A prediction anticipates something that is supposed to happen.
Regarding the term prediction that concerns us now, it must be said that it has its etymological origin in Latin. It comes from the word "praedictio", which is the result of the sum of three clearly defined components:
• The prefix «pre-«, which means «before».
• The verb «decire», which is synonymous with «say».
• The suffix «-ción», which indicates «action and effect».
What is a prediction
Prediction is an expression that anticipates what is supposedly going to happen . You can predict something based on scientific knowledge, surveys of some kind, hypotheses or indications.
For example: "My prediction is that the home team will win two to zero!" , "According to economists' predictions, the unemployment rate will rise to 18% before June!" , "I can't believe it: the psychic's prediction is wrong!" fulfilled!" .
The concept in science
In the field of science , a prediction is a preview of what will happen according to the analysis of existing conditions. Predictions often arise after experiments or investigations that allow us to know the conditions and estimate that, if they are repeated, the result will be the same.
Scientific predictions , however, are not always fulfilled since there are usually unknown variables or others whose dynamics cannot be precisely anticipated. For this reason, weather predictions are not exact and can be wrong, to name one example.
It must be established that, therefore, scientific predictions can never be totally reliable, since various difficulties play an important role in them. These range from unknown dynamics to hidden variables that are not known.
A prediction may be based on scientific criteria or lack rational support.
Parapsychology, clairvoyance and prediction
Parapsychologists and clairvoyants , for their part, appeal to pseudosciences to make predictions. These people say they have the possibility of knowing the future from perceptions they receive through senses other than the usual five (sight, smell, taste, hearing and touch). There are also subjects who claim to receive information from higher entities (such as gods ) to make their predictions.
In these cases, the predictions have no logical basis, so believing in them is usually a matter of faith or depends on the person's susceptibility .
Within this aforementioned pseudoscience we would have to explain that there are various modalities or disciplines. Thus, we can find the following:
• Mentalism. Halfway between illusionism, magic and philosophical theory is that one.
• Prophecy. This pseudoscientific modality has existed since ancient times, which is carried out by people who consider themselves to have a natural "gift" to be able to make all types of predictions and predictions about the future. Prophecies can be found both in the form of urban legend and even in the realm of religion.
• Clairvoyance. It is carried out by men and women who claim to have an extrasensory capacity that allows them to have and receive information about events that will take place in the future. Hence, they make their predictions without any type of scientific evidence and without technical means of any kind.
• Divination. This type of pseudoscience is carried out by individuals who say they have a completely hypothetical ability to predict the future.