Reply to A Challenger Appears.
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So, my theory 'apples will fall to the ground when released' is a valid theory. I don't need the entire theory of general relativity to explain why an apple falls.
"Apple falling when let go of" is not a theory, it is an observation or prediction. What you are talking about is a difference between basic knowledge of a subject, and the theories that support its function.
In short, without knowing the theories that explain gravity and how it works in relation to the apple, you will not be able to properly explain to a small child "why?" things fall to the ground when dropped and your answer will be "They just do."
Just like a computer software manual does not need to explain how a transistor works.
Unless it was an electronics encyclopedia on CD of course. But that aside it's a shaky analogy as computer software is generally developed to run on top of an operating system, not directly on hardware. Thus it would not need to explain it because most computer programmers know nothing about transistors and how doping with different chemicals affects the function and type of transistor.
You can have a theory about something everyday, proving something does not make a theory a fact. This is exactly why I feel you can still talk about the 'theory of evolution'.
A theory is not a fact. It is a separate entity that distills a subject and explains it in terms a person can understand. Ever played the clarinet? That's music theory in practice. Driven a car? It's called driving theory. If we didn't have such theories, nobody would drive as there would be nothing for them to study in order to drive. People would jump in their cars and smash into everything because there would be no structured rules on what to actually do.
As skeletony said, "evolution" is fact. Small changes occur in the offspring of organisms depending on a variety of factors. The explanation of these changes are supported by the theory of evolution.
All a theory has to do is explain something and work. Theories are disproved and created all the time. Search for "phlogiston" for some light reading on disproved theories.
Still though, I can have the theory that apples warp themselves to the ground. That's not a hypothesis if it isn't specifically refering to that specific apple. I agree that you were right on my original statement about me mixing up the words hypothesis and theory.
I'm sorry you can't have that theory. That is a (fallacious) observation, and you would have to find a theory that supports such an observation. Even if not referring to a specific apple, your hypothesis would be, "If I let go of an apple, it will warp to the ground." Regardless if it is one or many.
This hypothesis comes from the theory that objects with a weight have a tendency to be attracted to other objects with a weight.
I may be nitpicky, but weight (N) changes depending on the gravitational pull of a planet and/or its acceleration. Therefore your weight is less on the moon. Newton's law specifies mass in kg as the constant. Without any gravity, an object has no weight, though it will contain mass.
So the theory 'God only does good things because we can see this from the bible.' can be an acceptable theory in christian circles, but to convince a non-christian you'll need other evidence. So within christian circles this is a theory, outside of it it is an unfounded statement.
For some reading I will recommend; The Book of Job (God kills some guys family to prove a point to the devil), Genesis (God creates everything) and Leviticus (God commands you not to eat shellfish and bunny rabbits or you deserve to die by stoning.) Jesus performed good deeds, (feeding 5000 people with bread and fish) whereas God commanded people to kill the Philistines.
Of course, each of these could be re-framed from an alternate point of view, claiming that God did all of these because he loved his believers. But I could walk around naked in my town claiming that I was giving people the gift of seeing my finely chiseled features and large triceps. It won't convince a policeman, but I will still believe it to be true. Hence we have extremist groups like the Westboro Baptist Church.
Basically, don't take The Bible literally. There are lessons to be learned from the Gospel, but don't go stoning prostitutes.
"Apple falling when let go of" is not a theory, it is an observation or prediction. What you are talking about is a difference between basic knowledge of a subject, and the theories that support its function.
In short, without knowing the theories that explain gravity and how it works in relation to the apple, you will not be able to properly explain to a small child "why?" things fall to the ground when dropped and your answer will be "They just do."
Just like a computer software manual does not need to explain how a transistor works.
Unless it was an electronics encyclopedia on CD of course. But that aside it's a shaky analogy as computer software is generally developed to run on top of an operating system, not directly on hardware. Thus it would not need to explain it because most computer programmers know nothing about transistors and how doping with different chemicals affects the function and type of transistor.
You can have a theory about something everyday, proving something does not make a theory a fact. This is exactly why I feel you can still talk about the 'theory of evolution'.
A theory is not a fact. It is a separate entity that distills a subject and explains it in terms a person can understand. Ever played the clarinet? That's music theory in practice. Driven a car? It's called driving theory. If we didn't have such theories, nobody would drive as there would be nothing for them to study in order to drive. People would jump in their cars and smash into everything because there would be no structured rules on what to actually do.
As skeletony said, "evolution" is fact. Small changes occur in the offspring of organisms depending on a variety of factors. The explanation of these changes are supported by the theory of evolution.
All a theory has to do is explain something and work. Theories are disproved and created all the time. Search for "phlogiston" for some light reading on disproved theories.
Still though, I can have the theory that apples warp themselves to the ground. That's not a hypothesis if it isn't specifically refering to that specific apple. I agree that you were right on my original statement about me mixing up the words hypothesis and theory.
I'm sorry you can't have that theory. That is a (fallacious) observation, and you would have to find a theory that supports such an observation. Even if not referring to a specific apple, your hypothesis would be, "If I let go of an apple, it will warp to the ground." Regardless if it is one or many.
This hypothesis comes from the theory that objects with a weight have a tendency to be attracted to other objects with a weight.
I may be nitpicky, but weight (N) changes depending on the gravitational pull of a planet and/or its acceleration. Therefore your weight is less on the moon. Newton's law specifies mass in kg as the constant. Without any gravity, an object has no weight, though it will contain mass.
So the theory 'God only does good things because we can see this from the bible.' can be an acceptable theory in christian circles, but to convince a non-christian you'll need other evidence. So within christian circles this is a theory, outside of it it is an unfounded statement.
For some reading I will recommend; The Book of Job (God kills some guys family to prove a point to the devil), Genesis (God creates everything) and Leviticus (God commands you not to eat shellfish and bunny rabbits or you deserve to die by stoning.) Jesus performed good deeds, (feeding 5000 people with bread and fish) whereas God commanded people to kill the Philistines.
Of course, each of these could be re-framed from an alternate point of view, claiming that God did all of these because he loved his believers. But I could walk around naked in my town claiming that I was giving people the gift of seeing my finely chiseled features and large triceps. It won't convince a policeman, but I will still believe it to be true. Hence we have extremist groups like the Westboro Baptist Church.
Basically, don't take The Bible literally. There are lessons to be learned from the Gospel, but don't go stoning prostitutes.
