Gardan’s Steelyard

First Appearance and Context

Defined in a dictionary-style entry as a guideline of reasoning and promptly cited in discussions among avout when weighing explanations for observations and reports.

Meaning and Use

Gardan’s Steelyard is a comparative test between competing explanations: picture them on the arms of a steelyard balance and favor the one that is “lighter” (simpler, with fewer moving parts) over a heavier, more elaborate construction. It is treated as a useful heuristic rather than a law; some real phenomena can violate it, but it remains a common check against needlessly complicated accounts. Common phrasing includes “the Steelyard says …” and “What of the Steelyard?” when speakers want to bring the guideline to bear on a dispute. Speakers also describe it as the “economical” choice, emphasizing the smallest, least complicated claim consistent with the givens.

Interpretation and Debate

• In a widely attended Plenary at Tredegarh, a senior Procian rhetor invoked the Steelyard to argue that a single added cause that unifies several otherwise puzzling facts may count as the “simpler” account. His interlocutor replied that the Steelyard prefers the hypothesis with fewer assumptions and no ad hoc machinery. The exchange illustrates how avout weigh parsimony against explanatory scope when applying the guideline.

Example Applications

• Invoked to argue that a drastic course change by an orbiting craft and an unprecedented six‑fold Voco should be considered connected rather than unrelated coincidences.
• Used conversationally to favor a tighter link between events, such as relating Fraa Paphlagon’s Evocation to difficulties surrounding Fraa Orolo, instead of treating them as independent happenings.

Related Concepts

• Named for Saunt Gardan, whose name the guideline bears.
• The Steelyard Problem is an informal critique for arguments that violate this guideline by invoking unnecessary machinery.

Current Status

Actively cited by avout in chalk‑hall debates and informal reasoning when multiple models could fit limited observations. The phrase “the Steelyard says …” is used as shorthand for preferring the simpler account.