What IS proof?

When it comes to aliens, bigfoot, what happened on 9/11, etc, what IS proof? How can we say anything is absolutely proven to the public when even the most documented events in history, such as the Holocaust, are denied?

Does it even make sense to talk of proof?

Many scientific theories are far from proven too, yet they are taken as 'proved'.

For something to be 100% proven to everyone in the world, they would have to see it with their own eyes and then have that encounter analyzed and validated by experts.

Proof these days is more a matter of overwhelming evidence one way or another.

Take UFOs for example.

There is far more evidence to suggest something is in our skies, than isn't.

However, the evidence isn't overwhelming. It isn't enough to make the science community take note.

It is extremely subjective how much evidence is enough to become proof. It depends on the topic, the strength of the evidence itself and the audience it is being presented to.

Nothing can ever be truly "Proven" until physical evidence has been shown.

What the proof is for the man of the 21st century? If you're telling exactly the same what he wants to hear. If you don't and you're explaining something, even telling the truth, that's not going to be a proof at all.

Well. Mankind is stupid, especially in the 21st century.

I think the word "proof" is often used as a weapon by those who hold opposing viewpoints without intention of open-mindedness.

Proof implies the inability for anyone to deny something; to establish beyond doubt.

More important, I believe, is “acceptance”, especially when in context of the paranormal, geopolitics or the spectacular.

I think what we ask for is evidence, what we desire is majority acceptance.

When a spacecraft or inter-dimensional conveyance lands on my lawn and the occupants come in for a scotch, they will have been proven to me to exist by my criteria.

I don’t need proof to accept that they exist. I take it as obvious in the vastness of our observable universe that there are Others and that man, when he says something “cant” be done is assured to be proven wrong.

We don't need more proof.

What we need is awareness