When Do Scientific Explanations Change?

As additional scientific evidence is gathered, a scientific theory may be modified and ultimately rejected if it cannot be made to fit the new findings; in such circumstances, a more accurate theory is then required.

Can scientific explanations change over time?

A scientific idea is an explanation of how something works, or the truth about some aspect of the world, that was figured out using the scientific process. ... Scientific ideas change over time as our evidence improves. The more experiments we do and the more data we collect, the better our scientific ideas become.

How do scientific theories develop over time?

Scientific theories are created through the process of the scientific method. Observation and research lead to a hypothesis, which is then tested. ... Over time, a hypothesis can become a scientific theory if it continues to be supported by additional research.