by Hym Iam March 23, 2024
Get the Evidence mug.In an argument, when one refuses to make a simple search for evidence of their claim; however, they demand that the opposition does so. This creates a paradoxical position in which their belief is true and, when confronted with facts, either remains true or is discovered to be false.
In the event that it is discovered to be false, a second paradox often occurs in which the claim remains true by way of continuing to state it despite the evidence.
In the event that it is discovered to be false, a second paradox often occurs in which the claim remains true by way of continuing to state it despite the evidence.
"Nobody has proven me wrong yet. Give me a source, I admit defeat. Don't, I stay right! Of course, I can obviously google for myself... but I have Schrödinger's evidence on my side!"
by WEGWEHQWE#HWRE July 22, 2022
Get the Schrödinger's evidence mug.by racism is fucking cringe August 4, 2022
Get the no evidance i win mug.The interpretive gap: Evidence is never self-interpreting; it is always filtered through a prior framework of beliefs, theories, and assumptions (a "paradigm"). A single piece of data can be used to support wildly different conclusions. The hard problem is that there is no such thing as "raw" or "theory-neutral" evidence. What counts as evidence, and how much weight it carries, is determined by the very worldview it is meant to test. This creates a hermeneutic circle where beliefs shape the evidence, which then selectively confirms beliefs.
Example: Two people see the same rainbow. A physicist sees evidence of refraction and wavelengths. A theologian sees evidence of a divine covenant. A pot of gold enthusiast sees evidence of leprechauns. The photons hitting their retinas are identical. The hard problem: The "evidence" of the rainbow is not in the light, but in the interpretation. In a courtroom, a fingerprint is strong evidence only if you already believe in the reliability of forensic science and the integrity of the chain of custody. Evidence is a conversation, not a commandment. Hard Problem of Evidence.
by Enkigal January 24, 2026
Get the Hard Problem of Evidence mug.The problem of underdetermination: For any given body of scientific evidence, there are always multiple, logically possible theories that can explain it equally well. Data alone cannot force us to choose one theory over another; extra-scientific criteria like simplicity, elegance, or compatibility with other established theories (paradigm loyalty) must be used. The hard problem is that these criteria are aesthetic and pragmatic, not purely empirical. Thus, the move from evidence to theory is never a strict logical deduction, but a creative, sometimes subjective, leap.
Example: Centuries of astronomical evidence (planetary motions) could be explained perfectly by either Ptolemy's complex earth-centered model (with epicycles) or Copernicus's simpler sun-centered model. The evidence alone didn't decide. The choice was made based on the principle of parsimony (simplicity), which is a philosophical preference, not a law of nature. Today, the weird results of quantum experiments are explained by both the Copenhagen interpretation and the Many-Worlds interpretation. The evidence fits both; our choice is a matter of metaphysical taste, not evidential compulsion. Hard Problem of Scientific Evidence.
by Enkigal January 24, 2026
Get the Hard Problem of Scientific Evidence mug.Evidence about evidence. It's not the data point itself, but information about its reliability, context, and the process that generated it. This includes a study's statistical power, the reputation of the lab, the pre-registration of its hypothesis, and whether the result has been independently replicated. In a world drowning in information, meta-evidence is the life raft—it's how you decide which claims to actually believe when everyone has a graph.
Example: "She didn't just read the headline about coffee curing cancer. She looked at the meta-evidence: sample size (tiny), funding source (The Coffee Alliance of America), and journal prestige (sketchy). The meta-evidence concluded the evidence was garbage."
by Abzugal January 30, 2026
Get the Meta-Evidence mug.The recognition that evidence is never neutral; it is always interpreted through a lens. A strand of hair is just a biological filament until a detective's theory of the crime constructs it as "evidence of the suspect's presence." A statistical correlation is just a number until an economist's model constructs it as "evidence for market manipulation." The theory comes first and dictates what counts as evidence and what that evidence means.
Example: "In the conspiracy forum, the same government press release was constructed as 'evidence of a cover-up' (because they'd admit that if it were true?) and as 'evidence of their brazen transparency' (to throw us off!). The Theory of Constructed Evidence shows the evidence itself was passive; the opposing theories did all the work."
by Dumu The Void January 30, 2026
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