[Type R]

Ideas, theories arise slowly. Sometimes scientists have a growing suspicion. For example: -

* long before the relationship between electricity and magnetism had been confirmed, scientists suspected it.

* when no one would even think of the square roots of negative numbers, some people thought it was a viable avenue for mathematical research/development.

* Euclid's fifth axiom - two parallel lines don't meet and stay at equal distance from each other when measured perpendicularly - worried scientists for ages. It was later considered optional and other geometries were born, where parallel lines can cross each other once, can cross each other infinite times (think of the surface of a ball), may never cross but distance will vary (a ball again), etc.

However, there has to be some basis for a suspicion, which prompts research.

Belief in Dark matter is prompted by the fact that 85% of the mass of the universe as determined by gravitational pull is unaccounted for.

To say, "Scientists claim the absence of God" is inaccurate, it is too affirmative a statement. It would be better to say, "Scientists have not seen evidence that would logically lead to belief in a supernatural being."

To say "I have not seen evidence that grip_daddy was here" is very different from saying "grip_daddy was not here."