In its day, the pre-Copernican interpretation that the sun and other planets revolved around the Earth was the prevailing theory of planetary motion. The fact that the pre-Copernican explanation is not accepted today points to another fundamental characteristic of scientific theories—they are subject to change. We now know that the Sun, not the Earth, is the center of our solar system, and our modern theories of planetary motion reflect this newer understanding.
The fact that theories change as the result of new information coming to light is evidence of the scientific nature of these earlier explanations. So-called “theories” that do not change in light of new data or understanding are not scientific, are not part of a scientific way of understanding the universe, and are not a part of scientific inquiry.
Photo credit: http://helensguidetothegalaxy.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/001-solar_system-my-fantasy.jpg
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