What rule do these numbers follow?
I have a simple rule in mind. Discover it by proposing your own sequences.
This sequence fits
Your task is to work out why.
246
fits
01
Test a sequence
Try to learn something your current theory cannot already explain.
A sharper test:
What sequence might prove your favorite theory wrong?
02
Your experiments
1 example so far
- 2 · 4 · 6 ✓ fits given
Your tests will appear here.
03
State your rule
When you have enough evidence, write the most general rule that explains it.
The hidden rule
Any three numbers in strictly increasing order.
Where confirmation bias enters
A test such as 8 · 10 · 12 confirms “ascending even numbers, two apart”—but it also fits many other rules. It cannot tell those theories apart.
A deliberately different sequence such as 3 · 8 · 20 is more revealing. If it fits, the original theory was too narrow. Good inquiry tries to disconfirm the idea it favors.