In what sense is this article using the word "theory"? In the scientific sense of "as true as things come" (e.g. theory of gravity, theory of relativity), or in

In what sense is this article using the word "theory"? In the scientific sense of "as true as things come" (e.g. theory of gravity, theory of relativity), or in the pop scientific sense of "plausible conjecture"? Seems like the latter. Little wonder we hear people saying evolution is "just a theory" when science reporting can't even use decent terminology.