Answered: What is the relationship between facts…

Applications and Investigations in Earth Science (9th Edition)

9th Edition

ISBN:9780134746241

Author:Edward J. Tarbuck, Frederick K. Lutgens, Dennis G. Tasa

Publisher:Edward J. Tarbuck, Frederick K. Lutgens, Dennis G. Tasa

Chapter1: The Study Of Minerals

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 1LR

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What is the relationship between facts and theories in science - compared to - how these concepts are applied in common language? Both facts and theories are mature, complex sets of statements that unify hypotheses and laws, and thus explain how the world works. Their use is the same scientifically and popularly. Facts are the highest level of scientific information, and whereas theories are not proven facts, they still represent mere ideas in the larger framework of the scientific enterprise. • Facts are the highest level of scientific information, and when theories become facts then they are proven. • Facts represent the highest level of knowledge as perceived by the general public, BUT scientists treat theories as much grander explanatory statements that unify facts - even viewing facts (i.e., observations) as a mere ticket to get into the door of doing science! Next Science is often treated as a "search for the truth"-but- is it more accurate to say that scientific pursuits are about how we discover (best we can) how the world works? O It is MORE accurate to rephrase this because even though science may be a search for the truth, the discoveries that we make must be taken with a grain of salt since they are only probabilistic in nature. It is LESS accurate to rephrase this because scientific discoveries are not probabilistic. They are about absolute certainty, and when we discover facts then we are similarly unveiling truths. It is LESS accurate to rephrase this because when you search for the truth and you make a discovery, then you are by definition also discovering a truth about the world. It is MORE accurate to rephrase this because science is not about absolute truth (100% certainty). Answers are probabilistic by their nature, and so even though scientists may be "searching" for statistical truths, the answers that we find (however compelling!) are always going to be less than 100%.

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Theories differ from facts in several ways. According to the scientific method, there is a distinct difference between facts—things that can be seen, measured, or otherwise quantified—and theories, which are the explanations and interpretations of the facts by scientists.

Theory in Science:

As per the United States National Academy of Sciences, There are some scientific explanations that have stood the test of time and are unlikely to be changed by fresh information. The justification develops into a scientific hypothesis. A theory is a guess or a supposition in common parlance. Science is an exception.

A complete explanation of a significant aspect of nature that is supported by data acquired through time is referred to in science as a theory. Additionally, theories let scientists forecast as-yet-unobserved occurrences.