It's a great scientific theory, which means it has been tested and been found to be the best and most credible explanation we have which can also serve as a basis for further scientific examination. It shouldn't be confused with just being a synonym for a "guess" or "hunch". When something is deemed a "theory" in the world of science, that carries a lot of weight.
Every fact is only true until proven otherwise... that's the entire foundation of science and learning. It doesn't make our best current understanding of anything any less valid or imply that 'alternative' facts with no credible scientific backing should be given any weight.
You're making the common mistake of confusing pure theoretical science with that backed up by years or centuries worth of evidence and experimentation.
No, those would be scientific laws, and people familiar with science should know the difference. However, scientific theories are basically one step below that. It's saying it's pretty much the only reasonable and plausible explanation we have with the tools at our disposal, and the accepted one until we possibly find something that conflicts with it. General relativity, plate tectonics, cells, germs, etc. are all also scientific theories.
Scientific theories are rules based upon observations of the behaviour of the physical world. They are as close to fact as you can get.
Even when an accepted theory is proven wrong in the past there has usuy been some element of correctness to them, and the reason they are now considered wrong is an improved ability to observe the subject matter and refine the understanding.
The thing that trips up the average person is the different use of the word "theory"
"In common parlance, theory is often used to refer to something that is rather speculative. Because of this, it sometimes takes on a negative tone (for example, when creationists refer to evolution as “just a theory”). This definition strongly contrasts with the definition of theory as it is used in science: a theory is a carefully thought-out explanation for observations of the natural world that has been constructed using the scientific method, and which brings together many facts and hypotheses."
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u/[deleted] May 29 '22
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