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Slide 2 How Old is the Earth? A Look at the Scientific Evidence Part 1 Slide 3 The Significance: Lawrence Badash Prof. Emeritus, U. CA, S.B. 4.5 billion years ago, the primal earth emerged from a spinning, turbulent cloud of gas, dust and planetoids that surrounded the new star. On these figures for the age of the earth rest all of geology and evolution. Scientific American 8/1989, p. 90 Slide 4 The Significance: Lawrence Badash Prof. Emeritus, U. CA, S.B. 4.5 billion years ago, the primal earth emerged from a spinning, turbulent cloud of gas, dust and planetoids that surrounded the new star. On these figures for the age of the earth rest all of geology and evolution. Scientific American 8/1989, p. 90 Slide 5 The Significance: George Wald Nobel Laureate, Harvard One has only to contemplate the magnitude of this task to concede that the spontaneous generation of a living organism is impossible. Yet, here we are as a result, I believe, of spontaneous generation. Scientific American Vol. 191 No. 2, P. 46 Slide 6 The Significance: George Wald Nobel Laureate, Harvard One has only to contemplate the magnitude of this task to concede that the spontaneous generation of a living organism is impossible. Yet, here we are as a result, I believe, of spontaneous generation. Scientific American Vol. 191 No. 2, P. 46 Slide 7 The Significance: George Wald Nobel Laureate, Harvard One has only to contemplate the magnitude of this task to concede that the spontaneous generation of a living organism is impossible. Yet, here we are as a result, I believe, of spontaneous generation. Scientific American Vol. 191 No. 2, P. 46 Slide 8 The Significance: George Wald Nobel Laureate, Harvard However improbable we regard this event, or any of the steps which it involves, given enough time it will almost certainly happen at least once. Times is in fact the hero of the plot. Physics And Chemistry Of Life P. 12 Slide 9 The Significance: George Wald Nobel Laureate, Harvard However improbable we regard this event, or any of the steps which it involves, given enough time it will almost certainly happen at least once. Times is in fact the hero of the plot. Physics And Chemistry Of Life P. 12 Slide 10 The Significance: George Wald Nobel Laureate, Harvard Given so much time, the impossible becomes possible, the possible probable, and the probable virtually certain. One has only to wait: time itself performs the miracles. Physics And Chemistry Of Life P. 12 Slide 11 The Significance: George Wald Nobel Laureate, Harvard Given so much time, the impossible becomes possible, the possible probable, and the probable virtually certain. One has only to wait: time itself performs the miracles. Physics And Chemistry Of Life P. 12 Slide 12 WHY? Slide 13 WHY? Evidence is in the Rocks Slide 14 WHY? 1.Geological Phenomena 2.Radiometric Dating Slide 15 Radiometric Dating Slide 16 Geologists commonly use radiometric dating methods, based on the natural radioactive decay of certain elements such as potassium and carbon, as reliable clocks to date ancient events. Peppe, D. J. & Deino, A. L. (2013) Dating Rocks and Fossils Using Geologic Methods. Nature Education Knowledge 4(10):1 Slide 17 How it Works: Slide 18 About 20 Types: Uranium-Lead (other) Potassium-Argon Radiocarbon dating Slide 19 Implicit Assumptions Henry Faul Two important assumptions are implicit in this equation: First, that we are dealing with a closed system. And second, that no atoms of the daughter were present in the system when it formed. These assumptions furnish the most serious limitations on the accumulation clocks. Ages of Rocks, Planets & Stars P. vi Slide 20 Implicit Assumptions Henry Faul Two important assumptions are implicit in this equation: First, that we are dealing with a closed system. And second, that no atoms of the daughter were present in the system when it formed. These assumptions furnish the most serious limitations on the accumulation clocks. Ages of Rocks, Planets & Stars P. vi Slide 21 Implicit Assumptions Henry Faul Rigorously closed systems probably do not exist in nature, but surprisingly, many minerals and rocks satisfy the requirements well enough to be useful for nuclear age determination. The problem is one of judicious geological selection. Ages of Rocks, Planets & Stars P. vi Slide 22 Implicit Assumptions Henry Faul Rigorously closed systems probably do not exist in nature, but surprisingly, many minerals and rocks satisfy the requirements well enough to be useful for nuclear age determination. The problem is one of judicious geological selection. Ages of Rocks, Planets & Stars P. vi Slide 23 Implicit Assumptions Henry Faul Rigorously closed systems probably do not exist in nature, but surprisingly, many minerals and rocks satisfy the requirements well enough to be useful for nuclear age determination. The problem is one of judicious geological selection. Ages of Rocks, Planets & Stars P. vi Slide 24 Leaky Rocks? J. D. Macdougall ground-water percolation can leach away a proportion of the uranium present in the rock crystals. The mobility of uranium is such that as one part of a rock formation is being impoverished another part can become abnormally enrichedat relatively low temperatures. Scientific American V. 235 (6):118 Slide 25 Assumptions: 1.Closed System 2.No Material Initially Present 3.Rates Are Constant Slide 26 1470 Skull Smithsonian Institute/ Chip Clark Slide 27 1470 Skull Smithsonian Institute/ Chip Clark Roger Lewin Ed. Research New Science Slide 28 1470 Skull Smithsonian Institute/ Chip Clark Roger Lewin Ed. Research New Science The calculated age was quickly refined to be 2.61 0.26 million years, which to the anthropologist unfamiliar to the procedures of radiometric dating has a ring of comforting precision about it. Bones of Contention pg. 194 Slide 29 1470 Skull Smithsonian Institute/ Chip Clark Roger Lewin Ed. Research New Science 41 separate age determinationswhich varied between 223 million and 0.91 million yearsafter the first determination they never again obtained 2.61 from their experiments. Bones of Contention pg. 194 Slide 30 Mt. St. Helens Slide 31 Slide 32 Slide 33 Slide 34 Caldera - 1986 Slide 35 Mt. St. Helens Dr. Don PattonDr. Don Patton Took 5 samples from CalderaTook 5 samples from Caldera Caldera - 1986 Slide 36 Mt. St. Helens Dr. Don PattonDr. Don Patton Took 5 samples from CalderaTook 5 samples from Caldera The results were as follows:The results were as follows: Dome 1 ~.2 Million yearsDome 1 ~.2 Million years Dome 1L ~.3 Million yearsDome 1L ~.3 Million years Dome 1M ~.8 Million yearsDome 1M ~.8 Million years Dome H ~ 1.5 Million yearsDome H ~ 1.5 Million years Dome P ~ 2.9 Million yearsDome P ~ 2.9 Million years Caldera - 1986 Slide 37 Mt. St. Helens Dr. Don PattonDr. Don Patton Took 5 samples from CalderaTook 5 samples from Caldera The results were as follows:The results were as follows: Dome 1 ~.2 Million yearsDome 1 ~.2 Million years Dome 1L ~.3 Million yearsDome 1L ~.3 Million years Dome 1M ~.8 Million yearsDome 1M ~.8 Million years Dome H ~ 1.5 Million yearsDome H ~ 1.5 Million years Dome P ~ 2.9 Million yearsDome P ~ 2.9 Million years ACTUALLY 11 YEARS OLD! ACTUALLY 11 YEARS OLD! Caldera - 1986 Slide 38 RadioCarbon? Robert E. Lee The troubles with of radiocarbon dating methods are deep and serious. Despite 35 years of technological refinement and better understanding. The underlying assumptions have been strongly challenged Anthropological Journal of Canada V.9, N. 3, 1981, p. 9 Slide 39 RadioCarbon? Robert E. Lee The troubles with of radiocarbon dating methods are deep and serious. Despite 35 years of technological refinement and better understanding. The underlying assumptions have been strongly challenged Anthropological Journal of Canada V.9, N. 3, 1981, p. 9 Slide 40 RadioCarbon? Robert E. Lee The troubles with of radiocarbon dating methods are deep and serious. Despite 35 years of technological refinement and better understanding. The underlying assumptions have been strongly challenged Anthropological Journal of Canada V.9, N. 3, 1981, p. 9 Slide 41 RadioCarbon? Robert E. Lee It should be no surprise, then, that fully half of the dates are rejected. The wonder is, surely, that the remaining half come out to be accepted. There are gross discrepancies, the chronology is uneven and relative, and the accepted dates are actually selected dates. Anthropological Journal of Canada V.9, N. 3, 1981, p. 9 Slide 42 RadioCarbon? Robert E. Lee It should be no surprise, then, that fully half of the dates are rejected. The wonder is, surely, that the remaining half come out to be accepted. There are gross discrepancies, the chronology is uneven and relative, and the accepted dates are actually selected dates. Anthropological Journal of Canada V.9, N. 3, 1981, p. 9 Slide 43 RadioCarbon? Robert E. Lee It should be no surprise, then, that fully half of the dates are rejected. The wonder is, surely, that the remaining half come out to be accepted. There are gross discrepancies, the chronology is uneven and relative, and the accepted dates are actually selected dates. Anthropological Journal of Canada V.9, N. 3, 1981, p. 9 Slide 44 Testing the Test C14 Sent samples to UCLA Carbon Dating Lab Slide 45 Testing the Test C14 Sent samples to UCLA Carbon Dating Lab Slide 46 Testing the Test C14 C14 Dated at 890 Sent samples to UCLA Carbon Dating Lab Slide 47 Testing the Test C14 C14 Dated at 890 Sent samples to UCLA Carbon Dating Lab Slide 48 Testing the Test C14 C14 Dated at 890 C14 Dated at 12.8K Sent samples to UCLA Carbon Dating Lab Slide 49 Testing the Test C14 C14 Dated at 890 C14 Dated at 12.8K Sent samples to UCLA Carbon Dating Lab 100/100 dinosaur bones had significant C14! Slide 50 Unrealiable clocks? W. D. Stanfield Professor of Biological Science, C. P. S. U. It is obvious that radiometric technique, may not be the absolute dating methods that they are claimed to be. The Science of Evolution Pg. 84 Slide 51 W. D. Stanfield Professor of Biological Science, C. P. S. U. Age estimates given on a given geological stratum by different radiometric methods are often quite different (sometimes by hundreds of millions of years). There is no absolutely reliable long-term radiological clock. The Science of Evolution Pg. 84 Unrealiable clocks? Slide 52 W. D. Stanfield Professor of Biological Science, C. P. S. U. Age estimates given on a given geological stratum by different radiometric methods are often quite different (sometimes by hundreds of millions of years). There is no absolutely reliable long-term radiological clock. The Science of Evolution Pg. 84 Unrealiable clocks? Slide 53 Why is the Earth old? Slide 54