Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: Warrior of Justice
- Also, lava at the top of one of Hawaii's volcanos was dated by carbon dating to be MILLIONS of YEARS old when the HISTORICAL record PROVED it to be from the 19th century!

- This same carbon dating was used on a LIVE, i.e. LIVING mullusk and the mullusk was dated to have been DEAD OVER 100,000 years!!! Someone must have forgot to tell the mullusk!

I have to correct you here, as you have some additional factual errors.

Radiocarbon dating cannot be applied to rock (lava), and it cannot be reliably used much past 50,000 years.

So, there is no way -- and I mean absolutely no way -- for a radiocarbon date to come back with a measured age a million or more years ago. What you often get with "dead" specimens is a figure like >50,000. What this is actually saying is that the specimen contains no C14 within the limits of measurement of the laboratory. Some labs with poor shielding may top out a bit under 50,000 years, while some of the new AMS machines might extend the range a bit past 50,000. But take my word for it, radiocarbon dating does not go back into the MILLIONS of years.

Radiocarbon dating works only with objects what were once alive, and which contain carbon. Lava and other rocks do not contain carbon except for slight traces from groundwater or other contamination.

A living mollusk can give an exceptionally old date if it is absorbing old carbon. This can be done in marine (ocean) environments where old carbon can be stockpiled in the depths and be brought to the surface through upwelling. There are well-established calibrations to account for this.

A living mollusk in a stream or lake which is heavily exposed to limestone runoff can also date exceptionally old. I think the sample you are partially remembering was one of this type. The creationist websites make a big deal out of this, but this is a well known phenomenon and has not fooled archaeologists for several decades. (Once again, the creationist websites are misrepresenting science.)

It might be wise for you to check the original creationist websites and find their references (if they even have them). Most will probably be to Radiocarbon. Then check and see what the original articles say. (Many issues of Radiocarbon are on line through the University of Arizona library.)

And please, do just a little research before you post completely unsubstantiated and erroneous material in the future. It helps your cause not at all to continually post misinformation.

378 posted on 09/19/2006 7:12:36 PM PDT by Coyoteman (I love the sound of beta decay in the morning!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 366 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


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