How many different real numbers $x$ satisfy the equation \[(x^{2}-5)^{2}=16?\]
$\textbf{(A) }0\qquad\textbf{(B) }1\qquad\textbf{(C) }2\qquad\textbf{(D) }4\qquad\textbf{(E) }8$
We have that $(x^2-5)^2 = 16$ if and only if $x^2-5 = \pm 4$. If $x^2-5 = 4$, then $x^2 = 9 \implies x = \pm 3$, giving 2 solutions. If $x^2-5 = -4$, then $x^2 = 1 \implies x = \pm 1$, giving 2 more solutions. All four of these solutions work, so the answer is $\boxed{\textbf{(D) }4}$. Further, the equation is a [quartic](https://artofproblemsolving.com/wiki/index.php/Quartic_Equation) in $x$, so by the [Fundamental Theorem of Algebra](https://artofproblemsolving.comhttps://artofproblemsolving.com/wiki/index.php/Fundamental_Theorem_of_Algebra), there can be at most four real solutions.