RSS Daily tech news
  • Scientists confirm one-dimensional electron behavior in phosphorus chains
    For the first time, researchers have shown that self-assembled phosphorus chains can host genuinely one-dimensional electron behavior. Using advanced imaging and spectroscopy techniques, they separated the signals from chains aligned in different directions to reveal their true nature. The findings suggest that squeezing the chains closer together could trigger a dramatic shift from semiconductor to […]
  • A tiny light trap could unlock million qubit quantum computers
    A new light-based breakthrough could help quantum computers finally scale up. Stanford researchers created miniature optical cavities that efficiently collect light from individual atoms, allowing many qubits to be read at once. The team has already demonstrated working arrays with dozens and even hundreds of cavities. The approach could eventually support massive quantum networks with […]
  • A strange in-between state of matter is finally observed
    When materials become just one atom thick, melting no longer follows the familiar rules. Instead of jumping straight from solid to liquid, an unusual in-between state emerges, where atomic positions loosen like a liquid but still keep some solid-like order. Scientists at the University of Vienna have now captured this elusive “hexatic” phase in real […]
  • New catalyst makes plastic upcycling 10x more efficient than platinum
    Scientists are finding new ways to replace expensive, scarce platinum catalysts with something far more abundant: tungsten carbide. By carefully controlling how tungsten carbide’s atoms are arranged at extremely high temperatures, researchers discovered a specific form that can rival platinum in key chemical reactions, including turning carbon dioxide into useful fuels and chemicals. Even more […]
  • Engineers just created a “phonon laser” that could shrink your next smartphone
    Engineers have created a device that generates incredibly tiny, earthquake-like vibrations on a microchip—and it could transform future electronics. Using a new kind of “phonon laser,” the team can produce ultra-fast surface waves that already play a hidden role in smartphones, GPS systems, and wireless tech. Unlike today’s bulky setups, this single-chip device could deliver […]
  • An old jeweler’s trick could change nuclear timekeeping
    A team of physicists has discovered a surprisingly simple way to build nuclear clocks using tiny amounts of rare thorium. By electroplating thorium onto steel, they achieved the same results as years of work with delicate crystals — but far more efficiently. These clocks could be vastly more precise than current atomic clocks and work […]

Common Knowledge

by Florius
Cartoon illustration of a boy and a girl reading books at a table with a globe behind them. Question marks and a light bulb float around them, representing curiosity and learning.

What is common knowledge?

Sometimes, you might feel that you are referencing too much, and that all those references are in fact just common knowledge. This might be true, but is a tricky topic. Because what is common for you, might be the opposite for someone else.

Here is what the MIT Handbook of Academic Integrity  says about the topic:

“Broadly speaking, common knowledge refers to information that the average, educated reader would accept as reliable without having to look it up. This includes:

  • Information that most people know, such as that water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit or that Barack Obama was the first American of mixed race to be elected president.
  • Information shared by a cultural or national group, such as the names of famous heroes or events in the nation’s history that are remembered and celebrated.
  • Knowledge shared by members of a certain field, such as the fact that the necessary condition for diffraction of radiation of wavelength from a crystalline solid is given by Bragg’s law.
  • However, what may be common knowledge in one culture, nation, academic discipline or peer group may not be common knowledge in another.
Florius

Hi, welcome to my website. I am writing about my previous studies, work & research related topics and other interests. I hope you enjoy reading it and that you learned something new.

More Posts

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.