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November 03, 2009 03:32 AM
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A theory, in the context of science, may be naively referred to as a description.
In science, we start out with Natural Laws. These are simply observed phenomena. For example, Gravity is a natural law. Why does it exist? We don't know. It just does.
The "Theory of Gravity", describes the observed phenomena. Originally, we started with Newtonian Mechanics. This theory was later "replaced" by Relativity. I put the word replaced in quotes because there is a saying in science, "A new theory swallows its predecessor alive." An eloquent way of saying that everything that is suitably described by the original theory must also be described by the new theory. Ideally, the new theory will also describe (often predicting in the process) phenomena that the old theory did not.
Should a theory be provable by logic and mathematics?
Not necessarily. Another observable phenomena is animals changing over time. The theory that describes this phenomena is called Evolution. This theory covers a great number of mechanisms not really quantifiable in a mathematical sense. Other aspects do not lend itself to strict logical inferences.
Do these facts make the Theory of Evolution any less viable than a Theory of Gravity? Some could possibly argue, "yes", but personally I accept both theories equally.
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"Definition: The term "theory" is used with surprising frequency in everyday language. The term theory is often used in everyday language to mean a guess, hunch, or supposition. A theory is a based upon a hypothesis and backed by evidence. A theory presents a concept or idea that is testable. In science, a theory is not merely a guess. A theory is a fact-based framework for describing a phenomenon. In psychology, theories are used to provide a model for understanding human thought, emotions, and behaviors.
A psychological theory has two key components: (1) it must describe a behavior and (2) make predictions about future behaviors. " - Kendra Van Wagner
Source(s):
http://www.google.com/search?q=definition+of+theory&rls=com.microsoft:e...
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Murphy's law on scientific theories sheds some light on the strengths and weaknesses of theories. It says: "All scientific theories are flawed; when we find the flaw, we replace the theory with a more subtly-flawed one."
Having said all the above, half in jest, theories are a crucial tool in exploring and understanding the universe around us. Without theories as the conceptual structure into which we plug our observations, measurements, and insights, we'd have no way to build on existing knowledge. We'd just be collecting jumbles of data.
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What is a theory?
What is your definition of a theory?
Can I think of a theory as a description of something?
Should a theory be provable by logic and mathematics?
Can I think of a theory as a description of something?
Should a theory be provable by logic and mathematics?
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| November 04, 2009 07:36 AM |
In science, we start out with Natural Laws. These are simply observed phenomena. For example, Gravity is a natural law. Why does it exist? We don't know. It just does.
The "Theory of Gravity", describes the observed phenomena. Originally, we started with Newtonian Mechanics. This theory was later "replaced" by Relativity. I put the word replaced in quotes because there is a saying in science, "A new theory swallows its predecessor alive." An eloquent way of saying that everything that is suitably described by the original theory must also be described by the new theory. Ideally, the new theory will also describe (often predicting in the process) phenomena that the old theory did not.
Should a theory be provable by logic and mathematics?
Not necessarily. Another observable phenomena is animals changing over time. The theory that describes this phenomena is called Evolution. This theory covers a great number of mechanisms not really quantifiable in a mathematical sense. Other aspects do not lend itself to strict logical inferences.
Do these facts make the Theory of Evolution any less viable than a Theory of Gravity? Some could possibly argue, "yes", but personally I accept both theories equally.
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Other Answers (2)
November 03, 2009 06:16 AM
I found this to be a pretty good answer (found on About.com): "Definition: The term "theory" is used with surprising frequency in everyday language. The term theory is often used in everyday language to mean a guess, hunch, or supposition. A theory is a based upon a hypothesis and backed by evidence. A theory presents a concept or idea that is testable. In science, a theory is not merely a guess. A theory is a fact-based framework for describing a phenomenon. In psychology, theories are used to provide a model for understanding human thought, emotions, and behaviors.
A psychological theory has two key components: (1) it must describe a behavior and (2) make predictions about future behaviors. " - Kendra Van Wagner
Source(s):
http://www.google.com/search?q=definition+of+theory&rls=com.microsoft:e...
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November 03, 2009 02:38 PM
A theory is a made-up story about how things work which, to the best of our knowledge (i.e. based on all available experimental data, intuition, observations, etc.), could be how they actually work in reality. A scientific theory is one where the "story" is supported by measurable evidence. Murphy's law on scientific theories sheds some light on the strengths and weaknesses of theories. It says: "All scientific theories are flawed; when we find the flaw, we replace the theory with a more subtly-flawed one."
Having said all the above, half in jest, theories are a crucial tool in exploring and understanding the universe around us. Without theories as the conceptual structure into which we plug our observations, measurements, and insights, we'd have no way to build on existing knowledge. We'd just be collecting jumbles of data.
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November 03, 2009 03:00 PM
Do you agree with me that a theory is a description?
The purpose of a theory is to describe how something works or happens. A theory is used to make predictions of what will happen and why.
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The purpose of a theory is to describe how something works or happens. A theory is used to make predictions of what will happen and why.
November 03, 2009 03:43 PM
A theory describes the contextual framework for the knowledge we've accumulated on the topic it covers. In that sense, it is a description. However, it is more than simply a description, as it has to accommodate all existing relevant knowledge, make predictions for things not yet known, and preferably do so with as few assumptions as possible. Thus, it is not simply a description, but one that exhibits a specific set of characteristics.
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November 03, 2009 06:21 PM
No theory is ever provable. You can only dis-prove a theory if you find a prediction it makes which is shown to be untrue. A theory may be supported by math and/or logic, in the sense that if it is mathematically and/or logically not self-consistent, that disproves it without the need for experimental data.
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The theory of Gravity is not an absolute and complete theory.
The theory of relativity breaks down at the point of the big bang.
Faith in a theory is often mistaken as an absolute law.
The fact that a theory can grow is what gives it strength. If theories were static and never questioned, they would be useless. Better to be incomplete and correct about what you cover than complete and wrong a portion of the time.
Evolution is not a complete theory, but what it covers is correct.
Evolution fails to predict the direction of complexity. Evolution may explain how species are differentiating but it can not predict what the species will become.