Constructing Explanations
📋 What it is
A good explanation fits ALL the clues and makes the fewest extra assumptions.
🗣️ Coach says
When several stories could explain the clues, the best one covers every clue and doesn’t invent extra stuff. Simpler-and-complete beats clever-and-complicated.
🧠 Memory hook
Fits every clue + adds the least = the best explanation.
😂 Giggle
Why did the code-breaker love yes-or-no questions?
Because each one cut the possibilities in half!
😲 Whoa!
This is "Occam’s Razor" — when explanations tie, the simplest one is usually right. It’s a 700-year-old idea detectives still use.
✅ Quick check: Two theories explain the clues, but one needs a secret twin nobody has seen. Which is better?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
The one WITHOUT the secret twin — it explains the same clues with fewer made-up extras.
The best explanation covers the evidence while assuming the least beyond it.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Explain a small mystery at home (a missing sock, crumbs on the counter) with TWO theories. Pick the one that needs no wild extras.