Separate "I Found No Evidence" from "The Evidence Says No"

Added 2026-11-05

The same blank space, and opposite conclusions.

Here is what I observed: [observation or what was not observed]. Decide which situation this is: 1) what goes wrong if you treat "not found" as "does not exist"; 2) what search scope and detection power would be needed to prove absence, and whether the current setup has them; 3) for the three explanations — it truly does not exist, it exists but was missed, or the detection standard itself is wrong — give one check that separates them; 4) the safest interim conclusion and wording while evidence is thin; 5) the smallest extra observation to make next. Do not jump to a conclusion.

Site original

Chinese original

Open in ChatGPT

Replace these placeholders 1

Swap the bracketed parts for your own details before sending.

[observation or what was not observed]

How to use

Ask "if it were there, could I see it?" before asking "is it there?"

Try tweaking it

Ask what evidence would overturn the judgement.
Have it argue both sides with three reasons each.

What you should get

A decision table: assumptions, evidence, counter-evidence
A next action with an observable signal

Common mistakes

Asking only "should I?" and getting equally valid answers both ways.
Never asking for counter-examples, so you only hear support.

How to check the output

It states what evidence would overturn the conclusion.
Both sides are argued, with assumptions marked as such.

Where it works

Good for: splitting a decision into assumptions, evidence and counter-cases, leaving the call to you.
Watch out: ask what evidence would overturn the judgement, or you will only hear supporting reasons.