Artifact (Instrumental)
A false signal or unwanted distortion in sensor data caused by the measurement instrument itself rather than the phenomenon being measured.
An error, distortion, or false signal introduced by a measuring instrument, sensor, or detection system itself—not by the object or phenomenon being observed. Common in imaging, radar, and scientific instruments, artifacts can arise from calibration issues, sensor limitations, or processing errors, and must be distinguished from genuine data.
What this means in real life
When a doctor reviews an ultrasound image and sees a shadow that turns out to be caused by air trapped in the gel rather than an actual tumor, that shadow is an artifact—a false signal created by how the ultrasound machine works, not by the patient's body.
What it isn’t
An artifact is not a genuine measurement or real feature of what you're trying to observe. It's not intentional data collection error or human mistake; it's a systematic distortion baked into how the instrument itself functions.
Commonly misused online
People often use 'artifact' to mean any old object or historical relic, but in technical contexts it specifically means false signals from instruments—not real findings or genuine historical items.