What makes a theory a theory and a fact a fact? Ex: Theory of Evolution?

Answer 1

A theory to become accepted as scientific 'fact' merely needs to be published for 'peer review' , then, other scientists sound off and voila! You have a voted on scientific fact.
Welcome to science by democracy!

Answer 2

A fact is something we can actually see and verify for ourselves. A red ball is red. That is fact because we can see it and no amount of arguing is going to change that fact.

Now a theory is something that scientists create to explain how things work. There are two kinds of theories, accepted theories and unproven theories. Accepted theories, such as the Theory of Big Bang, the Theory of Evolution, the Theory of Relativity, are theories that have explain the observable world upto that point in time when the theories are proposed and made predictions that had been subsequently verified (the Microwave Background radiation for Big Bang, genetics for Evolution, bending of star light by gravity for Relativity) . Unproven theories, like the String Theory, might explain the observable world but has yet to make any predictions that could be verified. So to say that a theory is not fact is correct. However, an accepted theory is our best explaination of how things work.

If you want to see the Theory of Evolution in action right now Google superbugs and you will find info on bacterias that have developed resistance to antibiotics. They didn't use to have resistance 50yrs ago but they do now. Hence, they evolved.

Answer 3

Did no one actually look at the dictionary definitions of the words "theory" and "fact"?

Only two of the 17+ definitions of the word "fact" on dictionary.com included any version of the word "proof"...one was in an unrelated (legal) context and the other was in the context of science ("a scientific hypothesis is not a fact").

In addition, none of the definitions of "fact" impose the limit of science as the only method of observing and coming to "know" something was "true". A fact is something that just is...it is a fact that we will all die eventually...I can't prove that, but that doesn't make it any less of a fact.

In a purely semantic sense, none of the definitions of theory suggest that a theory is anything more than "probable". Scientists distinguish between theories and hypotheses by defining a theory as an explanation backed up by enough evidence to be accepted as true as opposed to a hypothesis which is an explanation that hasn't been tested enough to be accepted...however, both definitions acknowledge that neither a theory or a hypothesis can ever be "proven" true.

The theory of evolution is a scientific theory that has been accepted as true based on evidence...this can lead many people to label it a fact...and they aren't wrong by any of the definitions of fact I read on dictionary.com. By the same token, my interpretation of the evidence led to a different conclusion that I'm equally justified in labeling a "fact" by any number of valid definitions of the term!

Answer 4

Here you go:

http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistry101/a/lawtheory.htm
Scientific Hypothesis, Theory, Law Definitions

Learn the Language of Science
Words have precise meanings in science. For example, 'theory', 'law', and 'hypothesis' don't all mean the same thing. Outside of science, you might say something is 'just a theory', meaning it's supposition that may or may not be true. In science, a theory is an explanation that generally is accepted to be true. Here's a closer look at these important, commonly misused terms.

Hypothesis

A hypothesis is an educated guess, based on observation. Usually, a hypothesis can be supported or refuted through experimentation or more observation. A hypothesis can be disproven, but not proven to be true.

Example: If you see no difference in the cleaning ability of various laundry detergents, you might hypothesize that cleaning effectiveness is not affected by which detergent you use. You can see this hypothesis can be disproven if a stain is removed by one detergent and not another. On the other hand, you cannot prove the hypothesis. Even if you never see a difference in the cleanliness of your clothes after trying a thousand detergents, there might be one you haven't tried that could be different.

Theory

A scientific theory summarizes a hypothesis or group of hypotheses that have been supported with repeated testing. A theory is valid as long as there is no evidence to dispute it. Therefore, theories can be disproven. Basically, if evidence accumulates to support a hypothesis, then the hypothesis can become accepted as a good explanation of a phenomenon. One definition of a theory is to say it's an accepted hypothesis.

Example: It is known that on June 30, 1908 in Tunguska, Siberia, there was an explosion equivalent to the detonation of about 15 million tons of TNT. Many hypotheses have been proposed for what caused the explosion. It is theorized that the explosion was caused by a natural extraterrestrial phenomenon, and was not caused by man. Is this theory a fact? No. The event is a recorded fact. Is this this theory generally accepted to be true, based on evidence to-date? Yes. Can this theory be shown to be false and be discarded? Yes.


Law

A law generalizes a body of observations. At the time it is made, no exceptions have been found to a law. Scientific laws explain things, but they do not describe them. One way to tell a law and a theory apart is to ask if the description gives you a means to explain 'why'.

Example: Consider Newton's Law of Gravity. Newton could use this law to predict the behavior of a dropped object, but he couldn't explain why it happened.

As you can see, there is no 'proof' or absolute 'truth' in science. The closest we get are facts, which are indisputable observations. Note, however, if you define proof as arriving at a logical conclusion, based on the evidence, then there is 'proof' in science. I work under the definition that to prove something implies it can never be wrong, which is different. If you're asked to define hypothesis, theory, and law, keep in mind the definitions of proof and of these words can vary slightly depending on the scientific discipline. What is important is to realize they don't all mean the same thing and cannot be used interchangeably.

Answer 5

Science has abandoned the concept of "fact". An idea is simply that. A scientist will have an idea, which he will formulate into a hypothesis. When the hypothesis has been evaluated by experiment, and found to hold true repeatedly, it is then considered a theory. The concept of a law, such as the law of gravity is no longer the current scientific method.

Nuclear fission, as used in bombs quite reliably is still considered theory.

Those who demean evolution because it is only a theory simply don't understand the word theory. They believe that it implies doubt or lack of proof, which is simply not the case. I doubt that those who disbelieve evolution because it is only a theory would be unlikely to sit near a nuclear bomb, not fearing that it will go off simply because its principles are only theory.

Answer 6

Music theory: written notes
Music fact: what you hear when notes are played.

Pretty damn good theory if you've ever listened to someone play who has no clue. (Although I admit there are naturals out there)

A theory in practice is proven. The reason people don't want to accept evolution as a theory is because evolution occurs over incredibly long periods of time. But I take this as a lesson to be learned about the idea of eternity.

Change IS part of our world. Face it. Embrace it. Love it.

Answer 7

The quick answer is that evolution is both a theory and a fact.

It is a fact in so far as there is overwhelming evidence for the descent with modification of lifeforms on earth.

It is a theory in so far as there is still lively and ongoing debate as to the MECHANISMS that have caused this modification (natural selection, genetic drift, horizontal gene transfer, self organizing complexity, etc).

No credible biologist doubts the fact of evolution.

Answer 8

Nicole R had the best answer. A theory is an idea that's in a stage where you cannot prove it, you can only try to disprove it. The theory of gravity is a great example. I can't prove what gravity is, or exactly how it works, but you can't disprove it either. It's so universally excepted that it's a scientific paradigm. The same can be said about Darwinian evolution. It cannot be proven, since the process cannot actually be seen ocurring on a large scale right in front of us, however, the evidence supporting it is so overwhelming, that it, like gravity is a scientific paradigm, meaning that no reputable scientists dispute it as a truth. The theory that man is causing the earth's temperature to increase is another along those lines, there is slightly more dispute, but no internationally recognized scientific body disputes the theory that man is causing the earth's temperature to increase, making it, like gravity and evolution, a scientific paradigm, regardless of what Bill O'Reilly says. So to summarize, a theory is a set of scientific "truths" that cannot at present be proven, but attempts ar made to disprove them. Facts are easily provable and cannot be disproven at all.

Answer 9

nurdee got it right. 'theory' in science is not used the same way it is used by the general population. a scientific theory, to be accepted, must have some supporting evidence. when the theory can be tested and repeated in a lab, it is a scientific 'law'. evolution will never be tested and repeated in a lab, therefore it will always be a 'theory'. the same applies to the big bang. it's time for you creationists to move on to a topic you can actually argue.

Answer 10

A theory is something that some people think MIGHT be true and a fact is something that has been proven to be true. Evolution is a theory because a lot of scientists have looked at a lot of evidence and, based on that evidence, have come to the conclusion that evolution is probably the way things work. But there is yet to be any evidence that proves 100% that evolution is true, therefore it is a theory. Almost all things in science are considered theories because science is always open to new findings and there is rarely evidence for anything that proves it to be 100% true. Scientists realize that they MIGHT be wrong and so almost all things in science are labled theories.

Answer 11

a 'theory' in scientific terms doesn't mean the same as it does in common language terms.

in science a theory is an description of something that has been adequately supported by evidence. a fact is just a statement, without description. both would be considered true.

in common language a theory usually doesn't have any evidence. 'i have a theory that this restaurant serves cat coz i'm always sick when i eat there'