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MENTAL MODEL · M6169

Sagan Standard

Sagan Standard
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-28

CORE DEFINITION

"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" (sometimes shortened to ECREE), also known as the Sagan standard, is an aphorism popularized by science communicator Carl Sagan. He used the phrase in his 1979 book Broca's Brain and the 1980 television program Cosmos. It has been described as fundamental to the scientific method and is regarded as encapsulating the basic principles of scientific thinking.

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"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" (sometimes shortened to ECREE), also known as the Sagan standard, is an aphorism popularized by science communicator Carl Sagan. He used the phrase in his 1979 book Broca's Brain and the 1980 television program Cosmos.

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This typically refers to the same principle as the Sagan standard—extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. If this is a variant spelling of the Sagan standard, the meaning is consistent; it is used to raise the evidence threshold for extraordinary assertions.

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Source support: Explicit

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    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraordinary_claims_require_extraordinary_evidenceZH · Explicit
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