an old question I ask, is there color if no person is around to see the light? What I mean is that concepts we humans use are often taken for granted. A table is a table, no matter if it is used or not. However, the idea of a table is separate from the materiel...
  34. J

    Exploring the Strange Reality of Bosons

    Do we know for certain that bosons exist? Do we have experimental evidence that bosons exist? How in the world can bosons be real and yet not obey the pauli exclusion principle? Does the fact that bosons do not obey the pauli exclusion principle mean that it is impossible to tell one...
  35. B

    Break my addiction to Leaving Reality

    break my addiction to "Leaving Reality" I managed to break my addiction to "Leaving Reality"; Reading too much, playing Video Games too much, and watching too many movies(not TV, TV sucked anyway). That addiction most likely prevented me from being able to skip grades early on in my life...
  36. R

    Proving Existence Beyond Descartes' "Cogito ergo sum

    I start in the beginning with Descartes' Cognito ergo sum. I think; therefore, I am. This, I think, is indisputable and proves that I exist, but where can I go from here using reason alone? I acquire verifiable knowledge that I previously did not know and had no way of knowing from sources...
  37. P

    How to determine the reality of mystical experiences?

    Here is a video about mystical experiences(near death experiences, meditation experiences, religious experiences, epilepsy, etc.) their relation with the brain and reality: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9122930135704146433 Plz watch it all, but if u can't be bothered, then fast...
  38. A

    Exploring Reality: Is Existence Just an Illusion?

    The question of reality, existence and philosophy in general is (as most of us would agree on, I assume) based on human brain activity. We think with our brains, we process EVERY INPUT of information from this "existence" or "reality" or whatever you want to call it with our brains and generate...
  39. Y

    Is the Changing Clock Rate in Relativity Directionally Dependent?

    Einstein asserts in his 1905 paper that if two separated clocks at rest in the same frame are synchronized, and one is put in motion at a constant velocity v, it will be out of sync upon arrival at the second clock. No turn around is involved - so since the amount of time difference depends...
  40. S

    Objective Reality: Exploring Your Viewpoints

    your views on it?
  41. S

    News Exploring Reality: Examining Complexity Beyond Idealism

    Hey Merc. Can you further explain exactly what you mean by that?
  42. T

    Is Boeing's Anti-Gravity Propulsion Project More Than Science Fiction?

    BBC NEWS: Boeing tries to defy gravity "The project is being run by the top-secret Phantom Works in Seattle, the part of the company which handles Boeing's most sensitive programmes." I think this article is a cover story/ program. They may already have anti-gravity figured out and of...
  43. S

    Exploring the Reality of Weather Warfare

    Hi, does anyone know whether weather warfare is just plain conspiritorial theory or covert fact. Genuinely interested in finding out more.
  44. B

    Getting a TEP Professorship: What's the Reality?

    How hard is it to get a job as a professor in theoretical high-energy physics? Now? Next 5 years? 10? ------ The few professors and fellow students I've talked to over the past six months saw it as a challenge because (1) there are (and probably will be for some time -- comments?) so few...
  45. J

    Curvature of light and its effect on reality

    Today my teacher mentioned a past article in scientific american that dealt with the modification of reality due to relativity. According to her (and i am not sure this is true) light can be perceived in different places according to the position of different people. For instance, if i am...
  46. Pengwuino

    Virtual reality games in how long?

    Does anyone think they know how long until we have great virtual reality video games? Something where you can somehow experience the game fully and practically "be there" busting down a door or shooting up a buncha mafia gang people... Something where you can literally feel the game. I...
  47. A

    Question on observer created reality

    Before I begin I feel that I should state that I have only a passing amount of knowledge on the subject so if I've got something wrong let me know. My current understanding of QM is that certain atomic attributes are created through observation of these attributes. This seems to suggest that...
  48. Les Sleeth

    Magical Ways You Make Reality Conform to Your Wishes

    When there is no practical way to make something happen you need/want to happen, what magical tricks have you learned to get reality to cooperate? One of my favorite ways to trick reality is when I want someone to call me, I go use the bathroom. For this trick to work, you absolutely must...
  49. E

    Metaphysics a reality or a misconception?

    I have many questions about the metaphysical... someone told me the "mind" is metaphysical... as in it does not exist in the ""physical world"... I do not understand their definition of metaphysical.. I mean.. does the metaphysical not bind to physical rules? Does the mind not lie in the...
  50. P

    Free-Will or Reality: Philosophical Debate

    Firstly, my apolgies if I've got this post in the wrong section, i trust the Mods will move it the right place if i have. Secondly, this is not a religious argument, merely where scientific reasoning & my own personal experiences have led me, I'd like rebuttals, opinions & thoughts to help...
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