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Hypothesis

A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. In the scientific method, a hypothesis should be falsifiable, meaning that it can be disproven by further observation.

As an example, based on the quality of Wikipedia articles, one could form a hypothesis that Wikipedia articles can only be edited by highly qualified professors with multiple Ph.Ds. It can be considered a hypothesis, as it it falsifiable; it can be falsified by noticing that anyone can edit Wikipedia articles, using the 'edit page' link on all pages.

See Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica for Newton's position on hypotheses (I don't frame hypotheses)

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