Just curious as to how old the Earth is. Science says one thing and religion says another. Convince me either way.
2007-09-11 07:26:31 · 18 answers · asked by klover_dso 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
4.5 billion years give or take a few hundred million.
There are at least 4 types of radiological decay that date all the old rocks in the solar system the same. Plus it is possible to back calculate how long the Sun has been undergoing fusion by how much fuel it has burned. There are other ways too....the amount of cratering indicates old age, the time it would take to clear the amount of debris, etc... But they all come up somewhere in the 4-5 billion year range.
2007-09-11 07:32:55 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Roughly 4.54 billion years old.
The oldest terrestrial rocks are roughly 3.8 billion years old. Where multiple volcanic eruptions have occurred, shallower rocks are progressively younger. This is all based on the decay of radioactive elements in crystals that formed as molten rock solidified..
How do we get from 3.8 to 4.5 billion years, since we cannot measure any older portion of earth, since every older rock on Earth was molten? There is a minor amount of guesswork involved. We assume that asteroids formed at the same time as Earth. Because they are smaller, they cooled more quickly. Many asteroids that have fallen to Earth are roughly 4.5 billion years old.
Thus, the age we give for the Earth is the age for the solar system.
2007-09-11 14:49:49 · answer #2 · answered by novangelis 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well, it may be 4.5 billion years old. Or it may have come into existence a few seconds ago, as is, along with all of our memories and knowledge, and the evidence showing it is 4.5 billion years. There's really no way to know for sure.
2007-09-11 14:39:00 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
If you believe the bible's literal account and adding up generations from the bible, then I can't convince you of anything else.
If you believe that science is correct, then don't trust me or anyone else, go to the library and select a few geology, physics and cosmology/astronomy books to read.
The science is endlessly fascinating and too interesting to tell in a couple of paragraphs.
2007-09-11 14:31:51 · answer #4 · answered by BAL 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Some say about 6,000 because of genealogical records in the Bible. But most say (as well as the evidence) between 4-6 billions years old.
2007-09-11 14:37:42 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
It takes faith to believe either answer. As a Christian I believe the Biblical account of the Earth and its age: less than 10,000 years old.
Science will tell you billions of years old, but there is literally NO scientific data to support that. They will try to convince you that it's calculated scientifically and our public schools teach that theory, but there is no evidence at all to support that.
That is why I believe it takes faith to believe either theory. I have faith that God inspired the writing of the Bible. To believe that science is correct takes faith in believing that the scientist's guesses are correct.
2007-09-11 14:32:50 · answer #6 · answered by Toolman 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
4.5 billion years old as demonstrated by Uranium decay dating of oldest rocks in Greenland and Australia.
2007-09-11 14:31:14 · answer #7 · answered by ? 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Billions of years old.
2007-09-11 14:32:14 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Old enough to know better, too young to care.
2007-09-11 15:23:56 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
there is no way of knowing that intriguing question since time is only an illusion made up by the shadows of celestrial objects.
2007-09-11 14:32:39 · answer #10 · answered by romaniascott 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋