Is there such a thing as objective reality?

[Redalgo]

I imagine there is an objective reality, sure, but because human minds are limited in their abilities to perceive, interpret, and analyze information it would be foolish to place unconditional trust in them. Intersubjectivity in assembling personal, mental constructs concerning what is real (knowledge) does not imply that everyone happens to be incorrect in all - or even most - of their perceptions. Rather, we simply cannot know beyond all doubt what is and is not real.

This is not difficult to pick up on. Scientists are continually looking for improved ways of understanding the natural world. No small number of experts create over-simplified, technically inaccurate conceptual models for people to use as tools to more efficiently convey underlying concepts and ideas. Many a religion makes truth claims about a host of supernatural beings and phenomena. There are optical illusions, conspiracy theories, wildly contrary perceptions of what particular political factions do and aspire to achieve, and so forth. Natural selection, experience, socialization, and so forth might help critters get better at making guesses about reality but some degree of imperfection and need for making basic, faith-based assumptions endures.

I think studies of reality can help us get closer to understanding it but to some extent there is always a chance that we will draw the wrong conclusions from data that may itself not even be accurate, and then proceed to think and behave with confidence in our misled ideas being objective truths.

Going back to the thought experiment from before, separate everyone afterwards. Ask more questions about the dog. You will eventually get answers that are not all alike because to some extent the folks you picked for the experiment possess differing experiences that have biased the ways in which they perceive the world all around. Bear in mind that people who go through similar experiences in similar settings living similar lives in similar cultures will probably provide you with a more similar range of answers to questions than if you used fifteen people of varied mental states, cultures, lifestyles, and countries of origin.