A concept adapted from literary theory (Jauss) for science: the framework of assumptions, theories, and prior knowledge that scientists bring to their research, shaping what they expect to find and what they're capable of seeing. Your horizon determines which questions seem worth asking, which data seem relevant, which explanations seem plausible. Breakthroughs occur when evidence shatters the horizon, forcing a new one. Scientific progress isn't just accumulating facts—it's the continuous expansion and revision of the horizon within which facts make sense.
"Before plate tectonics, geologists saw continental fit as coincidence—their Scientific Horizon of Expectation couldn't accommodate moving continents. The evidence was always there; they couldn't see it until the horizon shifted. Your horizon is not reality—it's just where you're standing."
by Abzugal February 23, 2026
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