Conceptual Physics (12th Edition)

Published by Addison-Wesley
ISBN 10: 0321909100
ISBN 13: 978-0-32190-910-7

Chapter 1 - Think and Explain - Page 17: 27

Answer

The person is probably misunderstanding the meaning of a "scientific theory" vs. a "hypothesis". In everyday life, these two terms are often used interchangeably, i.e., a "theory" may be nothing more than a speculation. However, in science, a theory is "a synthesis of a large body of information that encompasses well-tested and verified hypotheses" ("Summary of Terms", page 17 of textbook) and is on very solid ground.
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