I have a theory that a butterfly is actually a pegasus that flew too high and died of asphyxiation and then was reborn as a caterpillar.

In short, if it is “just a theory”, then it’s not a theory at all. It might be a hypothesis, or a hunch, or a guess, or sometimes even a conjecture. But certainly not a theory.

And, for the record, evolution is /not/ “just a theory”. It’s well-substantiated, well-supported, and well-documented, explaining scientific observations. I.e. a theory.

Just sayin’.

It seems like every time I hear the phrase survival of the fittest it’s used to mean something like the one with the most muscle will win when you duke it out.

Quick reminder: In biology, being fit isn’t about being physically powerful. It’s about having offspring that survive long enough to have offspring.

The phrase “survival of the fittest” is almost redundant, in that it basically states that the genes that survive are the ones that get passed on.

Traditionally this is all about luck and randomness. Humans have recently (in evolutionary terms) added inventiveness into the mix.