Hempel's raven

Hempel's raven addresses how evidence supports hypotheses through the philosophy of science. It illustrates that observing a non-black object, like a white shoe, confirms the general statement "All ravens are black" because it also confirms the hypothesis by showing an unrelated example consistent with it. Conversely, observing a black raven supports the hypothesis directly. The paradox arises because confirming unrelated, or "negative," instances (like a white shoe) seems to strengthen the hypothesis, even though they don't directly involve the subject (ravens). This highlights complexities in how evidence confirms scientific theories and what counts as relevant confirmation.