Quote:
Originally posted by Stingy Jack
Okay, here's another quote. This time from a Biology text.
"Theory: A testable explanation of a broad range of related phenomena. In modern science, only explanations that have been extensively tested and can be relied upon with a very high degree of confidence are accorded the status of theory."
This is different than the dictionary term:
"the-o-ry n., pl. -ries: 1. a. Systematically organized knowledge applicable in a relatively wide variety of circumstances, esp. a system of assumptions, accepted principles, and rules of procedure devised to analyze, predict, or otherwise explain the nature or behavior of a specified set of phenomena. b. Such knowledge or such a system of distinguished from experiment or practice. 2. Abstract reasoning; speculation. 3. An assumption or guess based on limited information or knowledge."
You are confusing the term as I use it in the first quote with the term in ascribed definition 3 in the second quote.
|
still don't see the word "fact", just a lot of assuptions, predictions, reasonings and speculation. so really really all that says is that we think this is right, but we're aren't certain.