What does this quote mean “A theory is no more like a fact than a photograph is like a person”?

Question

What does this quote mean “A theory is no more like a fact than a photograph is like a person”?

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Answer 1

Here’s what I think. A theory is like a photo in that when you see a photo, you immediately begin to form an impression – a theory – about what that person is like, even though (perhaps) you’ve never met them. Just as the person can turn out to be completely different than your theory, so too can facts prove or disprove a theory. In other words, a theory is a hypothesis, subject to modification or abandonment at any time new facts so indicate.