| gallo
That other difference makes sense as well.
A hypothesis is an attempt to explain.
A theory is nothing more than a hypothesis that has held up to tougher scrutiny.
That's the thing that gets me when people say that science has "proved" something. It really hasn't.
And I don't want what I'm saying to be mistakenly associated with support for either side of the argument above.
The Theory of Evolution hasn't been proven... that would be a mistake of language. It's just been supported by repeated observations.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's the difference between saying, "This observation is proof that the theory is correct," and, "This observation supports the theory."
Too many people get "proof" confused with "support." In science, there is no such thing as proof. As I tell others when I teach these things:
"Proof is for logic and math to reach unchangeable conclusions. Science is for the best explanations based on current technology's ability to observe." |