Work Text:
Sherlock’s Science Journal
Date: January 16, 1989
Hypothesis: Dragons do exist.
Evidence: Dragon myths are found in every region of the world.
Additional Facts:
- It’s scientifically impossible to prove that something does not exist.
- Many things once believed impossible (e.g. quantum physics) were later discovered to be true.
- Mythology is often grounded in fact.
- Many people see but do not observe, so the lack of ‘credible’ sightings is not, in itself, proof of non-existence.
- People who observe things others don’t understand are often dismissed as ‘making it up.’ Therefore ‘fictional’ tales are not automatically untrue.
- Natural selection creates global diversity. Thus the apparent ‘discrepancies’ between regional myths could be taken as evidence of dragons following the known laws of evolutionary biology.
Research Plan:
- Catalog all known tales, songs, and traditions regarding dragons worldwide.
- Cross-match to find corroborating evidence common to multiple sources and/or historical or scientific literature.
- To the greatest extent possible for a minor without a driver’s license, pursue those leads in search of previously unobserved evidence.
Today’s Work: Visit the London Library to look up ‘a land called Honalee’ in old atlases. If found, cross-match with census records to find any variation on the name ‘Little Jackie Paper.’
Guiding Principle: Just because adults think there shouldn’t be any such thing as dragons, doesn’t mean there couldn’t be!