# "It's only a theory" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 3, 2013, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-only-a-theory/649176 "2013-02-03T01:51:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-only-a-theory/649176/1 "2013-02-03T01:51:48Z")
It’s funny to me that this phrase has gained currency in the scientific community in the ironic sense to satirize the anti-evolution position. I was a judge in a high school science fair today. In the judges’ break room another judge mentioned some theory (unrelated to evolution, maybe about pulsars or something). Someone said “Yeah, but it’s only a theory” and was met with a chorus of laughter. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-only-a-theory/649176/2 "2013-02-03T02:39:05Z")
Ugh. People need to study dictionaries like we did when we were kids. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-only-a-theory/649176/3 "2013-02-03T03:04:01Z")
That’s great! Now that you mention it, I have heard it used as a punchline a few times. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-only-a-theory/649176/4 "2013-02-03T03:10:20Z")
That actually does make me feel a bit more optimistic about the future. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-only-a-theory/649176/5 "2013-02-03T03:26:56Z")
Well, they’re either making fun of creationists, or referencing a punchline Harvey Korman used in a spoof of the TV show _Kung Fu_ on _The Carol Burnett Show_. Caine was played by a bald skin-capped Jim Nabors on the skit, and since Mr Nabors recently married his long time boyfriend, it would be a timely riff… Why do people look at me funny when I post things like this? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-only-a-theory/649176/6 "2013-02-03T03:35:56Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > It’s funny to me that this phrase has gained currency in the scientific community in the ironic sense to satirize the anti-evolution position. “Creationists make it sound as though a ‘theory’ is something you dreamt up after being drunk all night.” - Isaac Asimov ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-only-a-theory/649176/7 "2013-02-03T03:44:05Z")
Well, of course the creationists/young Earthers/IDers/etc. seem to think that theory=untested hypothesis. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-only-a-theory/649176/8 "2013-02-04T14:43:44Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > this phrase has gained currency in the scientific community in the ironic sense to satirize the anti-evolution position. Satire? I thought that was essentially the anti-evolution position, word for word. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-only-a-theory/649176/9 "2013-02-05T01:21:14Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Satire? I thought that was essentially the anti-evolution position, word for word. Yes it is. But when you repeat that phrase word-for-word in a situation where it becomes obviously nonsensical, for purposes of ridiculing the people who say it, that’s satire. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-only-a-theory/649176/10 "2013-02-05T01:32:43Z")
Especially when mentioned in conjunction with something like gravity. 😃