One thing that keeps popping up in the argument for Intelligent Design to be taught is that evolution is a “theory”, as is creationism, neither are “fact” so why teach only one?
The problem is, as good as that sounds, it totally neglects the difference between scientific theory and colloquial theory. If I were to sit here and say that I theorize the universe is like St Elsewhere, all in the imagination of an autistic kid looking at a snowglobe, then people would say “okay that’s your theory”. That’s the colloquial definition, that anything posited by someone as what they believe to be true is a theory.
Scientifically, that’s hardly even a hypothesis. Good resource: http://wilstar.com/theories.htm
Theory: A theory is more like a scientific law than a hypothesis. A theory is an
explanation of a set of related observations or events based upon proven hypotheses and
verified multiple times by detached groups of researchers. One scientist cannot create a
theory; he can only create a hypothesis.
…A theory is like the automobile. Components of it can be changed or improved upon,
without changing the overall truth of the theory as a whole.
Scientifically speaking, a theory is practically a law, it just needs to stick around and gather a little bit more proof before it can be termed such. That said, the end result of a scientific theory is accepted as truth.
Now, ID’ers want their shit taught in science classes based on the “fact” that evolution is only a theory, thus it shouldn’t be taught without alternatives. The funny thing is, we’re taught a lot of theories in school that no one seems to mind.
- Theory of General/Special Relativity
- Quantum Theory
- Atomic Theory
- Global Warming
- Continental Drift
And many more. If these people were truly speaking in the interest of science, they’d have “Intelligent” counters to all of these other theories as well, not just the one that happens to have a nice little counter sitting in the Bible.
Though, personally, I look forward to the day when “Intelligent Heating” is used to explain climate changes, or “Intelligent Pushing” explains why the continents move around.
