Is the world really 4.5 billion years old

[Merlin]

As requested by Steve. He says he will now show his scientific evidence that it is 6000 years old.

 

[MdmSzdWhtGuy]

Uhh, this should be interesting. I tried to get a young earth discussion going a few
weeks ago. Hope yours goes better than mine did.

B.

And yes, the world is really about 4.5 billion years old. Scientists have a consensus
on this.

B.

 

[Merlin]

shed

Uhh, this should be interesting. I tried to get a young earth discussion going a few
weeks ago. Hope yours goes better than mine did.

B.

And yes, the world is really about 4.5 billion years old. Scientists have a consensus
on this.

B.

I agree. There are others in this forum will do not, so here is the chance for them to bring forth their scientific evidence

 

[greatcalgarian]

Let me start the ball rolling:

by Russell Humphreys
Here are a dozen natural phenomena which conflict with the evolutionary idea that the universe is billions of years old. The numbers I list below in bold print (often millions of years) are maximum possible ages set by each process, not the actual ages. The numbers in italics are the ages required by evolutionary theory for each item. The point is that the maximum possible ages are always much less than the required evolutionary ages, while the Biblical age (6,000 to 10,000 years) always fits comfortably within the maximum possible ages. Thus the following items are evidence against the evolutionary time scale and for the Biblical time scale.

1. Galaxies wind themselves up too fast
2. Comets disintegrate too quickly
3. Not enough mud on the sea floor
4. Not enough sodium in the sea
5. The Earth’s magnetic field is decaying too fast
6. Many strata are too tightly bent
7. Injected sandstone shortens geologic ‘ages’
8. Fossil radioactivity shortens geologic ‘ages’ to a few years
9. Helium in the wrong places
10. Not enough stone age skeletons
11. Agriculture is too recent
12. History is too short
http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/4005.asp

It is fun to read and try to spot the way facts are distorted to fit the arguement.

 

[greatcalgarian]

And here is the answer to item 9 on helium:
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/helium/zircons.html
and the answer back:
http://www.trueorigin.org/helium01.asp

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Personally, I don't care if the world is 4.5 billion or thousand years old. It really wont change much, since certain religious groups will still argue the young earth theory, and others will still claim the earth is old.

 

[The Black Whirlwind]

why does it matter?

 

[Merlin]

why does it matter?

It seems to matter to some, but they don't really want to come out of the closet at the moment do they? Presumably the creationists don't think their are arguments will stand up in the cold light of day

 

[scitsofreaky]

Let me start the ball rolling:
1. Galaxies wind themselves up too fast
2. Comets disintegrate too quickly
3. Not enough mud on the sea floor
4. Not enough sodium in the sea
5. The Earth’s magnetic field is decaying too fast
6. Many strata are too tightly bent
7. Injected sandstone shortens geologic ‘ages’
8. Fossil radioactivity shortens geologic ‘ages’ to a few years
9. Helium in the wrong places
10. Not enough stone age skeletons
11. Agriculture is too recent
12. History is too short
http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/4005.asp

It is fun to read and try to spot the way facts are distorted to fit the arguement.

And the best part is that none of these "prove" the earth is only 6000 years old, just that it isn't 4.5 billion years old. That is, assuming they are correct (yeah, sure).

 

[Merlin]

And the best part is that none of these "prove" the earth is only 6000 years old, just that it isn't 4.5 billion years old. That is, assuming they are correct (yeah, sure).

So? How old do you think it is?

 

[scitsofreaky]

Me? Well since the consensus is 4.5 billion years, I'll go with that. I haven't seen any valid evidence otherwise.

 

[Aqualung]

What is the valid evidence that it is 4.5 billion years old? Here's a hint - Consensus does not equal valid evidence.

 

[michel]

Me? Well since the consensus is 4.5 billion years, I'll go with that. I haven't seen any valid evidence otherwise.

Hey, what's a million years or so among friends ?:biglaugh:

 

[Scott1]

Me? Well since the consensus is 4.5 billion years, I'll go with that. I haven't seen any valid evidence otherwise.

Sounds about right to me.

 

[scitsofreaky]

What is the valid evidence that it is 4.5 billion years old? Here's a hint - Consensus does not equal valid evidence.

Consensus is not proof in itself, but it is part of validating evidence. Three steps to good science:
1. Practical injunction or exemplar
2. An apprehension, illumination, or experience (when applying to science, experimentation=experience
3. Communal checking (either rejection or confirmation)
(source: Ken Wilber)

 

[Aqualung]

Yet you still haven't filled me in on steps one and two.

 

[MdmSzdWhtGuy]

Here is some fodder from those pesky "scientists"

http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/geotime/age.html

A very interesting read, and I encourage you to go to the link.

Basic ghist of it is that Earth is 99% sure to be 4.54 billion years old.
They do into some small degree of detail as to how that figure was derived.

B.

 

[Aqualung]

thank you, MdmSzdWhtGuy.

 

[scitsofreaky]

I agree, that is a great article MdmSzdWhtGuy

 

[Druidus]

I believe the universe to be around 11-22 billion years old, though I cannot know for sure. I expect that Earth is roughly 4.5 billion years old. Of course, it did not, at the time, have any solid rock, all rock was liquid magma. In fact, the first rocks formed around 3.7 billion years ago, according to current evidence. 200 million years after that, the first evidence of life came around. This life was likely groups of chemical reactions bound to a flat crystal surface in a boiling salty bath. The surface held the chemicals in place; so that the various chemicals could come in contact with each other, rather than randomly drifting. These chemical reactions became, eventually, "self-catalyzing reaction cycles, or "prions". These had the earliest genetic equipment, if it could be called that. These produced fatty byproducts, which eventually became the earliest skins (used to protect against open seawater when life began to drift).

I believe Earth to be around 4.5 billion years ago because all evidence points to that as a reasonable, logical, and scientific conclusion.