this post was submitted on 06 Jun 2026
241 points (96.9% liked)
Science Memes
20383 readers
2415 users here now
Welcome to c/science_memes @ Mander.xyz!
A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.

Rules
- Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
- Keep it rooted (on topic).
- No spam.
- Infographics welcome, get schooled.
This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.
Research Committee
Other Mander Communities
Science and Research
Biology and Life Sciences
- !abiogenesis@mander.xyz
- !animal-behavior@mander.xyz
- !anthropology@mander.xyz
- !arachnology@mander.xyz
- !balconygardening@slrpnk.net
- !biodiversity@mander.xyz
- !biology@mander.xyz
- !biophysics@mander.xyz
- !botany@mander.xyz
- !ecology@mander.xyz
- !entomology@mander.xyz
- !fermentation@mander.xyz
- !herpetology@mander.xyz
- !houseplants@mander.xyz
- !medicine@mander.xyz
- !microscopy@mander.xyz
- !mycology@mander.xyz
- !nudibranchs@mander.xyz
- !nutrition@mander.xyz
- !palaeoecology@mander.xyz
- !palaeontology@mander.xyz
- !photosynthesis@mander.xyz
- !plantid@mander.xyz
- !plants@mander.xyz
- !reptiles and amphibians@mander.xyz
Physical Sciences
- !astronomy@mander.xyz
- !chemistry@mander.xyz
- !earthscience@mander.xyz
- !geography@mander.xyz
- !geospatial@mander.xyz
- !nuclear@mander.xyz
- !physics@mander.xyz
- !quantum-computing@mander.xyz
- !spectroscopy@mander.xyz
Humanities and Social Sciences
Practical and Applied Sciences
- !exercise-and sports-science@mander.xyz
- !gardening@mander.xyz
- !self sufficiency@mander.xyz
- !soilscience@slrpnk.net
- !terrariums@mander.xyz
- !timelapse@mander.xyz
Memes
Miscellaneous
founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
It's rather curious how those people who claim truth is subjective never do it for gravity, jumping off a high building while claiming "gravity is false for me". Because guess what, odds are they know it's bullshit.
You might have to goad them a bit with "it's only a theory"
I doubt you've come across someone who claims that all truth is subjective all the time in all scenarios.
The example you give isn't an example of subjective truth, it's an example of wilful/conscious control of reality, which isn't the same thing.
I also doubt you've met anyone that claims truth is subjective to their will at any time they choose.
It's entirely possible, but unlikely.
Someone on earth vs someone on the ISS have different gravitational experiences for instance.
I wish I could say I've never came across this sort of muppet. But… *sigh*
Wilful control of reality in this case requires truth to be subjective; and conversely, if truth is subjective you can control reality. You're right they aren't the same thing, but they're clearly tied.
The experience is different because the person in the ISS is simply not close enough to Earth to be subjected to Earth's gravity, in any practical amount. But that doesn't mean gravity stopped existing for them.
It sounds like someone still hasn't played KSP! Play it! It's great. You'll learn a lot, and you'll have fun doing it.
Stuff doesn't stay in orbit because there isn't gravity. It stays there because it's moving sideways while it's falling down, so it doesn't hit the thing it's orbiting. Without gravity it'd be able to just sit in space wherever it wants. Rockets mostly don't go up, they go sideways. There wouldn't be a geosyncronus orbit as all orbits would allow you to just sit above any location you want. A geosyncronus orbit is one that the amount it has to move sideways is, in degrees from the center of earth, the same amount the earth rotates.
Ooh, time for science pedantry! The ISS is plenty close enough to Earth to experience almost the same gravity from the planet as on its surface, which is why it has to be orbiting at such speed - falling sideways fast enough and at the right angle so as not to come crashing down!
Yeah...
Not really....to any of that.
There's no reason gravity control requires a subjective truth.
An unusual level of reality control could exist within an objectively truth based system. It would just have to adhere to the constraints.
Perhaps you mean omnipotence? I'm not sure on that one either, but definitionally it usually implies complete control, im not sure if that's within a fixed system or not.
Reality control and subjectivity can be tied if an example ties them somehow, but it's not a given.
Yep, that's why I went with gravitational experience instead of one having gravity and the other not.
In this case, it does.
Let me put it this way: is the statement "there's a phenomenon called «gravity», experienced by all massive bodies, that accelerates them in relation to other massive bodies" epistemically true?
If truth was subjective, the answer would be "true" or "false" depending on the subject. For those whom the answer is "false", this means they would not experience the phenomenon, even in situations other subjects would; e.g. near Earth. That implies they'd have at least some control over experiencing gravity, because they could simply say "it's now true for me" and fall, or "it's now false for me" and stop falling.
Scientifically, maybe? Because that's what the scientific method is, best approximations given the knowledge we currently have.
But let's assume yes for the purposes of this reply.
And context.
Same subject different circumstances, different gravitational forces.
That's a binary interpretation of a non-binary system.
But again, for the purposes of this reply, sure.
There's a big assumption there that this is a binary.
Gravity control, doesn't have to be binary.
It doesn't even have to be direct, they could achieve the same effect by increasing or decreasing mass.
But let's say it's magic, direct control.
In an objective system where gravity exists it would conceptually be possible to control the level of gravity acting upon yourself without turning it on or off.
In a subjective system where gravity could exist or not depending on subject and context, the same is true.
Which brings me back to:
Emphasis mine.
Truth
Subjectively?
Speculative and Technical
Personally, I don’t believe in football.
In Einstein's general relativity, different observers can disagree about the order of timed events, so long as their individual stories don't violate causality. This is broadly known as the Relativity of Simultaneity.
Sure, if you're traveling near the speed of light. For everyone on Earth, no one has ever experienced this (beyond a micro level that doesn't matter and no one is discussing).
If you jump out of a bridge, you will still break your face on the ground for every reference frame outside of a black hole.
I believe that's true, yes. Your point?
[Warning: bar philosophy. Might include ramblings, booze, chain smoking, and fried snacks.]
And yet, gravity is still there.
Even if simultaneity is relative, the phenomenon is still there, you know? You can claim something fell before or after another event, but you can't really claim it didn't fall. And you can't claim two simultaneous events stopped being simultaneous if they're stationary for you, so it's less of a "truth is relative to ME! ME! ME!" and more of a "truth is relative to that speed". It's still an objective matter, not a subjective one.
Individual control of truth is a superpower. It definitely violates causality, it also isn't what those people really mean by "truth is subjective"
This, I think, is an argument that exists in your head only. An excellent example of relativity, if I'm being honest.
I don't understand why subjectivity makes people so uncomfortable. Like, people would fight each other over the objectively correct temperature for the AC of their building if you let them—I just, I don't get it.
This is blatantly false. The argument exists in the comment I wrote. If it existed only "inside my head", you wouldn't access it. Because nobody knows what's "inside someone else's head", nor we (people in general) should lie = assume = bullshit otherwise.
Also false. While I believe my argument is correct, there's also the chance it's incorrect. If it is correct, my belief is true. But if it is incorrect, it won't magically become "true for ME! ME! ME!"; I'd be simply holding a false belief. But either way, that depends on the argument itself, not on the fact I'm the one voicing it or analysing it or whatever. The subject here (me) still doesn't fucking matter. And that's bloody common sense.
Okay… first off, let me address the most pressing matter: in no moment you showed that this "truth is subjective" babble would be even remotely true.
Secondly. You're making a bloody mess of "relativity" and "subjectivity", as if both were synonymous. Get shit right dammit — subjectivity is a specific type of relativity regarding the subject. Showing time is relative to speed does jack shit to prove things would be relative to the subject, i.e. "gravity is false for me lol I'm jumping from the building!".
Thirdly. Why are you bullshitting = assuming = lying about what I'm comfortable or not with? You have no way to know it, don't lie you do. I'm not uncomfortable with subjectivity. I simply consider it such inane bullshit, that I'm outright mocking it. Just like I'd mock flat Earth, souls, zodiacal signs, aliens visiting Earth on weekends, et cetera.
Finally, drop off the Reddit style sealion: "I dun unrrurstand" followed by bullshit? Seriously, keep this shit in Reddit.
Gotta love assumptions…
Not wasting my time further with you.
*see Gricean maxims, specially the one of relevance.
With this attitude, I just don't feel like you'd be living up to Einstein's manner of thinking. Just too rigid.
Uh. Subjectively, I think it's true.
I really don't think you even understand what I was trying to say with all that.
Who is saying this?
I wonder if belief has anything to do with reality. Hmm.
Eh, probably the universe is a cold, dead clockwork of matter that spontaneously and randomly fell into place with only the barest of coincidences we can try to grasp as objective truths with which to define our sensationally complex environment.
Although . . . it is just as possible that matter arises from something more fundamental to something like a universal order, such as consciousness.
I dunno though, they never told me.
This, but unironically.
Spoilers: we're riding some weird rock in the middle of the empty space.