Voice in the Wilderness
New member
I am an ASNT Level II Certified Radiographer. If you don't know what a half life is, don't bother answering. All I want to know is how do we know that radioactive decay rates were constant during the formation of the earth? I doubt anyone disputes that environmental conditions WEREN'T what we see today, so why ASSUME that decay rates were constant THEN?
For example, two well known half lives today are Iridium 192 being 74 days and Cobalt 60 being 5.3 years: http://www.ndt-ed.org/EducationResources/CommunityCollege/Radiography/Physics/decayrate.htm
What were these half lives during the formation of earth? What were the half lives of any known element during earth's formation? Failure to answer these scientific questions is admission that no one can really demonstrate the age of the earth, yet this is presented as common information on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_the_Earth
Why are such presumptions allowed to stand?
I really don't expect there is a PhD in any known field in the world who can answer satisfactorily, but I'm open to being surprised.
Oh, and don't bother me with Dendrochronology, Ice core dating or other distractions. The subject is the questionable constancy of half lifes.
number17, my point is that no one knows. I'm waiting for someone to answer who can state HOW we know that decay rates have always been constant. I'm not waiting for your questions, as I am the asker here. You are free to post your own questions.
For example, two well known half lives today are Iridium 192 being 74 days and Cobalt 60 being 5.3 years: http://www.ndt-ed.org/EducationResources/CommunityCollege/Radiography/Physics/decayrate.htm
What were these half lives during the formation of earth? What were the half lives of any known element during earth's formation? Failure to answer these scientific questions is admission that no one can really demonstrate the age of the earth, yet this is presented as common information on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_the_Earth
Why are such presumptions allowed to stand?
I really don't expect there is a PhD in any known field in the world who can answer satisfactorily, but I'm open to being surprised.
Oh, and don't bother me with Dendrochronology, Ice core dating or other distractions. The subject is the questionable constancy of half lifes.
number17, my point is that no one knows. I'm waiting for someone to answer who can state HOW we know that decay rates have always been constant. I'm not waiting for your questions, as I am the asker here. You are free to post your own questions.