Sciencecalendar_todayLast updated: Apr 2026
What is Hypothesis?
/haɪˈpɒθɪsɪs/
A proposed explanation for a phenomenon, made on the basis of limited evidence, that can be tested through further investigation. The starting point of the scientific method.
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Everyday Example
"Drinking coffee makes me more productive" is a hypothesis. To test it scientifically, you'd need controlled conditions, measured outputs, and a comparison group — not just your personal impression.
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“The hypothesis that H. pylori bacteria (not stress) caused stomach ulcers was ridiculed when first proposed in 1982. Barry Marshall drank the bacteria to prove it, gave himself an ulcer, then cured it with antibiotics. He won the Nobel Prize in 2005.”
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Did you know?
The word hypothesis comes from the Greek hypo (under) + thesis (placing) — literally "something placed underneath" as the foundation of an argument. Francis Bacon systematised hypothesis testing in the 17th century.
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Key Insight
A hypothesis is not a guess — it's an educated, falsifiable prediction. The key word is falsifiable: a good hypothesis must be possible to prove wrong. If no evidence could ever disprove it, it's not science.
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