PSA: Scientific Theory =/= What You Think It Does · 1:28am Jul 11th, 2018
Got a PM asking if I could explain this by an anonymous who frequents here so I'll put it here for others to enjoy.
Absolute truths in science are rare and even then to an extent arbitrary. 2+2=4, 20 kilograms is more mass than 2 grams, and there are four states of matter. That's just about it under normal circumstances. Often one might hear statements like "the Theory of Evolution" or "the Theory of Relativity" and it can really sound like "Wow the science guys don't really know anything and are trying to teach it as fact! They're just guessing!"
That's because that first part is exactly what theory is. The confusion comes because the layman definition of the theory is not the same as a scientific one. In science, a guess that is testable is called a hypothesis. A hypothesis could be tested but it hasn't been just yet and it seeks to answer a question. A theory is the result of repeated hypothesis testing.
Lemme demonstrate.
Hypothesis: If I dropped two objects, then they'd migrate slightly towards one another because of an invisible force pulling them together.
I test it and sure enough, even in a weightless vacuum outside of the planet, if two objects that are left to move under no outside force, they will be accelerated toward each other until stopped by an outside force.
After repeated hypothesis testing on why this is true, a theory develops. That theory states that unless stopped by outside forces, two objects will be pulled towards one another through an effect called gravity. The power of said gravity scales with the mass of the object. All matter must thus have some amount of gravity and gravity is as inherent to matter as mass, volume, and density are.
This becomes the Theory of Gravity. This is because everything testable points in this direction and the theory can now be used to test new hypothesis and predict future discoveries because it holds up. For instance, if gravity is a truth and operates as theorized, which the theory assumes it is, and it affects all matter than one can make new hypotheses like this-
Hypothesis: If all matter has gravity and the amount of gravity positively scales with the mass of the object, then smaller celestial bodies will orbit larger celestial bodies because of gravity and not the other way around.
And sure enough the theory holds up. It might get more complicated with time, such as us finding that some matter seems to generate more gravity per volume than other matter does or that gravity can affect the light in some ways; but the theory still endures because there is nothing disproving it outright nor is there any alternative that is testable. Remember, science is only interested in the material world and can only work with in the material world. Proposing an answer that cannot be tested in the laboratory nor observed in nature is not making a new theory, just a statement that can't even be tested as a hypothesis.
Theory can also endure and be vindicated if it can be used to predict future discoveries. For instance, to go back to the Theory of Gravity, study of gravity allowed for the observation and discovery of numerous planets by checking to see which stars have a slight wobble in their movements. This is because smaller objects can manipulate the position of larger objects via gravity in tiny ways, like how a small dog being walked by its owner can still nudge them slightly. By checking to see which stars wobble in such a hypothesized way and in looking closer, new planets have been discovered!
And yes this is true with absolutely every single scientific theory.
"So why call it Theory and not Law?" - I hear you might ask.
The simple answer is because of the very big universe out therewith infinitely complex systems in a near infinite space. Nothing can be observed in its entirety. We can't watch absolutely every single individual of every single species on the planet at the exact same time to see if they change. We can't observe every single piece of matter in the universe to see if gravity affects it like it does everything else. We can't directly observe past events nor future events. We can't know everything, so we don't know if there may be some scenario where the theory doesn't hold up that also explains absolutely everything else.
However in everything we can observe, predict, test, and categorize; the theory holds up. It might change with the times to accommodate special conditions or unique mechanisms that were not apparent at first. But the theory endures because it encompasses everything we do know and what we can test. That's why it is treated as fact. It does include a bit of guesswork and never claims to be completely infallible as we understand it now, but it is anything but guess work.
Good post, would thumbs up if I could.
I learned all I need to know about scientific 'theories' from this guy!
azquotes.com/picture-quotes/quote-if-evolution-is-true-you-could-not-know-that-it-s-true-because-your-brain-is-nothing-kent-hovind-71-87-57.jpg
4898946
that's alright, I'll give you a thumbs up.
Very good, but what would count as a Law?
4899023
Pretty much nothing except what is defined by true constants like basic math because nothing can be tested in absolutely every single scenario possible. Even physics don't truly have laws in a definite "it only works this way" sense.
Just because we don't have a full grasp of concepts like thermodynamics and gravity doesn't mean we don't have a pretty good idea about how the current universe works. There are just some forms of science that we can't readily see with our limited physical senses, but we can damn sure try to at least fill the gaps that we can't see. Heck, look how much we've accomplished for a bunch of hairless apes? We've landed on the FREAKIN' MOON, and an accomplishment for what the laymen would call "theories".
And, it's really annoying how people would use the whole layman definition of "theory" to try to refute scientific progress. Alas, we're only human, and we thrive on comfort on what we think we know about the world. Luckily, there are those that are willing to accept change. :)
4899031
You know what kind of accomplishment we might do in human history. If somehow we figured out how to orbit a black hole without being sucked in like in dr who. Wouldn’t that be a sight to behold. just wonder about the theory’s and possibility’s that could happen. We might even discover a white hole if such a thing even exist.
Strictly speaking, the four states of matter are only those that are observable in normal circumstances. There are also other types of matter that only exist under extreme conditions such as Bose-Einstein condensates which occur at temperatures close to Absolute Zero and Degenerate matter found in collapsed stars.
Which just goes to show that even Absolute truths aren't always Absolute.
4899124
Actually, it's perfectly possible to orbit a black hole, it'd be no different from orbiting a regular star (besides the fact that our planet would probably be dead due to lack of sunlight). At the centre of our galaxy there's a supermassive black hole that we call Sagittarius A* which is currently being orbited by a star we call S2. In fact, most galaxies are believed to have a supermassive black hole at their centre. The "sucked in" effect would only occur if you fall into a black hole's event horizon which is the point of no return where light cannot escape.
4899012
Kent Hovind's brain is chemicals. Chemicals do things. Chemicals are used in cleaning. Windex is used in cleaning. By deductive reasoning, if Mr. Hovind has chemicals in his brain he is, in fact, Windex.
Also, don't forget his buddy
oi64.tinypic.com/nq7ki1.jpg
4900065
Kent "Windex" Hovind.
I was gonna use Comfort at first, but then I thought Hovind is a lot more charismatic, and probably has better quotes.