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I often find that in certain discussions here about Evolution or science vs religion that some people do not understand what these things mean in scientific terms.
Even though the word "fact" is used, it doesn't mean it cannot change in the future. In science, you never really have an absolute because things change, and technology advances.
This is basically a "theory" in the way most common people use the term. Basically an educated guess about something based on evidence you have studied or acquired.
This is a known observance of things in the natural world and how they act.
OK, this is the one that I often see where people get wrong and misinterpret what it means. Basically it's not a "guess" it's an explanation of something based on overwhelming evidence to support it's case, so much so that it hasn't been disproven.
For example, evolution is a theory but the evidence is so strong that the entire foundation of biology is evolution. So an entire field of science is based on the understanding that evolution is true.
So some might ask, why then call it a theory and not a law? Because we are constantly learning more and more about evolution, even on the genetic scale so you cannot close the book on it so to speak.
So next time someone calls something just a "theory' in scientific terms, understand what that truly means. It's the theory of Gravity, and I'm sure we know that it's true.
Fact: In science, an observation that has been repeatedly confirmed and for all practical purposes is accepted as “true.” Truth in science, however, is never final and what is accepted as a fact today may be modified or even discarded tomorrow.
Hypothesis: A tentative statement about the natural world leading to deductions that can be tested. If the deductions are verified, the hypothesis is provisionally corroborated. If the deductions are incorrect, the original hypothesis is proved false and must be abandoned or modified. Hypotheses can be used to build more complex inferences and explanations.
This is basically a "theory" in the way most common people use the term. Basically an educated guess about something based on evidence you have studied or acquired.
Law: A descriptive generalization about how some aspect of the natural world behaves under stated circumstances.
Theory: In science, a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world that can incorporate facts, laws, inferences, and tested hypotheses.
For example, evolution is a theory but the evidence is so strong that the entire foundation of biology is evolution. So an entire field of science is based on the understanding that evolution is true.
So some might ask, why then call it a theory and not a law? Because we are constantly learning more and more about evolution, even on the genetic scale so you cannot close the book on it so to speak.
So next time someone calls something just a "theory' in scientific terms, understand what that truly means. It's the theory of Gravity, and I'm sure we know that it's true.
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