Simple answer: It's a theory, not a fact.
Complicated answer: In science, the word "theory" has a different meaning than in everyday conversation. To most people, "theory" might mean a guess or a hunch. In science, however, a theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of evidence that has been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experimentation. The Theory of Evolution by natural selection, proposed by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, is a comprehensive framework that explains the diversity of life on Earth. It's supported by vast amounts of evidence from genetics, paleontology, biochemistry, comparative anatomy, and more. It's called a "theory" because it explains how evolution happens, not because it's "unproven." When scientists refer to evolution as a "fact," they are talking about the observation that organisms change over time and share common ancestry. This is as much a "fact" as gravity—something observable and measurable. The theory part of evolution explains the mechanisms, like natural selection, genetic drift, and mutations, that drive this change. The scientific community sticks with "Theory of Evolution" because that's the convention for comprehensive explanations. Even in physics, we have the Theory of Gravity and the Theory of Relativity, even though gravity and relativity are observable phenomena. Calling it a "theory" doesn't diminish its validity; it underscores its status as an explanation grounded in evidence.
Best answer: Baller.
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