[28064212]

Originally Posted by Chuck Stone

That sounds a bit like a creationist argument tbh...

Only if you don't understand what a theory is. And no-one mentioned the mechanism of biological evolution, only the theory of evolution

[Adamas]

Originally Posted by parc

There's a word for this...I know it but just can't think of it

For example: The theory that winning the lotto will lead to happiness is widely accepted though not thoroughly proven or disproven

This theory would be called a.....something

Do you mean that something like this is a notion, or even possibly, in this case, a popular notion?

Notions are based on impressions, beliefs, whims , ideas that are not really proven or disproven, as they haven't been tested. They may be right, they may be wrong, but they can't be classed as factual or known truths. They tend to be held in the mind as an untested impresssion, and are often not really questioned enough to be fully thought out by the holder so as to be either validated or discounted. LINK

They are something like UFOs flying about in the no-man's-land of the mind, where they may be perceived in some vague and blurred way, but never clearly seen as to what they are, notional. These areas of study touch on the wider headings of perception, which may be true or false, or a mixture of both.

A

[GO_Bear]

Originally Posted by 28064212

It's called a theory because it is a theory. It is not a fact, it has not been proven (and never will be). Newton's theory of gravitation had masses of evidence and was considered pretty damn iron-clad; then Einstein came along

Actually evolution itself is a fact, but only the mechanism by which it occurs is a theory, hence we should be using the proper name for it which is the Theory of evolution by natural selection

And anyways, A fact is something demonstrable and invariably consistent;

FACT
a. Something demonstrated to exist or known to have existed

While a theory is often a collection of data used to explain facts

Theory
a. A set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena.

And a theory is not just a hypothesis, it is something that has stood the test of time in the academic arena and has yet to be disproven, modern theories are not just discarded by discoveries either, rather just improved with more recent findings as it would be extremely rare to have it just outright disproven if it has already reached Theory status

[bluewolf]

Originally Posted by Curly Judge

Surely it is still a theory until proven ,when it becomes a fact

Is supposition the word you are looking for?

No no no!!
A theory doesn't one day grow up and become a fact!

A theory is an explanation of facts. "It is a set of principles that explain and predict phenomena". It is NOT an "unproven fact".

Once a hypothesis is verified, it becomes a theory. That's the only little progress any of them make.

[Curly Judge]

Originally Posted by bluewolf

No no no!!
A theory doesn't one day grow up and become a fact!

A theory is an explanation of facts. "It is a set of principles that explain and predict phenomena". It is NOT an "unproven fact".

Once a hypothesis is verified, it becomes a theory. That's the only little progress any of them make.

???
And where does that leave Fermat's Last Theorem?
Is it not now a fact because it has been proven?

[3DataModem]

A theorem is not a theory.

And OP I believe the phrase you are looking for is "conventional wisdom".

[Curly Judge]

Originally Posted by 3DataModem

A theorem is not a theory.

And OP I believe the phrase you are looking for is "conventional wisdom".

http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Theorem.html

A theorem is a statement that can be demonstrated to be true by accepted mathematical operations and arguments. In general, a theorem is an embodiment of some general principle that makes it part of a larger theory. The process of showing a theorem to be correct is called a proof.

I'm not trying to be smart!
Just seeking to learn and move forward.

[3DataModem]

Originally Posted by Curly Judge

http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Theorem.html

I'm not trying to be smart!
Just seeking to learn and move forward.

No problem.

A Theorem and a Theory are still very different concepts. A Theorem is a statement of "truth" based on other given "truths".

So Fermats last Theorem was a Theorem because it was a statement of a simple mathematical truth (since proven).

A Theory could be simple or complex, and generally - but not always - only stands to be disproven. It's something that fits the observed facts, sometimes very very well. Eg the extinction of the dinosaurs has several plausible theories... including the big rock hitting gulf of Mexico and causing the long dark winter... but we don't know for 100% certainty.

[Curly Judge]

Originally Posted by 3DataModem

No problem.

A Theorem and a Theory are still very different concepts. A Theorem is a statement of "truth" based on other given "truths".

So Fermats last Theorem was a Theorem because it was a statement of a simple mathematical truth (since proven).

A Theory could be simple or complex, and generally - but not always - only stands to be disproven. It's something that fits the observed facts, sometimes very very well. Eg the extinction of the dinosaurs has several plausible theories... including the big rock hitting gulf of Mexico and causing the long dark winter... but we don't know for 100% certainty.

Thank you!
In post no 20 I referred to Fermat's last Theorem.
I did this because that is how this particular l conundrum is usually referred to.
It would have probably been more correct to refer to it as Fermat's Lost Theory, because although he claimed to have solved the problem he left no proof.
It wasn't until the 1990's that Andrew Wiles solved the problem and provided proof[s] which satisfied his mathematical peers.
Prior to that the problem should have been referred to as Fermat's hypothesis, surely?
My point,[now] is that a hypothesis is a theory, and when it is proven it moves on to the Nirvana of science, be that called a fact, theorem or...whatever?
I freely admit that this is much easier to reach in mathematics than in other branches of science, mathematics being such an exact science.

[daesu]

Mathematics is very different from other sciences in this respect. In mathematics it's usually possible to test a given statement for all possible cases. You can test a formula using all possible inputs. For example it's trivial to test some logic statements.

In other sciences such as physics it's impossible to prove anything because it's impossible to test for all possible cases.

In science facts are observations that are accepted to be true. This doesn't mean they are proven. A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for facts. When a hypothesis is tested repeatedly and get's very well supported by evidence then it becomes a theory. A theory never becomes a fact, a theory explains facts.

The scientific definition of theory, and fact, and other words, is very different from the colloquial usage of the word.

It's not possible to prove a theory, it's only possible to disprove it. But the more you test a theory, the more evidence that supports it, the more accurate predictions it makes, the stronger it gets.

Example:

Gravity is a fact. We have repeatedly observed things falling down. But gravity is not proven. To prove gravity it would be necessary to test every single atom in the Universe.

Gravity is also a theory. The theory explains the facts, the observations.

Evolution is a fact. We have repeatedly observed changes in organisms over generations. But it's not proven. To prove evolution it would be necessary to test every organism that ever existed.

Evolution is also a theory. The theory explains the facts, the observations.

[tommy2bad]

Conventional wisdom ?

[Queen-Mise]

Common opinion
Latest opinion

[Richie15]

Just skimmed through this, so sorry if I'm repeating, but it seems like everyone's trying to simplify this into a single correct answer. In fact, there are two.

In scientific terms, a statement is a hypothesis until it's proven beyond a reasonable doubt, at which point it becomes a theory. Technically speaking, there's no such thing as "fact" (all statements are questionable - including this one!) So, Gravity is a theory, but not because it's unproven. (Go on, try disprove it by jumping off a bridge.* You'll get a Darwin Award.)

In colloquial usage, a theory is something you've come up with on a hunch, with no evidence and often no even rational logic. For example, "I'm having no luck with women; my theory is that they're all lesbians."


*Neither myself nor Boards.ie encourages readers to jump off bridges. If you choose to jump off a bridge, you accept the inherent risk of serious injury or deadness.

[Morbert]

Originally Posted by Richie15

Just skimmed through this, so sorry if I'm repeating, but it seems like everyone's trying to simplify this into a single correct answer. In fact, there are two.

In scientific terms, a statement is a hypothesis until it's proven beyond a reasonable doubt, at which point it becomes a theory. Technically speaking, there's no such thing as "fact" (all statements are questionable - including this one!) So, Gravity is a theory, but not because it's unproven. (Go on, try disprove it by jumping off a bridge.* You'll get a Darwin Award.)

A slight correction: A theory is an explanatory framework that would generate hypotheses. When these statements are tested and found to be true, the theory is affirmed. If they are falsified, the theory is falsified.

[CelticRambler]

Originally Posted by finality

A hypothesis is essentially a guess, used as a starting point for further investigation. A theory is arrived at once there is evidence to support an initial hypothesis. I'd agree that the word the OP is looking for is in fact "theory".

No, it's an hypothesis because it lends itself to prospective testing (assuming one can define suitable measures of happiness).