Only a theory? Framing the evolution/creation issue: evolution opponents are framing the issues to our disadvantage; they focus on the phrase "theory of evolution, " when theory is today understood by the public as a tentative concept unsupported by evidence

Public opinion polls tell us that we are losing the battle to explain the nature of evolution and the central role that evolutionary concepts play in modern science. Tens of millions of Americans scoff at evolution and try to protect their children from what they consider to be a pernicious concept.

Given the overwhelming scientific support for evolution, we must be doing something wrong in discussing this issue with the public. There are several ways in which scientists and educators might enhance their effectiveness in this debate. The problems relate to flaming the issues, or rather, allowing the opponents of evolution to flame them. Framing involves the selective use of language or context to trigger responses, either support or opposition. We see it in the often deceptive titles of legislation, such as a "clear skies act" or "forest renewal act" or, on the other side, a "death tax." "Pro-choice" or "pro-life" advocates are always careful to frame their position with the proper emotion-charged terms. (The subject is artfully described in George Lakoff's book Don't Think of an Elephant.)

As a prime example, we doom our communications efforts with many nonscientists by defending the "'theory of evolution." Theory is quite simply the wrong word. Polls indicate that three quarters of Americans agreed that "evolution is commonly referred to as the theory of evolution because it has not yet been proven scientifically." Those who advocate adding "only a theory" disclaimers in textbooks know that to call evolution a theory is sufficient to undermine its acceptance.

Channeling the discussion into a debate over the "theory of evolution" is an example of flaming. Since the great majority of Americans understand the word theory to imply uncertainty and vagueness, the name itself predisposes the answer. It is as if a criminal defendant were described by the judge and other court officials as "the murderer." Not many juries would want to let a known murderer flee, no matter how the evidence was presented. The one who flames the debate often wins.

Yet many proponents of evolution seem content to argue about the "theory of evolution" and its educational role. As scientists, they were taught that a scientific theory is a systematic set of principles that has been shown to fit the facts, and has stood tip against attempts to prove it false. A theory is thus the highest level of understanding, synthesizing a wide variety of observations and experiments. But that is not what the word theory means to 99 percent of Americans, including many scientists and educators when they are outside the classroom.

Dictionaries have noted the changing definition of this word. Older dictionaries give preference to the scientific definition and consider the use of theory to refer to a guess or hunch to be a form of slang. Today, the slang meaning prevails, and a theory is a belief, something taken to be true without proof, an assumption, a suggestion, a hypothesis. Similarly, theoretical is used as a synonym for tentative, an idea that has not been tested with observations.

How do we really use the term in everyday language? A theory is a hunch that a detective comes up with in a murder mystery. It is one of several competing ideas, none of them proved. Fringe theories and conspiracy theories are crazy ideas that are out of the mainstream. New medicines or changes in the tax laws may be good in theory but don't work in practice. Among some scientists, theorists are thought to lack solid grounding in the facts (see the accompanying sidebar).

What about scientific usage? We don't hear much anymore about the Theory of Gravitation, or the Atomic Theory of Matter, or the Theory of Plate Tectonics. These phrases have a vaguely antique flavor. Gravitation and atoms and plate tectonics are accepted as legitimate subjects that don't need the preface "Theory of." The only two areas where "Theory of" remains in common use are Theory of Relativity and Theory of Evolution. Relativity is associated with Einstein, a genius whose work was abstract and unintelligible to laypeople. I doubt if most people realize that the principles of relativity have been tested, or that relativity has practical implications, for example in calculating the interplanetary trajectories of spacecraft. Judge for yourselves what this association implies for "Theory of Evolution."

There is another usage that should be mentioned: theory as a discipline, such as organization theory, color theory, economic theory, music theory, etc. These phrases imply the existence of a knowledge base or conceptual framework, and their names are given to university courses or areas of specialization. In science there are chaos theory, cosmological theory, information theory, and--yes--evolutionary theory (as used in the title of Steve Gould's last book). This usage is, however, rarely discussed in arguments about "only a theory."