Theory Definition in Science

Theory Definition in Science The definition of a theory in science is very different from the everyday usage of the word. In fact, its usually called a scientific theory to clarify the distinction. In the context of science, a theory is a well-established explanation for scientific data. Theories typically cannot be proven, but they can become established if they are tested by several different scientific investigators. A theory can be disproven by a single contrary result. Key Takeaways: Scientific Theory In science, a theory is an explanation of the natural world that has been repeatedly tested and verified using the scientific method.In common usage, the word theory means something very different. It could refer to a speculative guess.Scientific theories are testable and falsifiable. That is, its possible a theory might be disproven.Examples of theories include the theory of relativity and the theory of evolution. Examples There are many different examples of scientific theories in different disciplines. Examples include: Physics: the big bang theory, atomic theory, theory of relativity, quantum field theoryBiology: the theory of evolution, cell theory, dual inheritance theoryChemistry: the kinetic theory of gases, valence bond theory, Lewis theory, molecular orbital theoryGeology: plate tectonics theoryClimatology: climate change theory Key Criteria for a Theory There are certain criteria which must be fulfilled for a description to be a theory. A theory is not simply any description that can be used to make predictions! A theory must do all of the following: It must be well-supported by many independent pieces of evidence.It must be falsifiable. In other words, it must be possible to test a theory at some point.It must be consistent with existing experimental results and able to predict outcomes at least as accurately as any existing theories. Some theories may be adapted or changed over time to better explain and predict behavior. A good theory can be used to predict natural events that have not occurred yet or have yet to be observed. Value of Disproven Theories Over time, some theories have been shown to be incorrect. However, not all discarded theories are useless. For example, we now know Newtonian mechanics is incorrect under conditions approaching the speed of light and in certain frames of reference. The theory of relativity was proposed to better explain mechanics. Yet, at ordinary speeds, Newtonian mechanics accurately explains and predicts real-world behavior. Its equations are much easier to work with, so Newtonian mechanics remains in use for general physics. In chemistry, there are many different theories of acids and bases. They involve different explanations for how acids and bases work (e.g., hydrogen ion transfer, proton transfer, electron transfer). Some theories, which are known to be incorrect under certain conditions, remain useful in predicting chemical behavior and making calculations. Theory vs. Law Both scientific theories and scientific laws are the result of testing hypotheses via the scientific method. Both theories and laws may be used to make predictions about natural behavior. However, theories explain why something works, while laws simply describe behavior under given conditions. Theories do not change into laws; laws do not change into theories. Both laws and theories may be falsified but contrary evidence. Theory vs. Hypothesis A hypothesis is a proposition which requires testing. Theories are the result of many tested hypotheses. Theory vs Fact While theories are well-supported and may be true, they are not the same as facts. Facts are irrefutable, while a contrary result may disprove a theory. Theory vs. Model Models and theories share common elements, but a theory both describes and explains while a model simply describes. Both models and theory may be used to make predictions and develop hypotheses. Sources Frigg, Roman (2006). Scientific Representation and the Semantic View of Theories. Theoria. 55 (2): 183–206.  Halvorson, Hans (2012). What Scientific Theories Could Not Be. Philosophy of Science. 79 (2): 183–206. doi:10.1086/664745McComas, William F. (December 30, 2013). The Language of Science Education: An Expanded Glossary of Key Terms and Concepts in Science Teaching and Learning. Springer Science Business Media. ISBN 978-94-6209-497-0.National Academy of Sciences (US) (1999). Science and Creationism: A View from the National Academy of Sciences (2nd ed.). National Academies Press. doi:10.17226/6024 ISBN 978-0-309-06406-4.  Suppe, Frederick (1998). Understanding Scientific Theories: An Assessment of Developments, 1969–1998. Philosophy of Science. 67: S102–S115. doi:10.1086/392812

The United States and Japan After World War II

The United States and Japan After World War II After suffering devastating casualties at each others hands during World War II, the U.S. and Japan were able to forge a strong postwar diplomatic alliance. The U.S. State Department still refers to the American-Japanese relationship as the cornerstone of U.S. security interests in Asia and . . . fundamental to regional stability and prosperity. The Pacific half of World War II, which began with Japans attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, ended almost four years later when Japan surrendered to American-led Allies on September 2, 1945. The surrender came after the United States had dropped two atomic bombs on Japan. Japan lost some 3 million people in the war. Immediate Post-War Relations The victorious allies put Japan under international control. U.S. General Douglas MacArthur was the supreme commander for the reconstruction of Japan. Goals for reconstruction were democratic self-government, economic stability, and peaceful Japanese co-existence with the community of nations. The United States allowed Japan to keep its emperor -   Hirohito  - after the war. However, Hirohito had to renounce his divinity and publicly support Japans new constitution. Japans U.S.-approved constitution granted full freedoms to its citizen, created a congress - or Diet, and renounced Japans ability to make war. That provision, Article 9 of the constitution, was obviously an American mandate and reaction to the war. It read, Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as a mean of settling international disputes. In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized. Japans post-war constitution became official on May 3, 1947, and Japanese citizens elected a new legislature. The U.S. and other allies signed a peace treaty in San Francisco formally ending the war in 1951. Security Agreement With a constitution that would not permit Japan to defend itself, the U.S. had to take on that responsibility. Communist threats in the Cold War were very real, and U.S. troops had already used Japan as a base from which to fight communist aggression in Korea. Thus, the United States orchestrated the first of a series of security agreements with Japan. Simultaneous with the San Francisco treaty, Japan and the United States signed their first security treaty. In the treaty, Japan allowed the United States to base army, navy, and air force personnel in Japan for its defense. In 1954, the Diet began creating Japanese ground, air, and sea self-defense forces. The JDSFs are essentially part of local police forces due to the constitutional restrictions. Nevertheless, they have completed missions with American forces in the Middle East as part of the War on Terror.​ The United States also began returning parts of the Japanese islands back to Japan for territorial control. It did so gradually, returning part of the Ryukyu islands in 1953, the Bonins in 1968, and Okinawa in 1972. Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security In 1960, the United States and Japan signed the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security. The treaty allows the U.S. to keep forces in Japan. Incidents of American servicemen raping Japanese children in 1995 and 2008 led to heated calls for the reduction of American troop presence in Okinawa. In 2009, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone signed the Guam International Agreement (GIA). The agreement called for the removal of 8,000 U.S. troops to a base in Guam. Security Consultative Meeting In 2011, Clinton and U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates met with Japanese delegates, reaffirming the U.S.-Japanese military alliance. The Security Consultative Meeting, according to the State Department, outlined regional and global common strategic objectives and highlighted ways to strengthen security and defense cooperation. Other Global Initiatives Both the United States and Japan belong to a variety of global organizations, including the United Nations, World Trade Organization, G20, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperative (APEC). Both have worked together on such issues as HIV/AIDS and global warming.