I was speaking in general, not specifically. As far as putting imagination and skepticism on the same scale, that’s how scientific process works. You might substitute the word creativity for imagination, if it suits you better.

As an example, if someone claims that you can’t go faster than the speed of light. As a scientist, you come up with ideas for experiments that may prove that claim to be true or false.

A great example from a Carl Sagan book, is the claim that, “a fire breathing dragon lives in my garage”. A little out of context, but bear with me.

You make such an imaginative claim. I’m skeptical, but I don’t outright deny your claim. I ask you to show me. I come over, you open your garage, but all I see are some empty paint cans and an old ladder. I say, “where’s the dragon?” You reply, “oh, I forgot to mention, it’s an invisible dragon.” So I come up with ways find evidence. I suggest sprinkling flour on the floor, to reveal the footprints. You say, “great idea, but this dragon floats”. Okay then, I’ll use an infrared sensor to pick up the heat from its fire. “Great idea” you say, “but it’s fire is heatless.” Very well, we’ll use spray paint to reveal its floating body. You say, “good idea, but it’s an incorporeal dragon, and the paint won’t stick.” So, what’s the difference between a floating, invisible, heatless fire breathing, incorporeal dragon, and no dragon at all?

I personally relate this example more with comparison to religious beliefs, but I’ve used it here to show the relationship between imagination and skepticism.

We use our imagination, and creativity to come up with ideas for experiments to gain insight on hypotheses. We are skeptical at first, about new ideas. As scientific thinkers, it’s important that we keep an open mind, but that we ground ourselves in solid, known facts.

@jrome043 yes, of course, i know all that. maybe i would just call it something else... and no, creativity doesn't help. i still don't see them on the same scale. i understand how you see them that way, based on the example, but i still don't. i will try to think of a different word... or something.

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