Observation: I can't see a thing. Conclusion: Dinosaurs.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Lack of evidence for something does not prove it exists; a lack of sight implies a conclusion without proof.
- In plain terms
- Not seeing something does not mean it is there just because you think it.
- What can you take from it?
- Do not assume things exist just because you cannot see proof they don't.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What counts as proof?
- How do we reason from silence?
Another view
It oversimplifies how absence of evidence is sometimes used in reasoning.
More from Carl Sagan
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
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Permalink to quote #29
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