As a Christian and a scientist I sometimes find myself aghast at the ignorance on either the religious or scientific side(not necessarily saying they are opposing sides.) I would like to now clear up a misconception that many Christians have about the nature of science. Their misconception can be summed up by this statement, usually directed at evolution, "it is just a theory." Now I see this misconception coming mostly from the fact that those in question do not have accurate definitions for the words they banter about. I have heard it said that in science once a theory is "proved" enough it becomes law. This is not really the case. First let us look at what the definition of scientific(physical) law is.
Wikipedia Definition of Physical law (I know not the greatest source but in this circumstance it shall suffice)
To summarize a physical law is some observed(conclusively) phenomena. Let's start with something easy to understand and visualize gravity. We can see and demonstrate empirically that the phenomena of gravity happens. Now that is a Law. Notice we have not answered why it happens just observed that it does happen. (perhaps "how" it happens might be a better statement but you get the point.)
To answer the why(or how) question is where theory comes in.
Wikipedia Definition of Theory
So again to summarize, specifically the scientific portion, the theory is a postulated explanation that can be verified or refuted with the data gathered. Going back to the gravity example. Einstein's general relativity is a theory as to why gravity is observed, in this case a curvature of space-time due to mass. Now part of the theory is that it is predictive and is testable. Thorough testing of general relativity has taken place in the years since it was proposed by Einstein. Though still a theory it has a wide basis for acceptance.
If we were to refute an explanation because it was a theory we would be left with nothing. So when someone tells a biologist "evolution is just a theory" he will respond with "yes."
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2 comments:
I like this post. I know what you mean.
I remember lots of questions directed toward me as an undergrad when I took a course in evolution as part of my biology degree- mostly to the effect of "You don't really believe that stuff do you???" And I remember thinking, "What stuff? Do you know what you are talking about?" Evolution, contrary to what many people think, does NOT boil down to the idea that apes evolved into humans. I don't believe this concept, but of course I believe in other concepts such as mutations and adaptation. Evolution is a broad term that refers to many biological phenomena, and it drives me crazy when people use the term so broadly. Anyway, I guess I went off on a tangent...
You are absolutely correct and I myself was a bit lazy with my definitions. There is Evolution and then there is evolution. To be honest I can't remember which is which but one is the all encompassing(survival of the fittest, genetic drift, mutation etc etc.) the other is merely the observations that alleles within a population change. The later might be more likely a candidate for a Law in that it is a very well documented phenomena that happens in all biological populations.
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