On 21/09/2006, at 12:21 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
I am not sure things are so simple in differentiating fact from
theory. The
facts of evolution are that there is change over time in the type
and nature
of living things.
That's the "fact" part of evolution, yep.
This implies that evolution occurs. Is this a fact or a
theory. The similarity between organisms in a region and between
current and
past organisms also implies evolution. Is this data fact or theory?
The similarity is a fact. The progression is a fact. The analysis
that therefore all creatures are descended from common ancestors is
very close to certain. I'd call fact, because there has been no other
explanation that stands up to scrutiny. How it happened this way,
that's theory. I note that you introduced "data". Yes, on the
simplest level data is facts and analysis is theory, but as you say:
" The relationship between
fact and theory (or maybe data and hypothesis) is dynamic and not
easily
seperated."
Yep. There are some conclusions that are facts, and some data that is
questionable or uncertain. As in all of science, there's no one
answer to method and nomenclature that works all the time.
But with 9/11, autism/vaccine crankery, creationism, alternative
medicine, perpetual motion and so on, we're seeing groups that either
corrupt this relationship and the nature of science, or just ignore
or dismiss it entirely.
Charlie
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