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From: gwyn@brl-smoke.ARPA (Doug Gwyn )
Newsgroups: sci.research
Subject: Re: re: Everyday uses of Einstein's theory of relativity
Message-ID: <6553@brl-smoke.ARPA>
Date: Sat, 10-Oct-87 01:35:02 EDT
Article-I.D.: brl-smok.6553
Posted: Sat Oct 10 01:35:02 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 12-Oct-87 04:42:21 EDT
References: <853@cup.portal.com> <869@cup.portal.com>
Reply-To: gwyn@brl.arpa (Doug Gwyn (VLD/VMB) <gwyn>)
Organization: Ballistic Research Lab (BRL), APG, MD.
Lines: 9

In article <869@cup.portal.com> terry_L_Parker@cup.portal.com writes:
>plane) and they've agreed with the theory.  So why is it a theory?

Like most English words, "theory" has several uses.  Calling
Einstein's theory a theory does not necessarily imply that
it's "only a theory" (different usage), i.e. that it's
unconfirmed.  Any coherent, integrated set of explanations
could reasonably be referred to as a "theory".  Besides,
what else would you call it?  "Einstein's fact of relativity"?