--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Prediction and explanation are exactly…" description: "\"“Prediction and explanation are exactly symmetrical. Explanations are, in effect, predictions about what has happened; predictions are explanations abo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04d/john-rogers-searle-29417_explanation_prediction-and-explanation-are-exactly-s_2346728.jpg" --- # Prediction and explanation are exactly symmetrical… ![“Prediction and explanation are exactly symmetrical. Explanations are, in effect, predictions about what has happened; predictions are explanations about what's going to happen.” quote by John Rogers Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04d/john-rogers-searle-29417_explanation_prediction-and-explanation-are-exactly-s_2346728.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04d/john-rogers-searle-29417_explanation_prediction-and-explanation-are-exactly-s_2346728.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04d/john-rogers-searle-29417_explanation_prediction-and-explanation-are-exactly-s_2346728.jpg) > ““Prediction and explanation are exactly symmetrical. Explanations are, in effect, predictions about what has happened; predictions are explanations about what's going to happen.”” [John Rogers Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rogers-searle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He claims that predictions and explanations are two sides of the same coin: explanations predict past events, predictions forecast future ones. **In simple terms:** Predictions and explanations are mirror images. Key Takeaway Use explanations to improve predictions. Themes philosophy science logic Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical conceptual When to use this quote - research design - historical analysis - forecast modeling - theory testing Key Concepts symmetry causality epistemology Questions to Reflect On - How does this view affect scientific method? - Can all explanations be turned into predictions? A Different Perspective Complex phenomena may not fit simple symmetry. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Prediction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prediction/) ## Related quotes > [Science is prediction, not explanation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-hoyle/science-is-prediction-not-explanation/) [Fred Hoyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-hoyle/) > [A rational prediction has an explanation based on theory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/a-rational-prediction-has-an-explanation-based-on-theory/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [“I may be surprised. But I don't think I will be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-strauss/i-may-be-surprised-but-i-don-t-think-i-will-be/) [Andrew Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-strauss/) > [“Conspiracy theory, like causality, works fantastically well as an explanatory model but only if you use it backwards. 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