(March 20, 2013 at 3:06 pm)taylor93112 Wrote: So what is the next step up from a theory? (Sorry I'm not too "science educated" lol)
There isn't one. It's a common misconception that there's a hierarchy in science, from a hypothesis to a theory and on to a law. In science, a theory is the highest achievement possible.
NCSE: Definitions of Fact, Theory, and Law in Scientific Work']
- Fact: In science, an observation that has been repeatedly confirmed and for all practical purposes is accepted as “true.” Truth in science, however, is never final and what is accepted as a fact today may be modified or even discarded tomorrow.
- Hypothesis: A tentative statement about the natural world leading to deductions that can be tested. If the deductions are verified, the hypothesis is provisionally corroborated. If the deductions are incorrect, the original hypothesis is proved false and must be abandoned or modified. Hypotheses can be used to build more complex inferences and explanations.
- Law: A descriptive generalization about how some aspect of the natural world behaves under stated circumstances.
- Theory: In science, a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world that can incorporate facts, laws, inferences, and tested hypotheses.
Theories are made up of facts and laws, which are essentially the Lego blocks of science; thus no amount of testing or experimenting can ever turn a theory into a law.
At the age of five, Skagra decided emphatically that God did not exist. This revelation tends to make most people in the universe who have it react in one of two ways - with relief or with despair. Only Skagra responded to it by thinking, 'Wait a second. That means there's a situation vacant.'
