A theory doesn’t become a law. End of story, end of this issue of Science 101. Just kidding—it’s all about the how and why, and that hasn’t been answered. See if this sounds familiar: Scientists begin with a hypothesis, which is sort of a guess of what might happen. When the scientists investigate the hypothesis, they follow a line of reasoning and eventually formulate a theory. Once a theory has been tested thoroughly and is accepted, it becomes a scientific law. Nice progression, and not what happens. To understand how scientists proceed in their investigations, it will help to understand each term individually. What’s a hypothesis, what’s a theory, and what’s a law?