Chapter 3, Problem 11Q

In 1995, the Alabama School Board, after reviewing high school biology texts, voted to require that this disclaimer be posted on the inside front cover of the approved book (National Public Radio 1995):

This textbook discussed evolution, a controversial theory some scientists present as a scientific explanation for the origin of living things, such as plants, animals, and humans. No one was present when life first appeared on Earth; therefore, any statement about life’s origins should be considered as theory, not fact.

Do you accept the last sentence in this statement? Does the insert’s point of view pertain to other scientific theories, such as the cell theory, the atomic theory, the theory of plate tectonics, and the germ theory of disease?