It is a great way of framing the difference. However, in many (most?) instances, the data are also random in that they have uncertainties that hopefully you ha

It is a great way of framing the difference. However, in many (most?) instances, the data are also random in that they have uncertainties that hopefully you have some handle on. As the great geophysicist Peter Molnar said, 'If you don't know the error, you don't know the number.'