By TERRY GOLDMAN
Los Alamos

John Bartlit has done his usual superb work in his column regarding the history of checking facts (link). I applaud his implicit assumption that there are facts that can be checked for veracity.

No ‘alternative’ facts need apply. And as he says, “History shows the surprising rigor necessary to get facts close to right.”

There is an aphorism in this regard that I am particularly fond of: Science is the only known way to ask God a question and have a very good idea of how close you have gotten to understanding the answer correctly.

Unfortunately, not all questions are encompassed by science.