If science is so accurate, why do they keep changing the age of the Earth?

Question

Does that mean that it could change again, or do they have it right this time, 4.5 billion years old?

Darwin said 250 million.

Answer 1

The difference between science and religion is that science at least admits it doesn't know all the answers...religion just makes up whatever garbage it wants and then sticks with its lies

Answer 2

Your fallacy is based on your desperate need for certainty. Likewise, the assumption that science, itself, claims certainty is another fallacy you've indulged in.

There have been bombastic scientists - perhaps Darwin - that forget that they speculate on rather than dictate reality. Or perhaps they realize that if they are not bombastic for the non-scientist, absolute answer-needy public, that their writings will not generate enough public interest to sell.

Either way, science is opposite religion in the assumptions of absolutes. Of course, your question is a good demonstration of your belief system. The world must be absolutes with no shades of gray or uncertainty. Indeed, I think most of the absolutist religious are terrified of the form of agnosticism I practice. I also believe that the agnostic, not the atheist, is the perfect scientist because religious insistence on having "perfect knowledge" gets in the way of scientific inquiry. For example, if the theory of evolution is perfect, why bother to spend any time studying it any further? Some will say because the absolute evidence is out there somewhere. Not so. I doubt the evolutionist would ever convert you to his faith. Why? Because all either of you have is evidence. You don't *know* you just accept on shoddy proof. If your proof were perfect, I would be convinced, but it isn't so I can ask all sorts of questions that poke holes in both your theories such as to negate both ideas.

That's why Christian and evolutionist alike hate agnostics. We ask too many questions that you cannot answer. Worse yet, some like me can get kind of smug about stumping you, which isn't a nice thing to do. Then again, neither is telling me that I'm certainly going to hell if I don't believe as you do or that I'm related to some damn chimpanzee (oh, and agnostics can tell the difference between a monkey and chimpanzee, which apparently baffles the heck out of a lot of Christians).

If it's any consolation though, we agnostics do share one gripe with Chrstians: we both think teachers making absolutist statements about science speculations (like insisting a certain age of the earth is correct) are stupid. Incidentally, we also piss them off with our questioning their presumptions; the difference being it's because we demonstrate that we are more like scientists than they are.

Answer 3

Science has no idea how old the earth is. There is no way for science to know. Scientists speculate, but that is not science. Speculation can be engaged in by anyone. Science is the search for truth. Truth doesn't change.

True science is the search for truth, by the tools of the Scientific Method. It an idea is dreamed up by an individual, whether or not this individual is a scientist, it is NOT science unless it is a product of the Scientific Method.

The age of the earth, and many other questions are the subject of speculation by scientists to support their belief assumption that creation occurred without a Creator. That assumption: creation without a Creator, is the justification for belief in evolution.

So, a speculation to support an assumption, without the use of the Scientific Method doesn't sound like science to me.

Now you know why "science" keeps changing. It is because it isn't science. It isn't the search for the truth. It is speculation to support and assumption.

Now, put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Answer 4

Let me ask you this? If Adam And Eve were created by God, and raised Cain (no pun intended) and Able, Where did Cain's wife come from? Somebody pull of another creation in the next county? First case of incest?

The Bible states the Sun revolves around the Earth, and the Earth is flat. I can supply links to pictures that make a pretty good case against that idea. Can you give me one factual piece of evidence for the Bible's veracity.

The Bible and the Christian scholars put the age of the Earth at about 6,000 years old. Hmm, Who's farther off?

Did you get that question from "Of Pandas and People" or from the Discovery Institute, the Institution for Creation Research, or from some propagandist in your church discussion group?
Christians would be taken more seriously if they showed any spark of intelligence or original thinking.

Answer 5

The age of the earth will never change. Our speculation on how old it is might change. Oh, and Darwin did not know what we know now. Look, science is a continuous process trying to find out how things work. When we find more evidence it changes our paradigm and we can re-evaluate things.

Answer 6

I'm pretty sure that scientists actually say "at least 4.5 billion years old" for they know and accept, and expect, that new methods may show new evidence that it is even older.

Answer 7

BIBLE DOES NOT GIVE THE AGE OF EARTH

I was thinking these different things that I see, were giving different ages for earth.

JESUS GENEALOGY AND 2007 CALENDAR TIME

~~~~ Gen.1:1,2 All Exist. 1:3-25 Earth prepared. Space Job 38:30-32; John 17:3,5,24;
~~~~ Col.1:15-17; Rev.3:14; Jesus first creation created in image of God.
0130 Adam Gen.5:3; Gen.1:26,"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness."
0105 Seth Gen.5:6
0090 Enos Gen.5:9
0070 Cainan Gen.5:12
0065 Mahalaleel Gen.5:15
0162 Jared Gen.5:18
0065 Enoch Gen.5:21
0187 Methusalen Gen.5:25
0182 Lamech Gen.5:28; 1056 Noah born.
0600 age of Noah, Flood Gen.7:6; 1656 flood year at 1656 after Adam.
0000 Noah 350 years Gen.9:28,29; Shem 502 years Gen.11:10,11,
0222 Gen.11:10,11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22,24 is Terah at, 222 years.
0205 427 Gen.11:32 [ 205 dies ]; Gen.12:4; Abraham age 75. Matt.1:1-17;
0430 857 Exo.7,7; 12:40,41; Gal.3:16-18 [ Abraham & 430 to law ];
0040 897 Num.33:38,39 [ Deut.34:7 Aaron & Moses die ];
0000 898th after flood. Josh.5:6,10,12; 14th day of New Year.
0000 Judges 11:26; 300 & 898 after flood, is 1198. 1212 BC
0000 Acts 13:20 450 & 857 is 1307 after flood. 1103 BC
0000 1Ki.2:10,11 David [ 1037 BC ]. Ruth 4:18-22; 1Chr.3:1-17;
0480 1Ki.6:1; Promised Land 897 to 1377 after flood. 1033 BC
0036 1Ki.11:42 Solomon dies 1413 after flood. 997BC
3069 & 997 & 2007 is 6073 after Adam as LOST to SAVED.
0000 Rev.20:6; 1000 year reign of Jesus. 1000 is 7072 years accounted for.

Eph.2:7; 3:21; The world with Jesus is without end. John 3:16; 2Pet.3:13 All made new.

THIS IS NOT THE AGE OF THE EARTH.

Answer 8

I agree, that sucks.

Must be nice for people who have a solid, mythological, set age for the earth as opposed to a changing, falsifiable age set by the scientific method.

Answer 9

Darwin did not have radiometric dating. Science is a process that is self-correcting. I much prefer someone who can, upon hearing a compelling argument, come up to a presenter and say, "You know, you're right. The theory I've been following for my entire career is incorrect." Whereas this is common in science, it is far too rare in religions.

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Answer 10

Science is a never-ending quest. I can say with almost absolute certainty that estimates of the Earth's age will change as we discover more about the past.

Science may not be convenient, but it deals in reality.

Answer 11

Of course it could change. That's the thing with science. Unlike religious dogma, science is willing to accept and examine new evidence.