Scientific theories are more overarching explanations of how nature works and why it exhibits certain characteristics. Usually scientific laws refer to rules for how nature will behave under certain conditions, frequently written as an equation. Both scientific laws and scientific theories are typically well-supported by observations and/or experimental evidence. Scientific laws are similar to scientific theories in that they are principles that can be used to predict the behavior of the natural world. To be a scientific theory carries a lot of weight it is not just one person's idea about something The phrase "just a theory" has no room in science. In order for a theory to change, there must be many observations or pieces of evidence that the theory cannot explain. Theories can change, but it is a long and difficult process. They have a large amount of support and are able to satisfactorily explain numerous observations. They are explanations as to why we observe something. They aren't predictions (although we may use theories to make predictions). Theories are explanations of natural phenomena.Note some key features of theories that are important to understand from this description: But the phenomenon of gravity, like evolution, is an accepted fact. Our understanding of gravity is still a work in progress. The theory of biological evolution is more than "just a theory." It is as factual an explanation of the universe as the atomic theory of matter (stating that everything is made of atoms) or the germ theory of disease (which states that many diseases are caused by germs). Such fact-supported theories are not "guesses" but reliable accounts of the real world. "A scientific theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experimentation. Theories also allow scientists to make predictions about as yet unobserved phenomena." In science, the word theory refers to a comprehensive explanation of an important feature of nature supported by facts gathered over time. In everyday language a theory means a hunch or speculation. The explanation becomes a scientific theory. "Some scientific explanations are so well established that no new evidence is likely to alter them. The United States National Academy of Sciences describes what a theory is as follows:
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