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Scientific theory
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=== Theories and facts === A scientific theory does not turn into a fact. [[Scientific fact]]s are observations that theories organize and explain.<ref name=gouldfact>"And facts and theories are different things, not rungs in a hierarchy of increasing certainty. Facts are the world's data. Theories are structures of ideas that explain and interpret facts." [[Stephen Jay Gould|Gould, S. J.]] (1981). [https://www.inf.fu-berlin.de/lehre/pmo/eng/Gould-Fact&Theory.pdf Evolution as fact and theory]. Discover, 2(5), 34-37.</ref> As new facts appear, a theory may be revised or new theories may emerge that encompass these additional facts.<ref>{{Cite web |last=National Center for Science Education |title=Theory and Fact |url=https://ncse.ngo/theory-and-fact |access-date=2025-01-25 |website=ncse.ngo |language=en}}</ref> While American vernacular speech uses "theory" as similar to a "guess" in opposition to a "fact", in science the word "theory" means a model that is expected to explain a wide range of facts.<ref name=gouldfact/>
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