Earth: Day Zero • Paper 090 of 512

Observation Versus Interpretation Revisited

A recurring theme throughout Earth: Day Zero is the separation of observation from interpretation.

This distinction becomes especially important when evaluating anomalies.

Observation

An observation describes what is measured, mapped, recorded, or detected.

Interpretation

An interpretation attempts to explain why the observation exists.

Methodological Importance

Multiple interpretations may explain the same observation.

For this reason, anomaly evaluation begins with observations and postpones causal conclusions whenever possible.