Do people realize that the Evolution theory is THEORY and a theory still has got to be proven?

Question

A fact is been proven evolution hasnt

people used to believe the world was flat as well

I wonder if ya'll know I took 4 yrs. of college biology
AND I dont mean taking the some class 4 times

Answer 1

i took 5 1/2 years of biology so there neeners. seriously u r correct theory is just a theory its not a law or fact

Answer 2

larylz, if you took four years of college biology, you need to go get your money back ... you don't have even a basic understanding of *science* much less biology.

1. ALL of science is "theory".
2. No scientific theory is EVER considered "proven."

Or you can consider that a theory is *constantly* being proven ... it's like a boxer that constantly has to prove itself the champ until it is knocked off its title by a better (more explanatory) theory.

It goes like this:
a) A scientific theory is a proposed explanation for observations in nature.
b) The more observations it expains, the stronger the theory.
c) If some observation cannot be explained by the theory, the theory needs to be reexamined and either modified or discarded in favor of a better theory.
d) If a new theory comes along that explains everything the old theory explained, plus some observations that were unexplainable by the old theory, then that theory is considered "better" and is the new reigning theory.
e) However no theory can ever be considered "proved" ... just very, very strong.

So far nobody has produced any observation in biology that most biologists agree are unexplainable by the theory of evolution. (Incidentally, the questions about the origins of life are not part of the theory of evolution. There are many different theories about the origin of life, some that use the same processes of evolution, some that do not.)

Or to put it another way ... *everything* we know about biology ... everything in the fossils, genetics, molecular DNA, variation and distribution of species, anatomy, morphology, embryology ... in fact, almost everything we know about diseases, genetic conditions, the origins and mutations of bacteria and viruses, basically *ALL OF MEDICINE* ... is consistent with an evolutionist explanation. No other scientifically valid (i.e. testable) theory comes close to explaining all these things.

So no, evolution, like *any* theory, is never "proven" ... but it's still *by far* the reigning champ within science.

If you took four years of college biology, and you somehow missed that part ... then someone was really asleep at the wheel.

Answer 3

Do people realize that the earth being round is a THEORY? Everything in science is a theory because we base it on the best available information. New technology allows for new information and changes in the theory.

On a small scale the theory of evolution has been proven time after time and we continue to prove it every day even though we don't intend to prove evolution but rather we use it as a tool to study normal biological function.

The way you phrase your question implies you don't really understand what a theory is. You won't get much sympathy around here for ignorance.


Edit....
So you took for years of biology and don't understand what a theory is?
NOTHING in science is fact. We like to think that it is...but it really isn't. It's just a working theory. Even the world being round is a theory. Now the evidence for that theory is pretty air tight...but say we come up with some new technology...and find a different way to interpret the shape of the earth. Theory just changed didn't it....evolved if you will.

Answer 4

The theory of light or gravity still needs to be refined, for example. Newton's belief in a mechanistic Universe, the long held idea that there was an invisible substance in space that transmitted gravity and light, all these gave way to the Relativistic theories that are the common basis of our understanding of light and gravity today... Newton was wrong But we know there is gravity and light. His theory was refined, large parts of it abandoned, new ideas introduced. That's science. It's a process and never will come up with a 'final explanation'.

It may well be said that no theory is ever finally indisputably proven. A theory, counter to what nonscientists think, is a structure of thought that is constantly being built upon and ammended.
The reason most scientists accept the main tenets of the Theory of Evolution (natural selection, adaptive mutation) is that we see plenty of solid evidence of it in the world.

The holes in a theory are what scientists spend their time trying to fill.

Until a better Theory comes along, I assure you the theory of Evolution will hold sway.

If you are, indirectly with your question, suggesting that we must entertain what is called Creationism, that some being or intelligence crafted the life on our world... well then you have the very difficult task of proving there is such an intelligence.

So far such no such proof has been offered by anyone that I can see.

Answer 5

What you are describing is the skepticism that is built into the scientific process. Scientists require overwhelming proof before something is considered "proven"--so much so that it is next to impossible to do so. Scientists rely on openness to new ideas and relish the opportunity to disprove existing theories because it opens up whole new realms of exploration. This is markedly different from other though processes that rely on "faith" or "intuitive belief."

The value of any scientific theory is its ability to make predictions that can be tested through experiment. Again, this differentiates the scientific process from other approaches. Other approaches make predictions but have no way of verifying them; in science, theories are only valuable if we can do experiments that support (or contradict) the theory. Even if theory is not "proven," it still has tremendous value to scientists because of its ability to make experimentally-verifiable predictions.

When scientists refer to a "Theory of X" it often refers to a predictive model that is believed to be accurate (based on significant evidence) although it can't be (or hasn't been) proven. Other examples include things like Einstein's theories of special and general relativity and Maxwell's equations. This is different from everday parlance, where theory might mean something closer to "conjecture."

I hope this explanation helps you understand the difference between "beliefs" and the scientific method, and the value of theories to scientists in the absence of 100% certainty. I encourage you to learn more about evolution, the evidence supporting it, and how it has served as a foundation for over a century of biological research.

Answer 6

Actually, a theory is that which has continually been proven and has yet to be disproven.

the·o·ry (th-r, thîr)
n. pl. the·o·ries
1. A set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena.

Theories are not thought up randomly and written down as mindless musings. They are constantly scrutinized and analyzed. Thorough analytic experiments are used to conclude that a theory is indeed correct and relevant. The theory of evolution, one which has been around and accepted by the scientific community for a century has endured countless criticisms and has evidence supporting its hypothesis building daily. Creationism, however, has little to absolutely no relevant empirical data to support it.

Answer 7

The Theory Of Evolution is a SCIENTIFIC theory.

"In scientific usage, a theory does not mean an unsubstantiated guess or hunch, as it often does in other contexts. A theory is a logically self-consistent model or framework for describing the behavior of a related set of natural or social phenomena. It originates from and/or is supported by experimental evidence (see scientific method). In this sense, a theory is a systematic and formalized expression of all previous observations that is predictive, logical and testable."

Answer 8

AS humans, we have already evolved quite a bit within recorded history. So, evolution is most definitely a fact. What is 'theory' is precisely how/where/why the very first 'humans' came about. While MUCH evidence exists for man to have evolved from apes, NO evidence exists that we suddenly popped into existence miraculously through devine intervention.

What amazes me is how religious fanatics deny science while they microwave their recipes they got off the Internet, while talking on their cell phones about the purported Korean nuclear threat. Grand hippocracy...and lots of wishful thinking.

Answer 9

You technically cannot "prove" a theory or hypothesis, only support one. A favorite argument of creationists is that scientists cannot show that evolution DID happen to produce as and all life as we know it, just that it COULD have.

I will never understand the fierce opposition that people feel towards evolutionary theory. Most mainstream Christian traditions have accepted evolution as congruous with the idea of God (ie God could have created us with evolution and continue to mold us through time).

That being said, evolution is as strong a theory as exists in science to the point where it should be a law. Few theories have been so substantiated by experimental evidence (DNA sequencing, models in the lab, creation of new properties by accelerated evolution in biological/computer/molecular systems) and observations (fossil record, continuity in speciation, similarities in existant creatures).

Evolutionary theory is a beautiful example of elegance in simplicity in science and nature, but has very complicated subtleties. It remains one of the most misunderstood theories among the general populous despite its prevalence.

Educate yourself and make up your own mind. Filtering science through the context of religion usually leaves you with grinds and effluvium that doesn't resemble their truthful origins.

Answer 10

4 years of college biology huh? General college biology is only one year so I don't know what you are talking about. Even if you took other bio classes like in zoology, ecology, evolution you would have, you know, some type of biology DEGREE.

It must be hard to be so blind to the FACTS that prove evolution especially when it is happening before our very eyes. The article below is about the same Gallapagos Island finches that Darwin studied which have evolved a smaller beak within 2 decades after the introduction of a new food source.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060714/ap_on_sc/darwin_evolution;_ylt=Aic3zUcfOY2HOmaLb.YADp.s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MzV0MTdmBHNlYwM3NTM-

Answer 11

the·o·ry (thē'ə-rē, thîr'ē) pronunciation
n., pl. -ries.

1. A set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena.
2. The branch of a science or art consisting of its explanatory statements, accepted principles, and methods of analysis, as opposed to practice: a fine musician who had never studied theory.
3. A set of theorems that constitute a systematic view of a branch of mathematics.
4. Abstract reasoning; speculation: a decision based on experience rather than theory.
5. A belief or principle that guides action or assists comprehension or judgment: staked out the house on the theory that criminals usually return to the scene of the crime.
6. An assumption based on limited information or knowledge; a conjecture.

[Late Latin theōria, from Greek theōriā, from theōros, spectator : probably theā, a viewing + -oros, seeing (from horān, to see).]

As opposed to what FACT exactly?