When I posed the alternative hypothesis of that day to Amy, she hurried off the phone.

NEWYORKER: A Loaded Gun

Prof Falk said that she did not believe that the Japanese analysis excluded the alternative hypothesis of an as-yet-undiscovered small-brained ape-like ancestor that migrated from Africa.

BBC: Study backs 'hobbit' island dwarfism theory

These match climate models' predictions of what happens when warming is induced by greenhouse gases better than it matches predictions of the result of changes in the sun's activity, the main alternative hypothesis for what might be causing the climate to change.

ECONOMIST: Changing science

The interpretation of the evidence obtained in this study, based on the use of advanced analytical methods, supports the hypothesis of an intentional therapeutic treatment, but alternative post-mortem practices are not ruled out.

UNESCO: Basic Sciences

Here's an alternative hypothesis, one for the behavioral economists to look into: Maybe diet soda creates a psychological illusion of self-denial and thereby encourages gluttonous behavior.

WSJ: Best of the Web Today: The Other Obesity Problem