How long does it take a theory to become a scientific fact?

Answer 1

as long as it to test and prove the theory

Answer 2

Well, I am a scientist, so I think I can help you. In science, the word "theory" does NOT mean what is does in common, day-to-day English. This is the problem 99% of people have with this, and is what leads them to making mistakes--like some of the comments above.

Here's the deal: In science, a "theory" is a concept that is supported by numerous well-tested facts and has not been disproved by many, many attempts. So, "theory" means "factual". The unproven guess about something that is not yet tested out is called a "hypothesis". Okay?

Now, later on, if after many, many years of being challenged but still not disproved, a theory will become a scientific "Law" or "Doctrine" -- same thing. Like the Law of Gravity, or the Doctrine of Evolution, for example. How long does this take? There is no set time limit, or legal requirement of which I am aware (and I'm a science professor and know this stuff pretty well). But as a rule, it takes a long time--decades or longer.

Anyway... I hope this helps. One of the biggest problems we ave in science is that too many people out there still don't understand the basics of science, or even just the meanings of the words we use, and this leads to all kinds of misunderstandings and confusion. Help spread the word!

Answer 3

Scientific theories do not evolve into facts. This is a misconception based on a misunderstanding of the meaning of "theory" in science. This misunderstanding is often promoted by people with anti-science agendas.

A scientific theory is a body of knowledge about a particular topic. The relationship of theory to fact is that the theory explains the facts. A law is a part of theory that can be expressed as a mathematical statement.

Answer 4

I agree with Erin, there were theories that there had been dinosaurs had existed but it did not become a fact until their fossils were found, the same goes for meteors striking Earth. Modern scientific advances are helping to change theory to fact. I wonder what would havee happened if Alexander Graham Bell didn't hav a theory that voice could be transmitted over a wire or John Logie Baird did not have a theory that pictures could be sent through the air, where would we be without television. What about the Curies and their X-RAYS (they both died of radiation poisoning) and on and on and on.

Answer 5

There are no hard facts in Science - everything is up for debate - that is how science progresses. But once the vast vast majority of scientists working in the relevant field are convinced in their own minds that a theory is proven, then it can be comfortably written in to the text books. Scientists are very critical (it's much easier to pick holes in other people's theories than to come up with good ones of your own) so this could take as little as a few years, up to decades and decades, depending on the evidence, and in some cases personalities involved.

Science is also incremental and every discovery builds on foundations of previous discoveries. So if more discoveries are made in the years and decades ahead, in part from assuming the first theory to be proven, and everything works out neatly, then the first theory will be less questioned.

The important thing is that science is an open debate and there are no hard rules as to what theories are proven and unproven, just consensus.

Answer 6

all so called scientific facts are nothing but theories - at best

today's undisputable science may be proved false or extended in a different direction... like newton's gravitational laws were extended by einstein and others...

also all theories need not become facts...when it was theorised that the sun revolved around earth, it took centuries to realise that it is not a fact ...

karl popper & kuhn have postulated many principles on "the Logic of Scientific Discovery"... it may take an arbitrary amount of time before a discovery becomes science by withstanding all efforts to disprove it....

Answer 7

There are no scientific facts, they are all theories, even though people may refer to them as a scientific fact.

Answer 8

When it completes a cycle that shows consistency to a result and no longer subject to interpretation and opinion. It may not have to be either a good or bad theory only one that can be readily identified by anyone!

Answer 9

How long is a piece of string? Evolution has been around for a 200 years and is still considered a theory.

I disagree with the above comment - there is such a thing as scientific facts, getting to that point is another matter.

Answer 10

depends, some theories never become facts, unless there is undisputed evidence of it's truth it will stay a theory.