Philosophy
The Logic of Inductive Inference and the Problem of Induction
Quick fact
Even if every observed swan is white, there's no logical guarantee that the next swan will be white. Yet we routinely rely on such inductive leaps—and on them rests virtually all of science and everyday prediction.
Why this is interesting
Every time you eat breakfast, you expect the toast to pop up the same way it has before. But what if the universe suddenly changes its mind? That unsettling possibility is at the heart of a philosophical puzzle that has troubled thinkers for 300 years.