"I have a theory on that..." Have you ever had someone tell you their latest theory?

Think about a time when a friend, parent, or teacher shared a theory with you.

Using your knowledge of scientific theories and hypothesis discuss whether or not this was a theory in the true scientific meaning of the word. Or was it a hypothesis? What is the difference between a hypothesis and a theory?

Question

"I have a theory on that..." Have you ever had someone tell you their latest theory? 

Think about a time when a friend, parent, or teacher shared a theory with you. 

Using your knowledge of scientific theories and hypothesis discuss whether or not this was a theory in the true scientific meaning of the word. Or was it a hypothesis? What is the difference between a hypothesis and a theory?

aaronq · Answer

The word theory is often - colloquially - used to mean hypothesis, although incorrectly.

A hypothesis is an idea or explanation. A theory is when you have an explanation with replicable, empirical evidence.