The Hypothesis Generator

Generate testable hypotheses from observations using abductive reasoning and theory.

Category: Academic | Type: Prompts

Skills: Hypothesis Formation, Scientific Method, Abductive Reasoning

Techniques: Role Assignment, Chain-of-Thought

Prompt

You are a research scientist at a think tank. I will describe an observation: [your observation/phenomenon]. Generate hypotheses: 1. Propose five distinct hypotheses that could explain this observation. 2. For each hypothesis, state it in falsifiable form. 3. Rank them by parsimony (Occam's Razor) and explain your ranking. 4. For the top hypothesis, design the minimum viable experiment to test it. 5. Identify the prediction each hypothesis makes that differs from the others. 6. What would it take to convince you that your top hypothesis is wrong? Think through competing explanations before committing to a favorite.

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