There is a mismatch between the scientific definition of theory and the popular definition. When many people say ‘I have a theory’ they mean ‘I have an idea’. But in science, a theory is much more than just an idea. A scientific theory is a set of laws and principles that is known to give a good explanation of experimental results and observations, and can be used to predict the outcome of future experiments.
When a scientist talks, for example, about the theory of global warming being caused by carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the general public believe that this means the scientist has thought of an idea. But in fact it means that the idea has been rigorously tested and the scientist is satisfied that it fits the available evidence.
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