What propels me is a misstatement that I have seen in print more frequently than I can tolerate. And now I must speak up about it. No doubt you have seen it too, and if by some bizarre chance it has escaped you, you may see it in Tonya's letter , excerpted below. At the risk of insulting my readers' intelligence, let me review the definitions of these terms.
Facts are things that can be verified by observation or measurement.
Of course, my means of observation or measurement affects the accuracy of my reported fact. Inferences, on the other hand, are interpretations or conclusions drawn from facts. I may or may not be correct. The probability for my correctness increases with the quantity and quality of data on which my inference is based, not to mention the validity of my reasoning from the data. If the warmth of today is all I am going on, you'd better not pack away your sweaters and jackets.