To those of you who think that the term "theory" means "just a guess" where were you in grade 9 science class?

Question

Were you asleep or mentally undressing the girl (or guy) next to you?
Because in Scientific terms "Theory" does NOT mean "just a guess".
Please follow this link. It will explain, in simple terms, how a theory can be fact.

http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/evolution-fact.html

Look at Gravity for example. It is a theory only (no there is NO law of gravity. Newton wrote a mathematical law to help explain gravity, but there is NO "law of gravity", only theories) yet none would deny that it exists.
Same with Evolution. NO scientist with a REAL degree would argue that Evolution took and takes place. Yet the mechanisms that drive it are constantly being discussed.
Please learn the difference between the word Theory, and "just a guess".

Ed,
I was trying to be kind. No wonder it went over your head.

Tweady,
Not only has it been proven, but it's been observed. Many times.
Read this link if you have the intellectual courage to do so;
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/comdesc/

Answer 1

Honey these people think a hypothesis is "just a guess". Don't bother

*sigh a hypothesis is not a guess either. A guess is a guess. A hypothesis must still be able to be tested and get repetitive results. There is very to no "guessing" in science.

Tweaty that is the stupidest and most self convoluted thing I have ever heard. Nothing, NOTHING can ever be proven 100%. An scientist will tell you that. Gravity is theory. you think that's a plot to disprove Angels can fly too??

Answer 2

I partially agree with you. There are some important theories in science and significant work has been done by assuming they are correct.

Stating that evolution is "just a theory" does not really invalidate it. Christians tend to toss that out like their ace up the sleeve, but that is not so.

To go from a theory to a law means that the experiment has to be able to be repeated successfully by lots of scientists and the results are always the same. Gravity is a law (you are incorrect about that), since it has been proven over and over again. Evolution will remain a theory, because the experiment cannot be repeated.

You are also incorrect about the statement that NO scientist with a real degree would argue about evolution, because there are.

Just because evolution is a theory does not guarantee that it is true either. Science assumes that things have a natural and ordered cause. If we use science to study things with a supernatural cause, we can expect it to come up with the incorrect answer.

For evolution to work, it has to break several scientific laws. For example, it's a law that organic material does not come from inorganic material. The laws of thermodynamics need to be broken also.

There are other reasons as well. As far as I know, we have never observed DNA material increasing from one generation to the next to create more complex life forms. As far as I know, we have never seen a birth defect that has been beneficial.

P.S. I briefly looked at the link you referenced. Same stuff I've been hearing. Theory can be fact, but I'm convinced this one isn't. Every reason given could just as easily be explained as, "They have the same designer". DNA is similar between some species, because they have the same designer. Anatomy is similar, but have different functions in some species, because they have the same designer. On and on. As I said before, science will not (and should not) assume a supernatural cause.

Answer 3

Please understand that because evolution is a theory that other theories are possible. As theories go evolution is weak. There are too many holes in it form we to take it as a fact in any way. I think the most simple of these is the most telling. There isn't enough time for the small rodent like mammals left after the last extinguishing event to bring them to the size and variety of the mammals the roamed the earth during the major ice age that followed. The second hole is near that in bringing doubt. Viruses have been known to man for approximately the last 200 years. During that time there have been billions of generations, yet never has a virus jumped species. Yes the have varied but they remain viruses.. If a virus has no reason to evolve then why would the rodent like survivor of the impact have need to evolve? Couple these problems with that of the HUGE problem (chirality) with spontaneous life generation and logic leads to a new theory, that of special creation. Jim

Answer 4

I was busy dissecting a frog....and marveling at how complex and wonderful the world is...I knew then there was Creator...but it took a few years for it to really sink in.

And a theory can never be fact...if there was a fact of evolution, then why do scientists call it a theory...aren't they bright enough to know the difference?

About gravity: What goes up must come down...is a fact....gravity is a fact,,not a theory...boy,,,,what kind of Kool-aid have you been drinking? A two year old knows that.

Answer 5

Theory is more of an intelligent idea than a "guess" but it can still be categorized into the "guess" label because theories have not fully been proven yet. Or aren't widely accepted. The more you think about it..almost everything you think can be a theory, other than the blatant facts like, "I'm drinking this water". But heck, you could even argue that if you want to..but I'm not getting into that.

Answer 6

I've always heard that "just a guess" is considered a hypothesis, and a theory is "a hypothesis that has been tested and has yet to be proven wholefully wrong," as in, there's always going to be new tweaks as new evidence is discovered (like when gravity was first "discovered" or atoms...they had no idea on what it was 100% made up of..and we still don't) So...did I get it right?

Answer 7

Part of what makes a theory, a theory is the ability to design and conduct experiments to test the validity of all or part of that theory. When experimental testing is impossible, then there is no theory, just speculation extrapolated from empirical evidence.

Answer 8

Hmmm..... A hypothesis is a guess and a theory is something which was or can be proven. Thats why your link here is a hypothesis. Show me how evolution was ever proven. No one could ever prove it, if so I would like to meet that person.

Face it, evolution is something used to try and prove Creationists wrong.

Firstly its Tweaty and I did not ask you for a link I asked you to give a name of a person that has PROVEN evolution. Yes, they "observed" it or as your link put it, is it "testable"? Give me a name if you have the intellectual courage to do so, because no one could ever proof evolution.

Answer 9

I agree. A more powerful example would be the Theory of Music: just dots on a piece of paper. If you don't know how to read music, you can still play it, but you'll be playing to the beat of your own drum, while everyone else who can read music can actually MAKE music more beautiful (although I believe that there are exceptions such as "Jam Sessions") (But all those musicians read music)

Answer 10

Yoda,
Scientific Theory was defined long before 9th grade even when I went to school. If you found out in 9th grade then you are really behind in your learning. Maybe that is why you are not yet a Creationist. Have a wonderful week.
Thanks,
Eds

This statement that you made "NO scientist with a REAL degree would argue that Evolution took and takes place. " is
very much FALSE. The scientists who have any intelligence at all have all decided that evolution could never work in the real world.


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