Extraordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Evidence

[Mudhammam]

Extra-ordinary means simply that; it isn't accounted for by our ordinary, or customary, understanding of nature. For the extraordinary to be vindicated, to not be merely ordinary phenomena misunderstood, requires evidence that is extra-ordinary, i.e. it is qualitatively and quantitatively superior to alternative explanations. Evolution by natural selection or the general theory of relativity were once extraordinary claims. But they have been sufficiently demonstrated by extraordinary evidence. Now they're just ordinary facts taken within our ordinary understanding of nature. Had they not been supported by extraordinary evidence, they would be nothing but extraordinary claims - though probably long discarded as respectable hypotheses.