Evolution Is Just a Theory?

Scientific Hypotheses, Scientific Theories, Scientific Facts, and Scientific Laws

English scientist Charles Darwin introduced the theory of evolution through natural selection in 1859 with the publication of his book “On the Origin of Species”. This started a fierce argument among nineteenth-century scientists but the massive evidence coming from various other branches of science established evolution’s truth beyond a reasonable doubt before the twentieth century. Surprisingly though, more than 150 years after its introduction, it is still not uncommon to hear evolution is just a theory, implying that it is yet to be proven.

Is evolution just a theory? Do theories become facts when they are proven?

Scientific Hypotheses

A hypothesis is a suggested solution for an unexplained occurrence that does not fit into current accepted scientific theory. For a hypothesis to be termed a scientific hypothesis, it has to be falsifiable, and testifiable. It is also important to note that scientists do not test hypotheses with a pre-determined outcome in mind.

Following are examples for scientific hypotheses:

Moisture levels in the air may affect bacterial growth.

80% of the U.S. population get a divorce because of irreconcilable differences.

Women taking vitamin E grow hair faster than those taking vitamin K.

The Moon formed from the ejecta of a collision between the proto-Earth and a Mars-sized planetesimal, approximately 4.5 billion years ago.