What is a Theory? (Chris)

Name: Christophe Lete Subject/Section: Biology 1B Date: August 28, 2010 Reading Report no.: 1

What is a Theory?
Important points

In English, a theory means an abstract thought or idea that does not required any evidence to support it, although this is different in Science, in Science, a theory is a broad explanation of a phenomenon or phenomena and required evidences. However, even theories and hypotheses are both intended to answer questions; they are not the same. A Theory can only be formed after a number of hypotheses are tested by experiments or using the scientific method. Both of them are still parts of the scientific method. And yes, a scientific theory can be wrong and can always be revised.

Reaction

When I read this, I felt like being a scientist isn’t one of the easiest but one of the toughest jobs on Earth. It seems ridiculous to me that even you have a whole bunch of evidences in your hand, you can’t just go around and prove your theory like cutting off a piece of your birthday cake! Why do scientists make their life so miserable? At once! I understood their objectives and purpose in their lives. I would like to agree that very few theories later become laws, and most of them involved physics or mathematic in explaining themselves. Lastly, I would like to show my sorrow for those scientists who did a great job in the past, but were refused by the people around them. Only after about 500 years when they are already dead, people just somehow switch their mind and say “oh, he was completely right.”

Source:

Heger, M. What is a Theory? Retrieved August 18, 2010 from http://www.livescience.com/mysteries/080521-llm-theory.html