Difference Between Hypothesis and Prediction

Human beings do not need to know things in depth to get an idea of ​​them. When we observe a phenomenon of any kind, we tend to formulate conjectures as a way of giving an explanation to that which causes us admiration and which we do not fully understand.  Difference Between Hypothesis and Prediction

On some occasions, we establish correlations between different things that we observe and if we are not careful; we can even make big mistakes and be unobjective.

Speaking of conjecture and little objectivity, below we are going to explain the difference between two concepts that are often confused and that are actually different: prediction and hypothesis .

HYPOTHESIS  Difference Between Hypothesis and Prediction

It is an idea or explanation that is given to an event or phenomenon and that may or may not be true depending on the evidence obtained from the tests.

Hypotheses are widely used in scientific work as the basis for conducting experiments and tests. These are generated from the collection of possible evidence. At the end of the investigation it is determined whether the hypotheses are accepted or not.

Hypothesis example: the less sunlight the plants receive, the greater the probability that their leaves will be discolored.

As can be seen in the previous example, the meaning of the sentence is very clear and it is implied which is the conjecture that the researcher has formulated. From this we proceed to use the scientific method to check if that explanation is true or not.

PREDICTION

Although the prediction is also used by science (for example, when talking about the date when we will see an eclipse or when we will see this or that comet. Meteorology); predictions are used more in non-scientific fields.

Outside of science, prediction has to do with divination, prophecies, clairvoyance, and pseudosciences like Astrology .

Unlike hypotheses that are conjectures or explanations of something that “could” be, predictions are revelations or ideas of something that “must happen” in the future.

Prediction example: today you have to bet on number two, because that will be the winning number.

In the previous example you can see that there is no way to prove that what is stated is true (of course, until they pass the lottery).

Non-scientific predictions aside, when they are made in the field of science they are something much more evolved than hypotheses; since they come after the investigations are finished.

Key differences between prediction and hypothesis

• The hypothesis is a conjecture or explanation of a phenomenon or event and that may or may not be true (it is used more in the scientific field), while a prediction (it has a more pseudoscientific connotation) is an affirmation and revelation of something that is going to happen in the future.
• Hypotheses focus more on the “probability” of something, while prediction focuses on the “affirmation” or “certainty” that something is going to happen in the future.
• Predictions focus more on correlations between different phenomena, while hypotheses focus on causality.
• Hypothesis example: UV light can cause skin cancer.
• Prediction example: the leaves will change color when the next season arrives.