This I Understand: The Importance of Banning the B-Word from Science

Abstract

What our students hear when we say something is a “theory” is that it is a hunch or a guess, and because it is not “proven” and admittedly can never be, it is somehow not to be taken seriously. With the general public misusing and misunderstanding the concept of a theory as we mean it, it is vitally important that scientists and science educators be mindful of the power of language and take great care when communicating with students and the general public. “I was brought up to believe, and I still believe, that physics is an experimental science.”—Sheldon Glashow