User blog comment:Rupert Giles/Global Navigation Update/@comment-17725354-20141203230218/@comment-452-20141204142504

Calling a theory an "educated guess" is like saying it's an "educated guess" to call the sky blue. True, but misleading.


 * A "law" is a fact without an explanation.
 * A "theory" is an explanation about a law, formulated using confirmed evidence.
 * A "hypothesis" is a test derived from a theory, or an unconfirmed theory.

In other words, a hypothesis is a "educated guess". Basing the hypothesis on a theory is what makes the guess educated.

"Scientific Laws" are not "confirmed theories", it's the other way around. Theories describe how a law works.


 * "Things fall down" is a scientific law.
 * The theory of gravity explains why.
 * "Things must fall less in space" is an educated guess, a hypothesis, that was proven true.

Further reading:
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_theory
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothesis
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_law