In the vernacular, “theory” is associated with ideas that are incomplete or not necessarily true. It has a much different meaning when used by scientists.
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@garyackerman I think this derives from the educational presentation of science as detective work. In fiction, the sleuth finds clues, but not enough to publicly accuse a suspect, and declares, "I've got a *theory*, but I need more proof!" As a scientist, I try to set a good example by preferring the word "hypothesis" in these contexts.
