Vombie wrote:
I'm no scientist, but the theory of evolution is only a theory.
I hear creationists repeat this line all the time and it drives me nuts. The problem is you are not understanding the definition of the word theory as it is used in science.
"From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
In common usage, people often use the word theory to signify a conjecture, an opinion, or a speculation. In this usage, a theory is not necessarily based on facts; in other words, it is not required to be consistent with true descriptions of reality. True descriptions of reality are more reflectively understood as statements which would be true independently of what people think about them. In this usage, the word is synonymous with hypothesis. This common usage of theory leads to the common but misguided statement "It's not a fact, it's only a theory."
In science, a theory is a mathematical or logical explanation, or a testable model of the manner of interaction of a set of natural phenomena, capable of predicting future occurrences or observations of the same kind, and capable of being tested through experiment or otherwise falsified through empirical observation. It follows from this that for scientists "theory" and "fact" do not necessarily stand in opposition. For example, it is a fact that an apple dropped on earth has been observed to fall towards the center of the planet, and the theories commonly used to describe and explain this behaviour are Newton's theory of universal gravitation (see also gravitation), and general relativity."
I heard Republican Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, who doesn't believe in evolution, claim that the theory of evolution "says we used to be monkeys". No it doesn't! This guy can't grasp freshman biology and he wants to be president? Scary!