Thanks for the compliment on the piece. One of the biggest problems that most of us get hung up on is the term “𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘰𝘳𝘺”. In lay terms “𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘰𝘳𝘺” means exactly what we all think, a system of ideas intended to explain something. Basically, it’s best guess. In science that is called a hypothesis. Scientific theory is a little different. A popular reference website defines it pretty well:

A Scientific theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment.

A good example would be the theory that if I hold my hand on a hot stove top it will hurt. As many times as I do this it will always be a theory. It can never become scientific “𝘓𝘢𝘸” because they aren’t the same thing. A law is a description of an observed phenomena. It doesn't explain why the phenomenon exists or what causes it, nor is it intended to. It’s sometimes helpful to think of Newtons Three Laws Of Motion. They all describe observed actions & reactions of something in our reality yet they never seek to explain why they do what they do. Another is his Law of Gravity (Lᴀᴡ Oғ Uɴɪᴠᴇʀsᴀʟ Gʀᴀᴠɪᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ), which states that:

“ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ᴘᴀʀᴛɪᴄʟᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴɪᴠᴇʀsᴇ ᴀᴛᴛʀᴀᴄᴛs ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴘᴀʀᴛɪᴄʟᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ғᴏʀᴄᴇ ᴀʟᴏɴɢ ᴀ ʟɪɴᴇ ᴊᴏɪɴɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇᴍ. Tʜᴇ ғᴏʀᴄᴇ ɪs ᴅɪʀᴇᴄᴛʟʏ ᴘʀᴏᴘᴏʀᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴍᴀssᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ɪɴᴠᴇʀsᴇʟʏ ᴘʀᴏᴘᴏʀᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ sǫᴜᴀʀᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅɪsᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇᴍ.”

Though it seems complex he was simply stating very technically the observable actions when an apple falls to earth. Newton had no clue why or what caused any of this happened. It would take 150+ years & the brilliant Albert Einstein to solve that riddle.

This terminology being misunderstood has become so frustrating for scientists that some want to do away with these words altogether. We’re already seeing ‘𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘭’ replace ‘𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘰𝘳𝘺’ in some cases.

This is not to say that theories can’t be wrong because they absolutely can. To me, that’s the beauty in science. This is a failsafe built into the Scientific Method. The answer or explanation for something can always be modified, expanded, simplified, or even retracted when we are presented with new evidence. Frankly, it just means keeping an open mind. I think humanity would be better off if we treated all subjects & each other like this.

Now, on to your questions. You are correct, we live in a positive pressure atmosphere & space is a vacuum. Common sense tells us that the atmosphere should evaporate. However when you consider everything at play in this system it becomes clearer. First, what makes the atmosphere positive pressure? After all, there are gas clouds in space & they aren’t positive pressure bubbles floating along. Quite simply, the positive pressure is the weight of those gases exerting force downward toward the earth. It’s the reason the atmosphere gets thinner & there’s less oxygen the higher you go. Atmosphere is constantly pushing down on us but what causes this? It’s one of the strangest forces in the universe, Gravity. That atmosphere is made up of gases & gases are made of atoms like everything else. Even though it’s minuscule, those atoms have mass. Gravity pulls on them the same way it does you or me. It’s part of the reason Mars’ atmosphere is 1/1000th that of earths, Mars is around half Earths size. Jupiter is so Massive that pressures are thought to be able to crush carbon clouds into diamond rain. Particles of light, called Photons, are particles with absolutely zero mass yet strong enough gravity still can act on them. Gravity seems a simple notion but it’s actually very complex. Different aspects of it confounded Newton, Einstein, & Hawking.

This is one of my favorite subjects & enjoy discussion with other curious individuals. Though I can go on about it ad nauseam. I really hope this helped to clarify. Have a great day.

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