How does theory differ from hypothesis and scientific laws???
Scientists refer to the best available description of some phenomana – one that has been repeatedly tested and verified, and one with repeated failed attempts at refutation – as “theory.” For example, the leading description of gravity is “Einstein’s Theory of Relativity.” This leads to confusion, as most non-scientists think of “theory” as untested and unverified, when the opposite is actually true. A hypothesis is an idea or description that has not, for whatever reason, been subject to verification and refutation. Once tested, hypotheses can be promoted to theory or rejected. “Law” has two common uses – as historical names for early advances in science (such as Newton’s Law of Gravity) and to describe a phenomena without any real understanding of why the description works (such as Moore’s Law or the Titus-Bode Law).
