“Theoretically” is a Nonsense Word
March 20th, 2008It’s time we stopped using the word “theoretically,” the word is an oxymoron unto itself, at least in the way we use it:
- “Is it theoretically possible for science to someday create a real lightsaber? (source)”
- “Antimatter galaxies theoretically possible, but unlikely (source)”
- “Critics say the White House’s theoretical arguments may fly in the face of empirical evidence. (source)”
- “…academics/media do a big disservice by raising issues that are theoretically possible, but not at all important in reality. (source)”
- “Are MMORPG goods theoretically taxable? (source)”
- “A science is most exciting when there are two or more strong, competing theories. (source)”
In science a theory is a “comprehensive explanation of an important feature of nature that is supported by many facts gathered over time.” A theory is not synonymous with fact, but it is the best approximation to it.
The way everyday people use the word theory is synonymous with speculation, and this leads to much confusion when debating scientific issues. People who don’t understand science argue that evolution and Anthropogenic Global Warming are only theories, not realizing that what they have actually said is that Evolution and AGW are only practically facts.
The word people should be using in the above examples is hypothetically. In science, we move from hypothesis through experimentation to theory.
There is no such thing as “competing theories.” This is an oxymoron. If they are competing, then they are hypotheses. If you have to ask if something is “theoretically possible,” then it probably isn’t, it’s merely “hypothetically possible.”
Remember Gravity is only a Theory.
Unfortunately I’m guilty of using theory/theoretically in such a manor.
I think we all are. Damn!
This is just something I wanted to throw out there for people to think about. It’s been popping up in science communities… but it does present some practical problems. Can we really call it “String Theory,” isn’t it more of a “String Hypothesis?” What about the whole field of “Theoretical Physics?”
This line of thought would require a major cultural paradigm shift in the scientific community, so people will continue to use and misuse the word. So this post was just to make people think about it. : )
Ryan,
I made a quick trip to dictionary.com and came back with this:
“theory.” Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 21 Mar. 2008. .
—Synonyms 1. Theory, hypothesis are used in non-technical contexts to mean an untested idea or opinion. A theory in technical use is a more or less verified or established explanation accounting for known facts or phenomena: the theory of relativity. A hypothesis is a conjecture put forth as a possible explanation of phenomena or relations, which serves as a basis of argument or experimentation to reach the truth: This idea is only a hypothesis.
Your examples seem weak to me. The reason I say this is because, while they may have somewhat dealt with a technical topic, they themselves were not technical pieces. In the light of that context, it is in my opinion that they fall under the first part of the definition proposed by dictionary.com.
-BMF
sorry, WP ate my citation:
“theory.” Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 21 Mar. 2008. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/theory>.
-BMF
You’re up against the two definitions of theory, one is the English language word, as in “I have a theory … ” (e.g. I have a theory that any maitre d’ will be bribable to get get me a table” as opposed to a scientific theory, which is as close to fact as anything we know, for example, the theory of relativity.
Quip: In theory, there’s no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there often is.
I am arguing against the common-usage of the word. It’s a usage that harms science. I realize everyday people will continue to use the word as the equivalent of “hypothetically;” however, in the culture war against science, being mindful of how we express ourselves personally is a way of supporting the cause. : )