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I'd really like to safely write stuff like Special Relativity, Quantum Mechanics, Theory of Evolution without capitals; but I don't want to regret it, whence my question.

Should the name of scientific theories be written with capitals?

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    What do you find in English writing that you admire? Why not do the same?
    – GEdgar
    Commented Nov 19, 2012 at 22:00
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    I just would like to have a criterion. Why doesn't one write Homology Theory with capitals? They're proper nouns as well.
    – c.p.
    Commented Nov 19, 2012 at 22:15
  • Well, I dare say that some authors might. Where you draw the line between an "ordinary" noun phrase and something that merits capitals is essentially a matter of personal/editorial judgement.
    – Neil Coffey
    Commented Nov 19, 2012 at 22:22
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    Ogden's Basic English is not identical to Ogden's basic English.
    – user31123
    Commented Nov 19, 2012 at 23:15
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    I agree with Neil Coffey, there is no definitive answer, it's just personal preference.
    – Matt E. Эллен
    Commented Nov 20, 2012 at 10:44

1 Answer 1

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There are many theories of evolution; but one is so well known that the Theory of Evolution will be assumed to refer to Darwin's. Quantum mechanics, on the other hand, is a field of study, and doesn't need capitalization any more than physics does.

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  • Although... one might actually in some cases capitalise "Physics".
    – Neil Coffey
    Commented Nov 19, 2012 at 22:27
  • @NeilCoffey Sure, if it's the first word of a sentence, or if a sadistic parent names their child Physics :-)
    – DanielSank
    Commented Feb 24, 2017 at 1:12

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