[aamar]

Your distinction between "description" and "explanation" is interesting. It seems like "explanation" is very much what you describe in your second sentence: describing how an observation is a consequence of a broader array of forces from which other, diverse phenomena also emerge.

So you can explain a theory in much the same way by embedding it in a yet broader basis that explains multiple theories. For example, the theory of magnetism was long ago explained as a special case of electromagnetism, and now of the electroweak force. In the same way, gravity could be explained by quantum field theory or string theory, but more work needs to be done to do so.

Your feeling of disappointment might come from the issue of "intuition," which can make explanations feel satisfying. Many explanations for everyday things feel intuitive; they "make sense" because they fit patterns that we're familiar with. Many physics theories are deeply unintuitive unless you spend time with the detailed math. That doesn't mean the explanations aren't explanations; it just means that they don't feel satisfying (without intense studying).

[shawndumas]

see my response[1] to a very similar question above

[1]: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1630769