“CARSON CITY — Longtime Las Vegan Steve Brown does not oppose the teaching of evolutionary theory in the public schools. Nor does he support teaching alternative views such as intelligent design or creationism.
But Brown, a masonry contractor who has lived in Las Vegas for more than 30 years, does want the schools to teach the theory of evolution in what he calls the right way, which means acknowledging that much of the theory is just that — theory…”
More here.
Now, what could be more reasonable than that?
The term “theory” actually denotes a basis in reality and that it has been tested many times and found to be consistent. So I guess it depends on what component they’re labeling “just a theory”.
isn’t everything in science “a theory?” IMO this is another case of a layperson confusing the two different meanings of the word theory. He also calls it the “truth in science” initiative. This just feels creepy and I can’t quite explain why.
Does anyone else feel this way?
Sometimes science that can’t be demonstrated or empirically verified is called theoretical. Biology can be separated into two broad categories – modern and historical. Modern biology is an experimental science involved with the study of living tissue. Historical biology is a theoretical science mostly involved with the study of imprints left in rock and other indirect fragments. NAS scientist Phil Skell puts it bluntly in this interview:
Historical evolution is a “theory” in a manner different from experimental chemistry, physics, geology, and other “hard” sciences. -ds