[obol] A Theory (was "Cattle Egrets")

[Jim Moodie]

Just to clarify Russ's point a bit and use this thread as an opportunity
to teach,

there are two parts to a theory: the facts (observations, data, patterns
that we can all see) and the explanation (how does a process work or why
do these patterns exist).

The Cell theory has two parts: 
Facts: living things are comprised of one or more cells 
Explanatory part: all cells come from pre-existing cells.

Evolutionary theory is the same: 
Facts: new species descend from existing species (fossils, comparison of
DNA, etc.)
Explanation: a major mechanism driving speciation is natural selection.

Anyone saying "it's just a theory" when talking about a scientific
theory doesn't understand science.  It is and should be a goal of anyone
teaching biology to make this clear to our students.  Kudos to Russ for
doing his part.

Cheers,
Jim


Dr. Jim Moodie
Dept of Science
COCC

-----Original Message-----
From: obol-bounces at lists.oregonstate.edu
[mailto:obol-bounces at lists.oregonstate.edu] On Behalf Of Russ Namitz
Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2006 10:28 PM
To: obol at lists.oregonstate.edu
Subject: [obol] A Theory (was "Cattle Egrets")

Obol~

Although Jeff uses the word "theory" in the appropriate context, the
common every-day use of this word SERIOUSLY undermines its alternate
meaning when applied to the realm of science, biology in particular.

A theory in science is the best explantion based the experiments and/or
evidence that have been presented and peer-reviewed.

I battle the "its just a theory" mindset on a weekly basis with high
school students.  Setting aside the contentious Evolution Theory, here
are two common ones...

Cell Theory = living things are made of cells Germ Theory = microscopic
"germs" cause disease

Sorry I got my feathers ruffled, but I just wanted to point out the two
meanings of the word and clear up any misconceptions...I know they are
out there.

Back to birding,
Russ Namitz
Coos Bay


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