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To: Coyoteman
Theory: a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena; "theories can incorporate facts and laws and tested hypotheses." Addendum: "Theories do not grow up to be laws. Theories explain laws." (Courtesy of VadeRetro.)

This does not square with what other scientists believe:


379 posted on 09/23/2006 3:39:50 AM PDT by HarleyD
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To: HarleyD
I know because I've had to relearn some theories since I taught this class 25 years ago, but the facts are the same. For example, the universe has doubled in age since I was a boy,which gives you an idea of just how old I am.

That's a really strange quote, and a fairly worthless one. I wouldn't repeat it. It starts off OK, but then when the author goes to give an example of a theory that has changed, he says, "the age of the universe has doubled".

"The age of the universe" is not a theory. It is a fact: it is a physical property of the universe that we measure. It may be possible to derive a prediction of the age of the universe from a theory, but that's not what is done: we calculate it from a series of physical measurements.

"But in order to calculate, you need a theory!" you say. Perhaps, but those aspects of the theory (e.g. how light propagates through the universe, and how stars and supernovae work) haven't changed very much, while the measurements and measurement techniques have. The age of the universe is no more a theory than the length of your foot is a theory.

If anything, his example stands as a counterexample of his assertion that facts remain the same.

Now, you may argue that the "fact" is the true age of the universe, and that that hasn't changed (much), even if our measurement has changed. But when it comes to physical properties, measurements are all science ever has to work with. And yes, they change.

381 posted on 09/23/2006 6:00:22 AM PDT by Physicist
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To: HarleyD
This does not square with what other scientists believe:

The quotation you posted does not disagree at all with the definitions I posted. Better go back and read them again.

391 posted on 09/23/2006 8:53:41 AM PDT by Coyoteman (I love the sound of beta decay in the morning!)
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