Hypothesis vs Theory

We often see the word theory used in the media when a hypothesis or even an educated guess would be a much more accurate description. To clarify, a hypothesis and a theory can be defined as:

Hypothesis  – A hypothesis is an idea which is suggested as a possible explanation for a particular situation or condition, but which has not yet been proven to be correct.  A scientific hypothesis has to be something possible to be supported or refuted through carefully crafted experimentation or observation.

Theory – In lay terms, a theory is a formal idea or set of ideas that is intended to explain something. Whereas, a scientific theory is an explanation of some aspect of the natural world that has been substantiated through repeated experiments or testing.

The word theory is grossly overused in everyday conversation, but especially in the media. The danger in assigning the word ‘theory’ is that it is misleading, as it appears to add credibility to potentially false or unsubstantiated ideas.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love to speculate on various fringe ideas with my buddies over a bourbon or two because it’s fun! Who knows, maybe one day that wild idea becomes an educated guess which becomes a hypothesis which becomes a theory which becomes a…

Mike H