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Theories are Uncertain Theories are not Uncertain
Debate Score:9
Arguments:9
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 Theories are Uncertain (6)
 
 Theories are not Uncertain (3)

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Do Theories Imply Uncertainty by Nature?

The definition of Theory by Merriam Webster is "plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain phenomena"

Theories have been used to try to explain a lot of things. There is the Theory of Gravity (Why things fall when dropped), The Atomic Theory (The existence of atoms), The Theory of Evolution (How humans evolved), The Big Bang Theory (How the universe came into existence), etc. Can these theories be said to be uncertain, or is there too much evidence to be called uncertain? Is there a body of principles that can explain it beyond a reasonable doubt, or can it still be doubted and challenged?

Theories are Uncertain

Side Score: 6
VS.

Theories are not Uncertain

Side Score: 3

Theories, unlike the fact or the law, explain things. They seek to

account for their being and to explain their nature. In this sense,

scientific theories are of necessity, uncertain. They can never be

certain, for they can never be complete. They imply the existence

of unobservable entities. The theories are, therefore, themselves

objects of investigation. Their validity and applicability must be

determined by experiment.

To those who may be unfamiliar with the term, theory, I shall

give a brief explanation. A theory, in the scientific sense, is a

system of ideas, statements, and laws that attempts to deal with

a specific subject. A scientific theory is not a mere set of

propositions. It is a system of ideas, statements, and laws which

attempts to deal with a specific subject. The theory, therefore, does not exist apart from

its subject matter. The subject matter determines the theory. The subject matter of any theory is physical. The subject matter of any theory is physical, and the subject matter of physical theory is physical substance. The subject matter of physical theory is matter.

To explain a theory as something that can be proven beyond all reasonable doubt is to call it a fact, not a theory. A theory still has some degree of uncertainty. Whether that be 5% or 95% uncertainty, it is still uncertain.

A fact, on the other hand, is an assertion that has a degree of certainty. Facts are statements that have a degree of certainty.

A theory is a scientific assertion. A theory is an assertion. It is an

assertion which attempts to account for a specific experience. A

theory explains what is observed, and is, therefore, an explanation.

Theories are thus both explanations and assertions.

Scientific theories are tentative because they are uncertain. They

are thus distinguished from scientific laws. Laws, unlike theories,

are absolute. They are, therefore, not subject to verification or

falsification by experiment. They are, moreover, unalterable. They

are, furthermore, certain. There is no degree of uncertainty in laws.

A law, in the scientific sense, is an explanation of a specific

phenomenon. It is a generalization. A law is an explanation. Laws are

absolute, in that they are derived from direct observations. Laws

Therefore, are not derived from theory. Theories, in the scientific

sense, are partial. They are incomplete. Theories are explanations.

They are explanations of a portion only of the observed phenomenon.

They are explanations of the part that has been so far discovered.

Laws are certain. Laws, unlike theories, are not tentative. Laws are absolute. Laws are

immutable.

Many scientists try to defend theories such as The Theory of Evolution and The Big Bang Theory by saying that theories are not incomplete or uncertain. This is false, and one of the biggest cruxes for those who do not support any theory. Theories are always tentative, and must always be falsifiable. What sets a theory apart is the degree of uncertainty that it has. The more uncertain the theory, the less acceptable it is in science. The amount of uncertainty varies. Some theories are fairly robust. But there are times when scientists go against the norm and try to defend theories that do not have a good degree of certainty like the Big Bang Theory. It is highly improbable that the Big Bang Theory can be true because it does not have a good degree of certainty in explaining the origins of the universe.

A theory is good if it has a good degree of certainty, but there is always the possibility that it can be false, which means that no theory can be completely certain. The Theory of Evolution, as stated in the above reference, is one of the most uncertain theories out there, but this does not mean that every theory is false. For example, the fact that there is no observable "life force" does not mean that scientific explanations which speak of "life force" are false. Such explanations do not describe observable phenomena, but that doesn't mean that their explanations are false. The Scientific explanation "life force" simply does not describe anything observable, but is plausible enough to stick with in order to explain the biological phenomenon.

Facts do. They are statements that have a degree of certainty. Facts can, therefore, be asserted with certainty.

Theories are scientific assertions. They are assertions that attempt to

account for a specific experience. Theories explain things. They are

therefore explanations. Theories are, therefore, objects of investigation. Theories

are, therefore, tentative and uncertain. Uncertainty is an essential

characteristic of theories. Uncertainty must be admitted as one of the characteristics of theories of science.

To deny, therefore, that scientific theories are uncertain is to

misconstrue their nature. The nature of the theories is relative

certainty. Theories can, however, never be certain. All theories are

uncertain to some degree. Some theories are more uncertain than others.

The uncertainty inherent in all theories may be qualified by a number

of adjectives, such as probable, likely, plausible, reasonable,

acceptable, accurate, acceptable, or inconclusive. There ate no exact

methods of determining the degree of uncertainty of a scientific

theory. It can only be determined as compared to other theories.

A theory that has a high degree of certainty in relation to another

theory, has a higher degree of certainty than the latter. But the lower

degree of certainty does not lessen the value of the theory. If that were

the case, the value of scientific theories would be reduced.

Side: Theories are Uncertain
luchito(79) Disputed
1 point

I disagree.

Evolution and Big Bang theories weren't created in base of observation and didn't explain anything but were just ideas put over the table, words written in pieces of paper, those are great monuments of pseudoscience.

The idea of evolution comes from Kant, the German philosopher, portraying an imaginary scenario of men as descendants of chimpanzee of Africa and Orangutan from Asia.

No explanations given about any biological process or similar.

The Big bang literally tells you the universe comes from a microscopic particle in the middle of nothing, which -no one knows how- started to expand (exploded).

Those ideas were originated in the imagination, not so by observation of phenomena or experimentation and other scientific procedures.

About a theory of science, yes, it is an explanation, but this explanation is based in a fact or phenomena in order to belong to science. Ideas created by imagination of people are not theories of science, those are just mere speculations. Same it happens with other speculations like black holes, worm holes, multiple universes, etc. definitively those are not science.

I won't catalogue something that can't be proved or solved as uncertainty inside a theory of science, but I will catalogue it as unknown. Then, theories with trouble to be fully proved correct can't develop more because some factors or causes are unknown, as to say of unknown origin, etc.

The basic principle of a theory of science is to be based on fact, evidence, observation, something that exists in the physical world and from which an attempt to explain the consequences from the primeval source will develop the theory.

The particle of God, as an example, is another fiction novel and is not science. Of course a new particle has been discovered and many said that was the Higgs Boson . Such is false because the Higgins particle was to "glue" other particles to cause the mass of bodies. So far, the new discovered particle doesn't glue anything, the fiction particle Higgs Boson still is in the limbo.

The confusion created by some members of the scientific community, has been generated by their acceptance of imaginations and conjectures as if they were theories of science. From here, many arguments have been originated trying to defend good for nothing ideas as theories of science, having some of them considered even as pillars of physics, biology and etc. Pure propaganda, those so called theories are not science but just imaginations.

Side: Theories are not Uncertain
1 point

Theories imply uncertainty by nature. The reason being, as I've explained above that a theory is not a fact or a law; it is an attempt to explain something by taking into account all the evidence and arguments available. Because of this, there is always a degree of uncertainty when it comes to theories.

Theories cannot be proven beyond all reasonable doubt because they are never complete or absolute; they are tentative and subject to change. As mentioned in the previous reference, no one can ever prove any scientific theory with 100�rtainty because of this very fact. Theories must always be falsifiable and be open for critique and scrutiny as science progresses over time.

On the other hand, facts do have a degree of certainty attached to them due to their empirical nature. A fact is an assertion that has been proven through direct observation or experimentation, so one can confidently say it is true with a certain degree of certainty.

The difference between theories and facts lies in their ability to provide absolute truth - whereas facts do provide absolute truth, theories remain uncertain even when widely accepted in the scientific community due to lack of evidence or inconsistencies in data or experiments conducted so far on the topic.

It is therefore safe to say that theories do imply some degree of uncertainty by nature; it is impossible for them to be completely certain because they must take into account all levels of evidence - some known, some yet undiscovered - in order for them to remain valid

Side: Theories are Uncertain
1 point

I consider that in many cases the words, theory or theoretical are used by the author(s) of their published research work as a reputation-saving escape Avenue which can be taken if and when their theory is proven to be flawed.

The term theoretical is, in my opinion, no more than a word describing a groundless presumption on a given subject.

Even so, its usefulness, and unreliability of the word can be illustrated in many practical ways such as stock control of let's say a mobile insulation unit as it is being checked for security purposes.

Opening stock;- 20 bales.

Plus issues;- 10 bales.

Sub-total;- 30 bales.

less used;- 14 bales.

Theoretical closing stock;- 16 bales.

Actual closing stock;- 9 bales.

Negative variance;- (7) bales.

Where did the 7 bales go?

Just thought I'd throw that in as how the word theoretical can be used practically.

If the truck's theoretical closing stock was accepted as fact someone would be profiting from their ill-gotten gains.

So, the words theory/theoretically are used to either convey uncertainty or to explain that the subject to which they refer is still to be regarded as 'work-in-progress.

Side: Theories are Uncertain
1 point

The theory of Darwin's evolution is certainly uncertain. It was never proved. Even Ken Ham has explained that there is no such thing as being evolved from a mere ape to a human. Otherwise, wouldn't apes be humans today? And wouldn't newborn babies be more hairy? Except human babies are not apes eh? Exactly and apes are still not humans too. Therefore, Darwin was wrong about that part. The part about survival of the fittest was taken from the observation of animalistic behavior within the animal kingdom. Darwin believed that we are similar in that light and claimed that we have animal origins. But it's revealed, there is just no evidence to support that. Rather, it's been fabricated and called "fact". Although animals of the mammal sector can sometimes mimic human behavior, it doesn't mean they are about to become human. It is humorous to see talking animals these days on tv. But it doesn't make them real humans. Now, just because humans can mimic animals, does this mean we are animals? No. Same process. It's just part of humans and animals forming a bond...sometimes. We do not have sex with animals because it is wrong and harmful. This is why bestiality is outlawed and will continue to be outlawed. The goal of evolutionists these days is to discourage believers in creationism. They believe that humans are suppressing their hidden "natural animalistic behavior". What they are actually trying to do is cause anarchy of sexual and violent behavior without self ownership of one's own individuality. Animals do not talk and instead growl, yap or sit there looking at you with cute eyes for a reason. While humans have been created by God to be more intelligent in communication, self control and being civilized. Are naturalists going for civilized behavior? No. They want everyone to be naked and that is what I call inappropriate NSFW content. If you cannot handle these truths and facts I have just written down, you are marked as a truthphobe; irrationally in fear of the truth and facts presented.

Gender theory, a most popular issue we have today, fabricated by subjective toxicvists(Toxic activists) and hypocrites claim that it is "factual" that we can change our gender. Biology says otherwise. Our chromosomes cannot be changed nor altered. To mess with our own biological structure can mess up alot of things. We may end up looking distorted and ugly. Gender theory can never be proved either, just as Darwin's evolution has already been debunked many many times. Gender and sex are the same. The reasoning behind the different use? Well, kids used to laugh when they heard the word "sex". Gender is meant to reflect upon your biological sex features. This either means manhood or womanhood. Penis or vagina + boobs. Men do not have boobs and if you argue "man boobs", that's another subjective opinion. There is no gender spectrum. Why? It is simple. You are either male or female. There is no in between. Do birth defects determine a new gender? No. Toxic subjectivists will claim "yes". For a fact? No. Intersex isn't a new gender. It is in fact, a birth defect due to chromosomal disorder. People who are born with a male and female genitalia mixed together is still male or female otherwise. You can tell by the voice of the individual. Eunuchs are males without a penis. Hermaphrodites are females with both and no, it's not normal and no, it does not make them special enough to promote rights for them to be of a "different' gender. No, you do not get to promote men to be women because men are men, women are women. Should we have gender neutral bathrooms? No. It will make boys and girls uncomfortable. People need privacy. Theories are often uncertain because there is little to no evidence to support them.

Side: Theories are Uncertain
1 point

Do Theories Imply Uncertainty by Nature?

Hello:

Nahh. In everyday use, the word "theory" often means an untested hunch, or a guess without supporting evidence.

But for scientists, a theory has nearly the opposite meaning.

A theory is a well-substantiated explanation of an aspect of the natural world that can incorporate laws, hypotheses and facts. The theory of gravitation, for instance, explains why apples fall from trees and astronauts float in space. Similarly, the theory of evolution explains why so many plants and animals, some very similar and some very different, exist on Earth now and in the past, as revealed by the fossil record.

https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/darwin/ evolution-today/what-is-a-theory

excon

Side: Theories are not Uncertain
1 point

A theory is a well-substantiated explanation of an aspect of the natural world that can incorporate laws, hypotheses and facts.

No.

[A] A theory is an unsubstantiated conclusion, aka a hunch or a guess based on incomplete facts.

[B] Unless you have testing to back up your claims, nothing is a "theory" according to scientific standards.

[C] A theory cannot be confirmed or rejected unless it has been tested. If testing does not take place, all you have is an assumption or a conjecture.

The definition of theory is this: "a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain phenomena"

But what makes something scientifically acceptable? I'm gonna guess that it means what scientists decide is acceptable whether or not they have a substantial amount of evidence. The Big Bang Theory and The Theory of Evolution reflect this. Since many subscribe to these theories, here's why:

The Big Bang theory is based on the concept of the observable expansion of space, which is not very highly supported by observation and experiment as you cannot measure a lot of the things asserted. They fall into the category of Historical Science rather than Observational Science.

The theory of evolution, on the other hand, has no strong evidence to support it. The fossil record shows a lot of animal change, not the complete variety as proposed. Plus, many scientists still have issues with the theory.

the theory of evolution explains why so many plants and animals, some very similar and some very different, exist on Earth now and in the past, as revealed by the fossil record.

Using the fossil record to show evolution relies on carbon dating or radiometric dating, which is extremely flawed as it rests on three big assumptions:

1. The original number of unstable atoms can be known

Scientists assume how many unstable atoms existed at the beginning based on how many parent and daughter atoms are left today.

2. The rate of change was constant

Scientists assume that the radioactive atoms have changed at the same rate throughout time

3. The daughter atoms were all produced by radioactive decay

Scientists assume that no outside forces, such as flowing groundwater, contaminated the sample.

The fossil record cannot show or even act as evidence that The Theory of Evolution is true.

Side: Theories are Uncertain
1 point

You have taken a lot of time and text to describe your interpretation of the word, Theories.

Why is this word so important to you?

Side: Theories are not Uncertain
1 point

This word is so important to me because I have seen too many scientists try to suggest that theories are equivalent to facts when it comes to stuff they want to be seen as true. Then they try to argue that things aren't "just a theory". As a Christian, this means a lot to me as I see The Big Bang Theory and The Theory of Evolution as incomplete, uncertain theories. The difference between the scientists and educators of today and myself is that I am willing to admit that there is no complete certainty for the existence for God. As I have observed, scientists and educators like to impose onto children that there is complete certainty for evolution and The Big Bang, because they want to throw out the possibility of any supernatural God coming into their child's belief system that they see as irrational while also being ignorant and not looking at the facts presented in many places on the internet and in the public about the existence of a supernatural God. I have done my homework on The Big Bang Theory and The Theory of Evolution, and I have concluded that more irrational than a supernatural God based belief because of my finding of many self-refuting scientific theories and paradoxes such as "string theory", "carbon or radiometric dating", and "the faint sun paradox". Also, I found that evidence for God does not lie in scientific theories, but in the world and cultures around us, with many landscapes, fossils, and texts to act as evidence for a world designed by a creator. I could very well be wrong about all of this, but if I am, I lose nothing, because when I die, I will only cease to exist. If I am right, I get to be with Jesus in heaven for eternity, and everyone else who rejected God (whether directly, or indirectly) will be sent to hell to suffer for eternity. The whole "heaven and hell" stuff will sound really hard to call rational, but as I see it, once you find evidence for a supernatural God, you won't find it so hard to believe that a God that can craft the universe can create spaces such as heaven and hell.

Side: Theories are Uncertain