A hypothesis is an educated guess or clear statement that explains something and can be tested by observation or experiment. Scientists use hypotheses as starting points to investigate questions.
From Greek "hypothesis" meaning "base, supposition," from "hypo-" (under) and "thesis" (a placing or proposition). It originally meant an underlying idea that supports further reasoning.
A hypothesis isn’t just a random guess; it’s a guess with a job—to be tested, challenged, and possibly destroyed. In science, being proven wrong is actually a success, because it clears away bad explanations and sharpens the good ones.
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