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Author Topic:   Evolution is "just a theory."
pink sasquatch
Member (Idle past 6022 days)
Posts: 1567
Joined: 06-10-2004


Message 1 of 6 (120933)
07-01-2004 6:22 PM


I thought this might be helpful to the many that somehow believe that the use of the word "theory" is derogatory. I’ve seen people in multiple threads discount evolution because it is "just a theory," and not necessarily respond well when given the definition of "theory." I just heard this tidbit by the same title on the radio series Earth & Sky and thought it explained the issue well. Here's the transcript:
Just a Theory?
Scientists can never prove a theory is absolutely true. But they can come pretty close. How scientists learnnot by provingbut by disproving theoriesafter this on Earth and Sky.
DB: This is Earth and Skyon what scientists mean when they talk about "theories" and "truth."
JB: Michael Seeds is an astronomer at Franklin and Marshall College in
Pennsylvania. He says that scientists can never prove a theory with absolute certainty.
Michael Seeds: So you can disprove a theoryyou can prove a theory
is wrongbut you can never prove that it’s absolutely right. But you
can confirm a theory over and over and over. You can confirm it so
many times that you gain so much confidence in it that you say, this
surely must be true, the Earth really does go in an orbit around the sun.
That has been confirmed so many times, it must be true.
DB: You might hear someone dismiss a scientific theorysuch as the
idea that humans are contributing to global climate change. They might
say, "Oh, that’s just a theory."
Michael Seeds: . . . when I hear that, I know that the person saying that either doesn’t know what a theory is or is taking advantage of public misunderstanding to criticize something that they don’t want to deal with.
So climate change, for example, or ozone depletion have been confirmed over and over and over and we know it’s happening. We’re not sure exactly why, but it’s very well documented and very well understood.
Earth & Sky
Thursday, June 24, 2004

Replies to this message:
 Message 2 by coffee_addict, posted 07-01-2004 8:14 PM pink sasquatch has not replied
 Message 3 by Loudmouth, posted 07-01-2004 8:49 PM pink sasquatch has not replied
 Message 4 by pink sasquatch, posted 07-19-2004 3:02 PM pink sasquatch has not replied
 Message 5 by Trae, posted 07-22-2004 6:11 AM pink sasquatch has not replied

  
coffee_addict
Member (Idle past 477 days)
Posts: 3645
From: Indianapolis, IN
Joined: 03-29-2004


Message 2 of 6 (120969)
07-01-2004 8:14 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by pink sasquatch
07-01-2004 6:22 PM


Here is the simplest term I use to describe what a scientific theory is to a creationist that is used to blowing hot air out of his butthole. When a theory is recognized and confirmed, scientists are 99.99999999% sure it is true. To say that since-evolution-is-just-a-theory-therefore-it-can't-be-taken-seriously is like saying since-gravity-is-just-a-theory-then-things-will-sometimes-fall-upward.

The Laminator

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by pink sasquatch, posted 07-01-2004 6:22 PM pink sasquatch has not replied

  
Loudmouth
Inactive Member


Message 3 of 6 (120982)
07-01-2004 8:49 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by pink sasquatch
07-01-2004 6:22 PM


The word "theory" is used differently within the sciences than it is within common vernacular. In a general argument, someone can bring up a theoretical situation. Of course in this situation, theory is used as a real world situation that hasn't happened. This type of definition does not apply to a scientific theory. In this case, the hypothetical situation is tested by observations and experimentation in order to see if it is actually happening.
I feel that the looser definition of theory is erroneously used in scientific situations by those who are unfamiliar with the actual practice of science. They feel that anyone of the definitions for "theory" found in the dictionary are reflective of its use in science. This couldn't be farther from the truth.

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 Message 1 by pink sasquatch, posted 07-01-2004 6:22 PM pink sasquatch has not replied

  
pink sasquatch
Member (Idle past 6022 days)
Posts: 1567
Joined: 06-10-2004


Message 4 of 6 (125716)
07-19-2004 3:02 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by pink sasquatch
07-01-2004 6:22 PM


bump for Robert Byers
bump

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 Message 1 by pink sasquatch, posted 07-01-2004 6:22 PM pink sasquatch has not replied

  
Trae
Member (Idle past 4306 days)
Posts: 442
From: Fremont, CA, USA
Joined: 06-18-2004


Message 5 of 6 (126510)
07-22-2004 6:11 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by pink sasquatch
07-01-2004 6:22 PM


For many people anyone using hypothesis outside of a scientific setting simply seems like they’re being pompous or pretentious. If TV is a judge of the matter, scientists often do poorly at correcting people for misusing the term 'theory' even within scientific areas. I often see theory misused in documentaries.
This message has been edited by Trae, 07-22-2004 05:11 AM

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 Message 1 by pink sasquatch, posted 07-01-2004 6:22 PM pink sasquatch has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 6 by mark24, posted 07-22-2004 6:36 AM Trae has seen this message but not replied

  
mark24
Member (Idle past 5195 days)
Posts: 3857
From: UK
Joined: 12-01-2001


Message 6 of 6 (126515)
07-22-2004 6:36 AM
Reply to: Message 5 by Trae
07-22-2004 6:11 AM


Trae,
scientists often do poorly at correcting people for misusing the term 'theory' even within scientific areas. I often see theory misused in documentaries.
The words proof, & prove, too.
Mark

There are 10 kinds of people in this world; those that understand binary, & those that don't

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