Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: Radioactive
Radiocarbondating cannot be used to date anything that was alive more recently than about 1750 AD (which includes your seal bone). The major reason for this cutoff is the vast increase and fluctuation in atmospheric carbon since the industrial revolution, along with more recent atomic/nucelar missile tests. The amount of carbon in the atmosphere has always fluctuated but can be accounted for (radiocarbon calibration) by dating known-age items (eg wood from long-lived tree species whose age can be detrmined accurately using dendrochronology or tree-ring dating) and noting the offset between the dates. Scientists have created several "calibration curves" that can be used in this manner, but sadly there are far two many wiggles in the curve beyond about 300 years ago for the technique to be used reliably. OTOH anything from 300-10,000 years ago can be calibrated fairly accurately and beyond 10,000 years, to within centuries (the 10,000 year point is where scientists run out of samples of old wood to create their calibration curves).
19 posted on 04/17/2003 11:15:37 PM PDT by Blunderfromdownunder
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies ]


To: Blunderfromdownunder
last night program they mention limestone particles on the Shroud,that can only be found on Jerusalem.(two locations)and both are claim to be the tomb of jesus.
29 posted on 04/18/2003 10:23:16 AM PDT by green team 1999
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson