I think it works both ways. Theories help us decide what to observe, or where to look and what we&#x27;re looking at.<p>Observation is useful to develop a theory (induction, or &quot;educated guessing&quot;). However, having a theory guides us towards newer, often subtler observations as we attempt to falsify it. Karl Popper called this the theory-ladeness of observation [1]<p>[1] <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;plato.stanford.edu&#x2F;entries&#x2F;popper&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;plato.stanford.edu&#x2F;entries&#x2F;popper&#x2F;</a>