Because most philosophies that frown on reproduction don't survive.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Law or Theory

Razib takes advantage of some (rather silly) comments by political candidates that "evolution is only a theory" to discuss what the difference between "scientific laws" and "scientific theories" actually is.
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2 comments:

Kyle Cupp said...

If I come up with the theory then the theory is a law. :)

1/11/2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...

A more accurate word is "model." Evolution as a process is neither theory nor law. It is a verified fact.

A law implies something that is to be "obeyed," and the evidence of natural history shows that evolution is not inevitable for all species. Some remain static for long ages in ecological niches. Some become extinct.

The notion of a "model" communicates the fluidity of the details of the universe we have yet to explain or even discover.

Todd

1/12/2008 11:36 AM

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