What is a Theory?

[Youtellme]

I have heard many religious people say that Evolution is just a theory, implying it is not a confirmed fact, in much the same way as when someone says 'Yes, in theory you could do that.' etc.

However, my understanding is that when something in the scientific field is called a Theory, it is a fact. (I actually think people confuse 'Theory' with 'Hypotheses'.)

Now, is my understanding correct? Is a Theory truly a fact? Or is a theory only a fact until someone disproves it?

I'm thinking for example of the theory of special relativity. Some of you may have heard of this story. BBC News - Neutrino experiment repeat at Cern finds same result

Of course it was then followed by this story. BBC News - Faster-than-light neutrino result queried

So, potentially, a established theory was overshadowed by doubt for a while.

Now, my point is, is a theory, be it, the theory of special relativity, the theory of evolution or any other theory, truly infallible and set in stone, not subject to change?

 

[YmirGF]

In theory, a theory can be a hypothesis or a guess, but in scientific terms a theory is an idea that explains a collection of well established facts. In that sense, theory is not a guess, but a well developed idea based on verifiable data. The theory is usually assumed to be the best explanation BASED on scads of supporting data and can hardly be termed guess work.

 

[Youtellme]

In theory, a theory can be a hypothesis or a guess, but in scientific terms a theory is an idea that explains a collection of well established facts. In that sense, theory is not a guess, but a well developed idea based on verifiable data. The theory is usually assumed to be the best explanation BASED on scads of supporting data and can hardly be termed guess work.

Nice one. Perhaps they should change the term to 'Established Fact' or something to say confusion!

 

[cablescavenger]

I have heard many religious people say that Evolution is just a theory, implying it is not a confirmed fact, in much the same way as when someone says 'Yes, in theory you could do that.' etc.

However, my understanding is that when something in the scientific field is called a Theory, it is a fact. (I actually think people confuse 'Theory' with 'Hypotheses'.)

Now, is my understanding correct? Is a Theory truly a fact? Or is a theory only a fact until someone disproves it?

I'm thinking for example of the theory of special relativity. Some of you may have heard of this story. BBC News - Neutrino experiment repeat at Cern finds same result

Of course it was then followed by this story. BBC News - Faster-than-light neutrino result queried

So, potentially, a established theory was overshadowed by doubt for a while.

Now, my point is, is a theory, be it, the theory of special relativity, the theory of evolution or any other theory, truly infallible and set in stone, not subject to change?

As has already been said it is something that explains a whole host of established fact or evidence. It is not set in stone since a new fact could alter the theory.

Here is a better explanation:

In scientific usage, the term "theory" is reserved for explanations of phenomena which meet basic requirements about the kinds of empirical observations made, the methods of classification used, and the consistency of the theory in its application among members of the class to which it pertains. These requirements vary across different scientific fields of knowledge, but in general theories are expected to be functional and parsimonious: i.e. a theory should be the simplest possible tool that can be used to effectively address the given class of phenomena. Such theories are constructed from elementary assumptions that are motivated by empirical data about observable phenomena. A scientific theory is used as a plausible general principle or body of principles offered to explain a phenomenon.[7]
A scientific theory is a deductive theory, in that its content is based on some formal system of logic and on basic axioms. In a deductive theory, any sentence which is a logical consequence of one or more of the axioms is also a sentence of that theory.[6]
A major concern in construction of scientific theories is the problem of demarcation, i.e., distinguishing those ideas that are properly studied by the sciences and those that are not.
Theories are intended to be an accurate, predictive description of the natural world.

(Source)

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Nice one. Perhaps they should change the term to 'Established Fact' or something to say confusion!

But there's more to a theory than just fact; what makes a theory a theory is that it has predictive value. Not only does it say "past events A, B and C happened", it says "if conditions X and Y are present, future events D and E will happen, too."

 

[Tarheeler]

Nice one. Perhaps they should change the term to 'Established Fact' or something to say confusion!

Wouldn't be a problem if people would pay attention. The difference is explained in every elementary science class.

 

[Youtellme]

Wouldn't be a problem if people would pay attention. The difference is explained in every elementary science class.

A lot of people forget what they were taught in school...

 

[Tarheeler]

A lot of people forget what they were taught in school...

That's no excuse. There is ample opportunity for them to keep current and refresh their memory.

 

[Youtellme]

That's no excuse. There is ample opportunity for them to keep current and refresh their memory.

True, true.

 

[Reptillian]

But there's more to a theory than just fact; what makes a theory a theory is that it has predictive value. Not only does it say "past events A, B and C happened", it says "if conditions X and Y are present, future events D and E will happen, too."

I agree with you there. A theory is a an explaination that weaves together a bunch of facts and makes testable predictions. I'd also add falsifiability to the criteria. There have to be oberservations which could be made that would disprove the theory...although that might be covered by the whole testable predictions requirement, but I think its different enough to deserve mentioning. By this definition, string theory for example is more of a hypothesis since it has yet to make a testable prediction. Its never good when scientists start to use their terms colloquially. The everyday usage of the word theory is more akin to the scientific word hypothesis.

 

[Youtellme]

By this definition, string theory for example is more of a hypothesis since it has yet to make a testable prediction. Its never good when scientists start to use their terms colloquially. The everyday usage of the word theory is more akin to the scientific word hypothesis.

Good point. Perhaps this is what I mean too.

 

[Willamena]

I have heard many religious people say that Evolution is just a theory, implying it is not a confirmed fact, in much the same way as when someone says 'Yes, in theory you could do that.' etc.

However, my understanding is that when something in the scientific field is called a Theory, it is a fact. (I actually think people confuse 'Theory' with 'Hypotheses'.)

Now, is my understanding correct? Is a Theory truly a fact? Or is a theory only a fact until someone disproves it?

I'm thinking for example of the theory of special relativity. Some of you may have heard of this story. BBC News - Neutrino experiment repeat at Cern finds same result

Of course it was then followed by this story. BBC News - Faster-than-light neutrino result queried

So, potentially, a established theory was overshadowed by doubt for a while.

Now, my point is, is a theory, be it, the theory of special relativity, the theory of evolution or any other theory, truly infallible and set in stone, not subject to change?

Even in common parlance, when someone says, "...but it's just a theory," they don't mean to say that it's not a fact, they just mean to say that they cannot say if it is a fact (not confirmed). It is the same in science; science is built on the firm foundation of things that are not confirmable. They are, however, falsifiable. If I were to say, "John may have gone to the store, but it's just a theory," I could just go ask John and get the word from the horse's mouth. In that sense, a "just-a" theory is less falsiable than any science, because John can tell me facts. The world that science is uncovering cannot tell us its facts, we have to piece them together like a fractured jigsaw puzzle. And it won't ever tell us its facts. We can't know what's "right," but we can determine bits that can be falsified (demonstratably "wrong").

 

[FlyingTeaPot]

Evolution is a fact. The theory of evolution explains how evolution occurs.

Gravitation is a fact. The gravitational theory explains this phenomena.

Relativity is a fact. The general theory of relativity explains it.

Scientific theories are explanations for observable and testable phenomena.

There are hundreds of scientific theories including germ theory, cell theory, atomic theory, quantum field theory. theory of thermodynamics, theory of plate tectonics, Newtonian theories of motion, theory of radioactivity, Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism, theory of convection and many more.

I wonder why no one objects to the theory of gravitation by jumping out of the highest floor of their building. It's only just a theory, right?

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I find the most interesting theories arise after a long night of drinking.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I find the most interesting theories arise after a long night of drinking.

Interesting theory.

 

[cablescavenger]

Here is the theory of evolution in a 10 minute video.

As you will be aware the theory was put together based on a few observations by Darwin over 150 years ago. There was not much supporting evidence at the time, something which Darwin himself mentioned, so it was a theory based on limited evidence.

Since then the scientific evidence has been building up and building up, and you will see from the video why the theory is now an extremely strong one, so strong in fact that it can now be relied upon to make predictions.

[youtube]JgyTVT3dqGY[/youtube]
This is Why Every Scientist Accepts Evolution - YouTube

 

[YmirGF]

But there's more to a theory than just fact; what makes a theory a theory is that it has predictive value. Not only does it say "past events A, B and C happened", it says "if conditions X and Y are present, future events D and E will happen, too."

I should have added that, but my only defense was that I wrote my response at about 6 AM... before coffee. Of course, I agree, 100%.

 

[Quagmire]

"What is a Theory?"

Well, as far as internet debates go, often as not a Theory is a conviction with an emergency exit.

 

[Me Myself]

(I actually think people confuse 'Theory' with 'Hypotheses'.)

Yes, they do.

 

[LegionOnomaMoi]

Interesting theory.

Have you been drinking?