Future archaeology

Earlier in the week, we looked at Ötzi the Iceman - a 5000 year old man found buried in ice. He was so well preserved that archaeologists could study his body and his belongings and draw conclusions about how it was to live in the mountain region between Austria and Italy.

Here is the paper, based on Ötzi's Wikipedia entry: Ötzi also called Ötzi the Iceman.

Now imagine that in 5000 year's time, archeologists discovered us, perfectly preserved in ice.

What things would they find? How would they explain what they find?

Fact, theory & hypotheses

Science uses specialized terms that have different meanings than everyday usage. These definitions correspond to the way scientists typically use these terms in the context of their work. Note, especially, that the meaning of “theory” in science is different than the meaning of “theory” in everyday conversation.

• Fact: In science, an observation that has been repeatedly confirmed and for all practical purposes is accepted as “true.” Truth in science, however, is never final and what is accepted as a fact today may be modified or even discarded tomorrow.
• Hypothesis: A tentative statement about the natural world leading to deductions that can be tested. If the deductions are verified, the hypothesis is provisionally corroborated. If the deductions are incorrect, the original hypothesis is proved false and must be abandoned or modified. Hypotheses can be used to build more complex inferences and explanations.
• Law: A descriptive generalization about how some aspect of the natural world behaves under stated circumstances.
• Theory: In science, a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world that can incorporate facts, laws, inferences, and tested hypotheses.

Can you find examples of facts, hypotheses and theories in the research about Ötzi man?