IF Evolution is taught as a theory why do people claim it is a fact?

Question

Are the school text books that far behind?

Answer 1

By definition, Scientific Theory is fact. Only cultural use of the word "theory" can make people confused about this.

Answer 2

For something to become a fact it must first be a theory. Evolution started as a theory and remains a theory widely supported by the scientific community. (and for the non supporters many believe it may have occurred in a different context then proposed)

Current school textbooks teach evolution as a scientific theory, those that believe it is a fact are either going out on their own limb and claiming it, or just misunderstood what they have been taught.

Now is it possible you can find a book that says evolution is a fact? Yes it most certainly is, and you can find books that say it doesnt exist. It would be quite a shame if a school was distributing the wrong information in either spectrum. Obviously the author of such a text book is biased and that should not be considered learning material.

Ooh and any who, the textbooks would not be behind by claiming evolution was a fact, they would be ahead to be able to make such a claim that would take years of extensive research that opposers of the theory demand. Although we can prove evolution in various insect species that apparently is not enough to have this theory put down as fact.

and to the people above me that go and say that our genetic makeup is unique you are only half correct. Every single creator on this planet has the capability to take on all the genetic qualities of the others. The reason they do not, and the reason for our differences is due to protien expression and synthesis carried out through RNA a messenger compound created by DNA for the synthesis of protiens. This is not to say that my DNA is the same of that of a fish, it is to say, my DNA and the compounds which construct it are identical to those of a fish. With some obvious differences, the functionality of the cells etc...all caused by the expression of protiens through the use of RNA by the organisms body. (all of this is scientifically proven google RNA and DNA if you don't believe me) I do not believe this was random, I believe a higher power is responsible for the vast complexity of our world, but I think it is hard to believe that a seperate system would be coordinated for each individual organism on the planet. We are all unique, but we are all constructs from the same basic ingredients.

Answer 3

Gravity was taught as a theory for a long time... The word "Theory" doesn't mean there isn't any fact to it... just that they don't have the complete picture from start to finish. But then, that's the point to science... finding all the pieces.

Yes, school text books are that far behind. They do not update them every time they get a little new info. It would cost way too much.

Answer 4

Tina, I think that is the point the question is asking. Gravity is fact and can be proved, so why are the school texts so far behind that they've not changed it yet? Evolution is a theory with many holes in it and the fact of the matter is that Darwin, who started this whole thing, wasn't even a scientist! He was a theologists who became frustrated with trying to intellectually reconcile the bible, which can not be logically discerned but spiritually discerned. Evolution is about as real as the tomb James Cameron claims is the tomb of Jesus. Oh by the way, James Cameron is an atheist. Doesn't it strike anyone that he may be a little motivated to try and pull a stunt like that? PEOPLE PLEASE WAKE UP!!!

Answer 5

It has to do with the general public's misundertanding of the definition of "theory" in a scientific context.

The problem is that outside of science, people will commonly throw the word around, as in "I have a theory about" - implying it is just one person's whim.

That is much closer akin to what science would label a hypothesis (if in fact it could be tested).

Remember, it is called the Gravitational theory, the electromagnetic theory and the atomic theory. Do you not believe in gravity? The reason it is theory is because the way gravity operates cannot be FULLY explained - yet. Same with Evolution.

Answer 6

Far behind compared to what? Creationism? Evolution is believed by over 90% of scientist and !00% percent of agnostics and atheist. This is no small number. Compared to you evangelicals we at least look at all the facts (things capable of being proof positive, in case you don't know) and not text of some book based on none. I think it is more likely that times have past the faith-blinded, so called majority, than people who do not believe man is in god's likeliness.

Answer 7

Evolution is both.

Let's look at the fact of evolution first. What is evolution? It is the change in alleles over time. Alleles are traits that are found in genes. So, when an organism reproduces, its offspring will have different genes than it has. These genes express different traits. An example is how you are different from your parents. However, the traits expressed by your genes don't come out of left field; they are handed down to you through successive generations.

And this is where the theory of evolution comes in. The theory is about the mechanism behind evolution, how it works. From this theory, we can understand life on this planet. Back to our example above - many of the traits that are passed down to you are rather inconsequential. For instance, the color of your eyes or the color of your hair won't majorly affect your ability to reproduce, at least not in the human species. Now, let's say that long ago, an ancestor of yours had a mutation in a gene makes him (or her) significantly less susceptible to heart disease. This trait can significantly impact his ability to reproduce. When he does, that trait is passed to his offspring and then eventually to you. Given enough time (which could be surprisingly rapid, depending on a population size), this mutation could be found in every human on earth. So, right here, we have the theory - that certain traits expressed in genes will have a significant impact on the survival and reproduction of an organism. Note, however, there are still plenty of other traits which piggyback on these important ones. They don't disappear as they are, in a sense, necessary (imagine a person born without color to their eyes), but they aren't critical.

From this, we can start moving backwards in time. Let's take our ancestor above. Now, let's just start taking groups of people at random. Some of them have this gene, some don't. By looking at the genes they have in common and comparing this with the genetic differences, we can reconstruct when this ancestor lived. And now, let's compare the genes of all these people to the genes of another organism, say, a chimpanzee. These two genes, from very different organisms, are nearly identical. We can do this with any gene from any organism. With this knowledge, we can construct a tree of life. It turns out that all the organisms on the planet are tied together through their genes at varying levels, which is powerful evidence for the theory of evolution.

Answer 8

This is a result of a misunderstanding about the meaning of "evolution", "theory", and "fact". Whether evolution is a fact or a theory depends on what one means by evolution, by theory, and by fact. All of these words have at least two meanings. For example, "evolution" can either refer to an observed process, or, as shorthand for "evolutionary theory", to the explanation for that process.

The process of evolution is not a theory in the sense it is scientifically used; rather, it is a fact. This is because the word "evolution" is used here to refer to the observed process of the genetic composition of populations changing over successive generations. Because this is simply an observation, it is considered a fact.

"Fact" has two different meanings: in colloquial usage, it refers to any well-supported proposition; in scientific usage, it refers to a confirmed observation. For example, in the scientific sense, "apples fall if you drop them" is a fact, but "apples fall if you drop them because of gravity" is a theory. "Gravity" can thus either refer to a fact (the observation of objects being attracted to heavy objects) or a theory (the explanation for this fact). Evolution is the same way. As a fact, evolution is an observed biological process; as a theory, it is the explanation for this process. What adds to this confusion is that the theory of evolution is also sometimes called a "fact", in the colloquial sense--that is, to emphasize how well-supported it is.

When "evolution" is shorthand for "evolutionary theory", evolution is indeed a theory. However, phrasing this as "just a theory" is misleading. "Theory" has two different meanings: in colloquial usage, it refers to a conjecture or guess; in scientific usage, it refers to a well-supported explanation or model for observed phenomena. Evolution is a theory in the latter sense, not in the former. Thus, it is a theory in the same sense that gravity and plate tectonics are theories. The currently-accepted theory of evolution is known as modern evolutionary synthesis.

Answer 9

The theory of relativity is a theory too.As is much of Einsteins work.And yet we have the atomic bomb.
Electricity is just a theory and yet we have lites and power.
The limited absorption of Oxygen is a theory and yet we have oxygen poisoning at 33 feet when breathing pure 02.
ESP and clairvoyance are theories and yet everyone has experienced on some level.
Gravity is just a theory and yet we use it and the gravity of planets in complex calculations to send satellites anywhere we want in the solar system with pinpoint accuracy.
Shall I go on?
By the same token evolution is a theory and yet I can reproduce it in a lab anytime using shortlived species such as crickets and moths.

Answer 10

I've never heard anyone claim it's 'fact'. That's why it's called the Theory of Evolution, and not the Law of Evolution. I HAVE however, heard people claim that creationism is a fact.