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Strong inference
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<p> In <a href="/facts/Philosophy_of_science/aonsfhTY">philosophy of science</a>, strong inference is a <a href="/facts/Model_of_scientific_inquiry/hmHjY5p5">model of scientific inquiry</a> that emphasizes the need for <a href="/facts/Alternative_hypothesis/5cSH78Fm">alternative hypotheses</a>, rather than a single hypothesis to avoid <a href="/facts/Confirmation_bias/o5rHY4lP">confirmation bias</a>. </p><p>The term "strong inference" was coined by <a href="/facts/John_R._Platt/7suckj4L">John R. Platt</a>, a <a href="/facts/Biophysics/l9u5gqCy">biophysicist</a> at the <a href="/facts/University_of_Chicago/z6zRMUmV">University of Chicago</a>. Platt notes that some fields, such as <a href="/facts/Molecular_biology/YgqU35ub">molecular biology</a> and <a href="/facts/High-energy_physics/YgIuyj2t">high-energy physics</a>, seem to adhere strongly to strong inference, with very beneficial results for the rate of progress in those fields. </p>