What Does Scientific theory Mean
The idea of theory can refer to a knowledge that has not yet been proven; to a hypothesis whose result is applicable to a science; or a set of laws that allow establishing relationships between different phenomena or events. Scientific , on the other hand, is that linked to a science : the discipline formed by systematized knowledge obtained through reasoning and observation.
A scientific theory , in this way, is formed by abstractions and concepts that, respecting certain rules , allow to express the existing links between those observations that were made of the concepts in question.
From the empirical data obtained through the observations, the expert constructs a scientific theory that adjusts to what is observed. Once the theory is built, it can be proposed as a principle that allows explaining different phenomena.
The process of building a scientific theory usually begins with a hypothesis : a scientist, based on his knowledge, believes that a certain phenomenon happens in a certain way and, therefore, is about to make observations governed by the scientific method to check whether his hypothesis is valid or wrong. The systematization of the observations and the empirical data collected can finally lead to a scientific theory that explains the analyzed phenomenon.
This shows that a scientific theory is equivalent to knowledge that has been tested in various ways. In this way it is different from the idea of theory that is usually used in everyday language, where the concept is linked to an assumption or something improbable.
Characteristics, according to Karl Popper
The philosopher Karl Popper, born in Austria in 1902, made an important contribution to the field of scientific theory, whose characteristics he defined in an accessible and concise way, as can be seen below:
* If we want to obtain verifications or confirmations of a theory, it is highly probable that we will achieve it, so this should not be our only objective or one of the pillars on which to support ourselves to justify an investigation. Teamwork is one of the best resources for testing a theory;
* the confirmations that must be taken into account are those that arise from risky predictions , that exceed the limits of the theory itself, and that at first glance seem so incompatible with it and unlikely that they seem ideal to refute it;
* A scientific theory is "good" if it does not allow certain things to happen. The more you prohibit, the better it becomes. To understand this point we can think about the identity of a living being, since to determine it we have billions of individuals of the same species that are not him , and this is comparable to a large number of prohibitions to highlight the veracity or confirmation of what a theory does demonstrate ;
* All scientific theory must be disproved by some conceivable event. Otherwise, we are facing a theory alien to science. In addition, although many think that the impossibility of refuting a theory is one of its virtues, it is only one of its vices;
* to experiment on a theory in a genuine way is to try to prove its falsehood, to refute it. In this case, it should also be taken into account that some theories are more prone to appear false under experimentation, and this makes the work of scientists more risky;
* Similarly, evidence confirming a theory is not sufficient unless it is the result of genuine experimentation;
* There is the possibility of reinterpreting a theory or of resorting to an auxiliary premise to defend it after having been proven false by means of a suitable experiment. However, this can reduce or completely nullify the scientific nature of such a theory.