How Old is the Earth?

[MC Just]

How old is the earth?

[Laudate_Dominum]

based on radiometric dating of rock on earth the earliest we get is around 3.9 billion years. But there are methods of Isochron/radiometric dating of meteorite groups that suggest the earth was formed more like 4.5 billion years ago. But it's hard to say with much precision.

I would hold to roughly 4.5 billion years though.

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='Laudate_Dominum' date='Jul 23 2005, 03:54 AM']based on radiometric dating of rock on earth the earliest we get is around 3.9 billion years. But there are methods of Isochron/radiometric dating of meteorite groups that suggest the earth was formed more like 4.5 billion years ago. But it's hard to say with much precision.

I would hold to roughly 4.5 billion years though.
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Interesting, but you know, if you had a Borg sphere you could create a temporal vortex by emitting chronometric particles and go back to the exact moment when the earth came into existence.

[Laudate_Dominum]

[quote name='Apotheoun' date='Jul 23 2005, 05:56 AM']Interesting, but you know, if you had a Borg sphere you could create a temporal vortex by emitting chronometric particles and go back to the exact moment when the earth came into existence.
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LOL! That would be sweet.

The datings methods used are actually really clever. But for the record I certainly don't give them religious assent. They just make sense. If science finds out that they goofed and the earth is only 1 billion years old, or maybe it's 67 billion years old, it doesn't really matter to me. In a way, who cares. hehe

[Noel's angel]

according to the Paul Simon song 'Old':

'The human race has walked the earth for 2.7 million
And we estimate the universe at 13-14 billion'

[Laudate_Dominum]

[quote name='Noel's angel' date='Jul 23 2005, 06:18 AM']according to the Paul Simon song 'Old':

'The human race has walked the earth for 2.7 million
And we estimate the universe at 13-14 billion'
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That's funny. I imagine most books will support my view (official science books). I'm really not making this up. Although it is hard to disagree with Paul.
He should read: Scientific American v261 p90(6) August, 1989.

hehe

[Laudate_Dominum]

I must note that there are some interesting arguments for the young earth (6-10,000 years), but I've never been quite interested enough to really get deep into the arguments. The dating that I mentioned in my previous post is pretty darn compelling, and the young earth arguments just don't seem as solid. (Not to mention there is a mountain of evidence against an age merely in the thousands).

Here's a link to some young earth arguments just to give the other side:
[url="http://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/creation/young_earth.html"]http://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/creation/young_earth.html[/url]

[Noel's angel]

I still think Paul's right

[Noel's angel]

aghhhhhhhhh! the smilie has changed, grrrr

[Aloysius]

I was just talking with some friends about how I don't trust the dating systems... we were talking about how they apparently grossly overestimated how long fossil fuels take to come about with such dating methods and that ACTUALLY some oil fields have begun to replenish themselves (apparently, it might only take a couple hundred years for fossil fuels to be formed)... and then the Shroud's dating that ended up being in complete error...

romantically I like the idea of the young earth... with evidence I really have yet to be convinced by either side...

[Noel's angel]

its all relative really

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='Laudate_Dominum' date='Jul 23 2005, 04:46 AM']I must note that there are some interesting arguments for the young earth (6-10,000 years), but I've never been quite interested enough to really get deep into the arguments. [. . .]
Here's a link to some young earth arguments just to give the other side:
[url="http://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/creation/young_earth.html"]http://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/creation/young_earth.html[/url]
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I'm not all that interested in the "young" earth theories either.

[EcceNovaFacioOmni]

I don't trust the dates put forth for the appearance of humans so I distrust the dates for the age of the earth. I don't see how modern man was around for 40,000 years but only started doing stuff for the last 8,000 or so.

[Pio Nono]

JMJ
7/23 - St. Apollinaris of Ravenna

The Earth was made on Wednesday, 23 October, in 4550 BC (or some year similar to that). At least that's what a Baptist minister said from the stand during the Scopes Monkey Trial.

[Jaime]

[quote name='Noel's angel' date='Jul 23 2005, 06:18 AM']according to the Paul Simon song 'Old':

'The human race has walked the earth for 2.7 million
And we estimate the universe at 13-14 billion'
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I have to strongly disagree with you Noel's Angel. Quoting Simon from another song he's famous for

[quote]Don't know much about history, don't know much biology. Don't know much about a science book, don't know much about the French I took."[/quote]


Granted he's quoting Sam Cooke but he sounds sincere..

[ironmonk]

[quote name='MC Just' date='Jul 23 2005, 07:47 AM']How old is the earth?
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The best answer you can get is "unknown".


Various dating systems are reliable to a point, but to be certain one would need something to compare the sample to.

Scientific statements are not "facts", even though science is based on facts - science is based on observable facts - - "It appers to be because of 'this' for now, but that can change if were learn something new"
The way scientist thought fossils were created was recently proven wrong, a T-Rex's bone fell and broke in two and it had moist meat inside. Given this latest revelation, I do not think oil was created the way they had originally thought. For all they know there could be (and I believe there are) oceans of oil that we have not found yet. The deepest ever drilled has been about 4 miles if memory serves me correctly... There is a lot we do not know about the earth... the answer to the age of the earth will be nothing more than a theory until we die and are able to ask God.... unless of course a Saint from Heaven comes down to tell us.



God Bless,
ironmonk

[Laudate_Dominum]

[quote name='thedude' date='Jul 23 2005, 03:44 PM']I don't trust the dates put forth for the appearance of humans so I distrust the dates for the age of the earth.  I don't see how modern man was around for 40,000 years but only started doing stuff for the last 8,000 or so.
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teehee, I disagree with the conventional theories regarding the appearance of man, but I go in the opposite direction. I believe that man has walked the earth for longer than 40,000 years. And he did not start doing stuff in the last 8,000 years. It's complicated, but cool.

[Laudate_Dominum]

[quote name='ironmonk' date='Jul 23 2005, 10:54 PM']The best answer you can get is "unknown".
Various dating systems are reliable to a point, but to be certain one would need something to compare the sample to.

Scientific statements are not "facts", even though science is based on facts - science is based on observable facts - - "It appers to be because of 'this' for now, but that can change if were learn something new"
The way scientist thought fossils were created was recently proven wrong, a T-Rex's bone fell and broke in two and it had moist meat inside. Given this latest revelation, I do not think oil was created the way they had originally thought. For all they know there could be (and I believe there are) oceans of oil that we have not found yet. The deepest ever drilled has been about 4 miles if memory serves me correctly... There is a lot we do not know about the earth... the answer to the age of the earth will be nothing more than a theory until we die and are able to ask God.... unless of course a Saint from Heaven comes down to tell us.
God Bless,
ironmonk
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Do you have an article or anything you can direct me to regard the moist meat thing? That seems incredible. Just curious.

Thanks

[Laudate_Dominum]

[quote name='hot stuff' date='Jul 23 2005, 10:25 PM']I have to strongly disagree with you Noel's Angel.  Quoting Simon from another song he's famous for
Granted he's quoting Sam Cooke but he sounds sincere..
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LOL, that's funny. :

[Laudate_Dominum]

[quote name='Aloysius' date='Jul 23 2005, 12:15 PM']I was just talking with some friends about how I don't trust the dating systems... we were talking about how they apparently grossly overestimated how long fossil fuels take to come about with such dating methods and that ACTUALLY some oil fields have begun to replenish themselves (apparently, it might only take a couple hundred years for fossil fuels to be formed)... and then the Shroud's dating that ended up being in complete error...

romantically I like the idea of the young earth... with evidence I really have yet to be convinced by either side...
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I like to think I have a healthy skepticism of the dating methods as well, but in the past I recall examining the evidence of the Earth's age and it seemed pretty concrete.

And what's the problem anyway? I think the young earth stuff is usually motivated by an interpretation of the Bible that doesn't seem all that great to me. The Bible is not, and never was a science text book. Even when it is a history book, it's often elucidating the Theological meaning of history rather than the strictly literal facts of history.

If the Church were to declare that the Earth is less than 5000 years old, I would believe it and give it some serious investigation, but that won't happen because it's not proper to faith and morals. I think mainstream science is most likely right on the issue of the earth's age. It's not really a big deal and I don't know why some Christians are threatened by the idea (well, I know, but I don't relate).