Should we stop talking about 'the theory of evolution' and
instead talk about 'the law of evolution'?  From evolution to
climate change, the real culture wars are about language, not
science. To win these wars, science needs to change the way it
talks about knowledge.  Creationists and fans of ‘intelligent
design’ have a guerrilla tactic to undermine textbooks that
don’t conform to their beliefs. They slap a sticker on the cover
that reads, “Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the
origin of living things.”  This is the central argument of
evolution deniers: evolution is an unproven ‘theory’. For
science-savvy people, this is an incredibly annoying ploy. While
it’s true that scientists refer to evolution as a theory, in
science the word ‘theory’ means an explanation of how the world
works that has stood up to repeated, rigorous testing. It’s
hardly a term of disparagement.  But for most people, theory
means a haphazard guess you’ve pulled out of your, uh, hat. It’s
an insult, really, a glib way to dis