It has proven tremendously successful in explaining the basis for observed phenomena and in allowing scientists to make predictions based on existing data. Evolutionary theory is a comprehensive explanation that integrates facts from many different areas of science. Without theories to explain and integrate them, facts become collections of unrelated observations. In other words, it is a phenomenon that has been observed so frequently that its existence is no longer being questioned.īecause theories explain facts, they embody a greater understanding of the natural world than do observations. This demand that a hypothesis be “falsifiable” is one of the defining characteristics of scientific explanations.Ī “fact,” in scientific terms, is an observation that has been repeatedly confirmed by the studies of different independent scientists. For a hypothesis to fall within the realm of science, it must be constructed in such a way that it potentially can be shown to be wrong-otherwise the hypothesis cannot be tested against evidence from the natural world. If the available evidence does not support a hypothesis, that hypothesis can be rejected, modified, or subjected to further testing. If a hypothesis is supported by the evidence, the hypothesis may contribute to more complex explanations, including theories. The scientist then would gather evidence to test that hypothesis. Evolution in Hawaii, a scientist might hypothesize that a species on one island is descended from a species on another island.
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