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}}</ref> It is always possible that future [[scientific observation|observations]] or [[theory|theoretical]] developments will depose a smoking gun and that another hypothesis (new or old) will attain status of ''[[Inference to the Best Explanation|the best explanation]]''. Some of the factors that go into transforming a trace(s) into a smoking gun for a particular hypothesis may be sociological or psychological, especially in the field of [[historical science]] where direct observation of past events is not possible and [[Scientific testing|testing]] of hypothesis producing supporting [[scientific evidence|evidence]] might be obscure. A [[Scientific research|search]] for a smoking gun may also turn up evidence against a target hypothesis.  

}}</ref> It is always possible that future [[scientific observation|observations]] or [[theory|theoretical]] developments will depose a smoking gun and that another hypothesis (new or old) will attain status of ''[[Inference to the Best Explanation|the best explanation]]''. Some of the factors that go into transforming a trace(s) into a smoking gun for a particular hypothesis may be sociological or psychological, especially in the field of [[historical science]] where direct observation of past events is not possible and [[Scientific testing|testing]] of hypothesis producing supporting [[scientific evidence|evidence]] might be obscure. A [[Scientific research|search]] for a smoking gun may also turn up evidence against a target hypothesis.  

Some historical scientists use the term "smoking gun" very loosely and rampantly in their informal and popular works to degree that it became a subject of criticism by James Powell who refers to it as to the ''"tiresome metaphor of 'smoking gun'"''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Night Comes to the Cretaceous |author=James Powell |publisher=Harcourt Brace |place=San Diego |year=1998 |pages=115 |isbn=978-01560-07030 |url=https://books.google.com/books?hl=no&id=eVG8lX8XnWoC |quote=One could describe this result using the tiresome metaphor of "smoking gun"...}}</ref>  

Some historical scientists use the term "smoking gun" very loosely and rampantly in their informal and popular works to degree that it became a subject of criticism by James Powell who refers to it as to the ''"tiresome metaphor of 'smoking gun.'"''<ref>{{cite book|title=Night Comes to the Cretaceous |author=James Powell |publisher=Harcourt Brace |place=San Diego |year=1998 |pages=115 |isbn=978-01560-07030 |url=https://books.google.com/books?hl=no&id=eVG8lX8XnWoC |quote=One could describe this result using the tiresome metaphor of "smoking gun"...}}</ref>  

==References==

==References==