Probable, Not Certain

Unlike deduction, inductive conclusions are never certain — they are probable. No matter how many white swans you have seen, the next one could be black. That uncertainty is not a weakness of induction; it is an honest reflection of how knowledge works.

Science runs on this. You observe patterns, form hypotheses, test them, and grow more confident as evidence builds. But confidence is not certainty: Newtonian physics held for 200 years before Einstein showed it was incomplete. The practical lesson is to hold inductive conclusions with confidence that matches the evidence.