by Marlo'sRedCloak June 27, 2012
Get the Science Boyfriends mug.Contrary to popular belief, when scientists use the word "theory", they are not referring to conjectures that they have pulled out of thin air and have no data to support such claims. The scientific use of the word "theory" is much different than the colloquial use.
In science, a theory refers to an integrated set of principles that explain and predict events that are observed in the natural world. Theories, in the scientific sense, summarize and explain facts, and imply testable predictions that allow for the falsification of the theory. Theory is vital to scientific endeavour, as it generates hypotheses to be tested, gives direction to research (and even suggests new areas for research), and, if the theory is good, has a high amount of explanatory power without requiring extensive modification to the theory. Theory without data is just conjecture, but data without a theoretical explanation is as good as meaningless to scientific practice.
In science, a theory refers to an integrated set of principles that explain and predict events that are observed in the natural world. Theories, in the scientific sense, summarize and explain facts, and imply testable predictions that allow for the falsification of the theory. Theory is vital to scientific endeavour, as it generates hypotheses to be tested, gives direction to research (and even suggests new areas for research), and, if the theory is good, has a high amount of explanatory power without requiring extensive modification to the theory. Theory without data is just conjecture, but data without a theoretical explanation is as good as meaningless to scientific practice.
An example of a scientific theory that is often mistaken as just a "theory" is the theory of evolution. Contrary to common misconceptions, evolutionary biology is one of the most prolific fields in science, with hundreds of thousands of peer-reviewed papers attesting to the theory's veracity, and an ever-increasing body of research.
Other examples include general relativity (yes, gravity is technically "only" a theory), special relativity, atomic theory (yes, atoms are "only" a theory too), and germ theory (the theory that small microscopic organisms are the cause of many illnesses).
Other examples include general relativity (yes, gravity is technically "only" a theory), special relativity, atomic theory (yes, atoms are "only" a theory too), and germ theory (the theory that small microscopic organisms are the cause of many illnesses).
by Amygdala May 30, 2011
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A: Well, I'm glad we all finally agree that the beginning of everything hinges soley on the 'Big Bang' theory.
B: Hold on there, Poindexter! I think we have found ourselves in a position of 'science friction'. You see, I subscribe the the time's arrow school of thought.
B: Hold on there, Poindexter! I think we have found ourselves in a position of 'science friction'. You see, I subscribe the the time's arrow school of thought.
by Bryan Gilbreath October 23, 2010
Get the science friction mug.When you know the answer is scientific and you don't care to know how it works but need to explain it to somebody.
by Ayrez December 9, 2014
Get the Science and shit mug.A cult founded by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. There core beliefs are as follows:
This area of the galaxy was once ruled by an alien warlord named Xenu. 65 million years ago his empire was overpopulated horribly, so to combat the overpopulation he had trillions of citizens called in for psychiatric evalutations and tax audits, where they were given paralytic drugs, loaded onto space planes, and flown to Planet Teegeeack. Once on this planet, their bodies were stacked in huge piles around volcanoes, while atom bombs were dropped into these volcanos, instantly killing trillions of galactic citizens.
To keep these people from reincarnating in the rest of the galaxy, Xenu set up a special trap. Powerful force-fields kept their souls (called "Thetans" in Scientology jargon) from escaping, and these thetans were then shown special holographic movies about the various lies they are supposed to believe, with characters like Jesus, Mohammed and Buddha. Over time, these thetans began to believe Xenu's lies about false gods, and began to reincarnate on Teegeeack (but the thetans called this world "Earth"). When intelligent life appeared on Teegeeack, thousands or millions of "Thetans" cling to every native soul (er, "thetan") and fill it's head with nonsensical thoughs and irrational beliefs.
The key idea of Scientology is to avoid tax officials and psychiatrists at all costs, while paying the church a large amount of money for special "counseling" (called "auditing" in their jargon) to help you reach a special enlightened state called "Clear" where you telepathically communicate with these "thetans" clinging to you and force them out of your body, and rid yourself of evil Xenu's influence.
(By the way, most Scientologists don't know this, like the Mystery Cults of the Greco-Roman world, Scientology doles it's doctrine out in tiny doses to it's new recruits, and tells the public next to nothing about what it believes. You don't hear that whole story until you reach a special rank in their group called "OT3" for "Operating Thetan 3". Their doctrine holds that if this got out, the Thetans in people would revolt at hearing the truth and people would get sick and die possibly just by hearing this story, which of course leads people who aren't Scientologists who hear this story to tell it to others and watch them not die or get ill from it.)
This area of the galaxy was once ruled by an alien warlord named Xenu. 65 million years ago his empire was overpopulated horribly, so to combat the overpopulation he had trillions of citizens called in for psychiatric evalutations and tax audits, where they were given paralytic drugs, loaded onto space planes, and flown to Planet Teegeeack. Once on this planet, their bodies were stacked in huge piles around volcanoes, while atom bombs were dropped into these volcanos, instantly killing trillions of galactic citizens.
To keep these people from reincarnating in the rest of the galaxy, Xenu set up a special trap. Powerful force-fields kept their souls (called "Thetans" in Scientology jargon) from escaping, and these thetans were then shown special holographic movies about the various lies they are supposed to believe, with characters like Jesus, Mohammed and Buddha. Over time, these thetans began to believe Xenu's lies about false gods, and began to reincarnate on Teegeeack (but the thetans called this world "Earth"). When intelligent life appeared on Teegeeack, thousands or millions of "Thetans" cling to every native soul (er, "thetan") and fill it's head with nonsensical thoughs and irrational beliefs.
The key idea of Scientology is to avoid tax officials and psychiatrists at all costs, while paying the church a large amount of money for special "counseling" (called "auditing" in their jargon) to help you reach a special enlightened state called "Clear" where you telepathically communicate with these "thetans" clinging to you and force them out of your body, and rid yourself of evil Xenu's influence.
(By the way, most Scientologists don't know this, like the Mystery Cults of the Greco-Roman world, Scientology doles it's doctrine out in tiny doses to it's new recruits, and tells the public next to nothing about what it believes. You don't hear that whole story until you reach a special rank in their group called "OT3" for "Operating Thetan 3". Their doctrine holds that if this got out, the Thetans in people would revolt at hearing the truth and people would get sick and die possibly just by hearing this story, which of course leads people who aren't Scientologists who hear this story to tell it to others and watch them not die or get ill from it.)
The Church of Scientology takes advantage of the gullibility of the American people to make a tidy profit.
by Student-Athlete December 10, 2004
Get the Scientology mug.by caretcaret November 28, 2016
Get the science baby mug.Dude, did you hear about those new DEEPFAKES videos?
Yeah, they have one of Scarlett Johannson doing it!
No way! Wait where might I be able to find these aforementioned videos? What no, it's not for me, obviously, it's... for scientific purposes.
Yeah, they have one of Scarlett Johannson doing it!
No way! Wait where might I be able to find these aforementioned videos? What no, it's not for me, obviously, it's... for scientific purposes.
by Funghuy June 18, 2018
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