What's the difference between "evidence" and "proof"?

[Ichigo]

I had always thought that evidence was kind of like information leading up to a proof, where proof was kind of like established evidence that is indisputible. But I've searched and searched different definitions and asked various friends who've all determined that "evidence" and "proof" mean EXACTLY the same thing. Is it just different connotations then? Or am I just overthinking this all?

 

[middlehead]

Overthinking.

 

[KLin]

Overthinking.

 

[JDrake]

Think that over.

 

[FeuerFrei]

If you collect enough evidence you end up with proof.

 

[DrPizza]

different things.

 

[Caesar]

Conclusive Evidence(s) leads to proof. Proof creates a fact.

 

[her209]

Having evidence does not lead to proof... look at OJ Simpson, Michael Jackson, Kobe Bryant, etc.

 

[Caesar]

Originally posted by: her209
Having evidence does not lead to proof... look at OJ Simpson, Michael Jackson, Kobe Bryant, etc.

Fixed it. Happy now? 😛

 

[imported_LoKe]

Proof is irrefutable; irrefutable evidence is proof.

 

[cirthix]

proof is a collection of a set of evidence which undeniably makes a fact about something. evidence is a clue, a piece of information, or another fact which can be part of a proof of something. no, i didnt use a dictionary

 

[fitzov]

It's different depending on what sort of knowledge you are talking about. Proof in math or logic is not the same thing as proof in a court of law. Proof in science is different as well, as the falsification or verification of a proposition is meaningless without relation to a theory. I think it was Popper who came up with an interesting idea for the use of the conditional in science. Think of a modal conditional (if this were to happen, then that would happen). One counterexample is enough to prove that the conditional is false, but one example is only evidence that the conditional is true.