[beenBinybelia]

Something that's very misunderstood these days is the relative importance of theories and facts, when it comes to science.

Recently, and especially on sites such as YouTube, I've seen people attacking scientific consensuses, saying that such and such is "just a theory".

I thought it'd be helpful to clear things up a little.

It's common for people to think of scientific theories as something that's not yet proven, and once it is proven, it will become a fact. This is used to argue against things like global warming and evolution etc.

However, this is simply a misunderstanding as to what scientists mean when they talk about a theory.

Facts, in science, are boring. Facts are everywhere. Facts are seen with the eyes, measured with instruments, heard with the ears, smelt with the nose. Facts are pretty insignificant in scientific terms. A fact, to a scientist, explains nothing. A fact in science, is the lowest of the facets of reality because it offers no explanation. It is just something that simply is.

Where explanations happen in science, is in theories. A theory, in scientific terms, isn't guesswork. It isn't just someone's suggestion or idea. A theory, in science, is the mother-load - a theory is an explanation for a large collection of facts and tested hypotheses.

Take evolution. It's not simply an idea. It's an explanation of the facts that have been gathered about life on planet Earth.

But rather than let me bore you to tears on the subject, the much more pleasing tones of Dr Genie Scott can explain better: