When we try to explain a strange event, our “creative instincts” often lead us toward complex, alarming theories. Occam’s Razor provides a corrective: the simplest explanation with the fewest variables is most likely the correct one.
This principle states that “entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity”. If your trash can is overturned, it’s probably a neighborhood raccoon (one simple variable), not an extraterrestrial spider looking for fuel (countless complex variables). The more assumptions you have to make to justify an explanation, the less likely it is to be true. Start with the most basic, realistic interpretation and only move toward complexity if the simple answer is proven wrong by hard data.