Carbon dating disproved

Radiometric Dating: Problems with the Assumptions

Radiocarbon dating can easily establish that humans have been on the earth for over twenty thousand years, at least twice as long as creationists are willing to allow. Therefore it should come as no surprise that creationists at the Institute for Creation Research ICR have been trying desperately to discredit this method for years. They have their work cut out for them, however, because radiocarbon C dating is one of the most reliable of all the radiometric dating methods. This article will answer several of the most common creationist attacks on carbon dating, using the question-answer format that has proved so useful to lecturers and debaters. Answer: Cosmic rays in the upper atmosphere are constantly converting the isotope nitrogen N into carbon C or radiocarbon. Living organisms are constantly incorporating this C into their bodies along with other carbon isotopes. When the organisms die, they stop incorporating new C, and the old C starts to decay back into N by emitting beta particles. The older an organism's remains are, the less beta radiation it emits because its C is steadily dwindling at a predictable rate. So, if we measure the rate of beta decay in an organic sample, we can calculate how old the sample is. C decays with a half-life of 5, years.

REGISTER TO VIEW

At least to the uninitiated, carbon dating is generally assumed to be a sure-fire way to predict the age of any organism that once lived on our planet. Without understanding the mechanics of it, we put our blind faith in the words of scientists, who assure us that carbon dating is a reliable method of determining the ages of almost everything around us. However, a little more knowledge about the exact ins and outs of carbon dating reveals that perhaps it is not quite as fool-proof a process as we may have been led to believe. At its most basic level, carbon dating is the method of determining the age of organic material by measuring the levels of carbon found in it. Specifically, there are two types of carbon found in organic materials: carbon 12 C and carbon 14 C It is imperative to remember that the material must have been alive at one point to absorb the carbon, meaning that carbon dating of rocks or other inorganic objects is nothing more than inaccurate guesswork. All living things absorb both types of carbon; but once it dies, it will stop absorbing.

REGISTER TO VIEW

Dating is everything in archaeology. Exciting discoveries of ancient burial sites or jewellery might make headlines, but for scientists, this kind of discovery is only meaningful if we can tell how old the artefacts are. So when chemist Willard Libby developed radiocarbon dating in , it was a breakthrough for archaeology and he was awarded a Nobel prize for his achievement. Nowadays people take radiocarbon technology for granted and many people think you can use radiocarbon on any human remains.

REGISTER TO VIEW

How Accurate is Carbon Dating?

Many reporters and scientists treat carbon dates like facts. Of course, the more recent dates work well enough. Yet, the Bible records only about 6, years from creation until today. To find out, we need to peek into the carbon dating process that specialists use to arrive at tens of thousands of years.

REGISTER TO VIEW

REGISTER TO VIEW