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How old is the earth and the universe?
- Thread starter 9Westy9
- Start date
How accurate are the scientists? As everyone knows, the scientists are no more accurate than our world's vital supply of village idiots when it comes to determining the age of the universe. That's why I tend to trust anonymous creationistis posting on the internet more than I do scientists.
Lol @ Sunstone.
Actually I am also curious about the methods used to determine the age of the universe. I read something about it a few years ago and got the idea that the age is a rough estimate but not absolute. I'd like to know more, but I'm sure google will be helpful.
Actually I am also curious about the methods used to determine the age of the universe. I read something about it a few years ago and got the idea that the age is a rough estimate but not absolute. I'd like to know more, but I'm sure google will be helpful.
I'm trying google too
. I'm hoping people more read on the subject will be able to help though
Terrywoodenpic
Oldest Heretic
It is very, very big and very, very old ....How very, very old hardly matters to most of us.
A few million years, more or less, would be good enough for me
Scientists are likely to calculate far better than I could guess any way... and very, very much better than any ancient scripture writer could divine.
A few million years, more or less, would be good enough for me
Scientists are likely to calculate far better than I could guess any way... and very, very much better than any ancient scripture writer could divine.
Infinitum
Possessed Bookworm
This comes now just based on what I remember hearing in school at some point, but the age of the universe can be determined by studying the light of the stars (it's way more complicated than that of course, but that's supposed to be the basic idea) whereas the age of the earth can be measured with the help of old bedrock and the like. They're probably using radioactive elements similar to carbon dating to do that.
Hope that helps with googleing it, I'm too lazy to look it up atm.
Hope that helps with googleing it, I'm too lazy to look it up atm.
Yes, I'm aware of this. I'm more interested in the validity of such methods to accurately determine the age of the universe and the earth
Infinitum
Possessed Bookworm
A few million here or there, who cares?Yes, I'm aware of this. I'm more interested in the validity of such methods to accurately determine the age of the universe and the earth
Although I've got the impression they're pretty accurate with it. I guess we need to find a geologist to get a better comment on that. Or maybe Wikipedia knows. It usually has good guesses at least.
fallingblood
Agnostic Theist
I'm pretty sure you just make a slice, and count the rings. Just like a tree.
Twilight Hue
Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Its through measurements via the cosmic microwave background of the big bang which is now well documented. The universe's estimated age is to be at 13.7 billion years with a 1% margin of error using the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe.
The findings are recorded by the NASA/WMAP Science Team.
shawn001
Well-Known Member
Wmap
Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP)
One of the most important discoveries of man orgins really.
There is also now the new Planck satellite taking more detail measurements.
Planck All-Sky Images Show Cold Gas and Strange Haze - NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Wmap microwave pictures are before stars and galaxies formed.
The Earth is 4.57 billion years old using argon dating. It also matches the age of the solar system, the sun is around 5 billion years old.
Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP)
One of the most important discoveries of man orgins really.
There is also now the new Planck satellite taking more detail measurements.
Planck All-Sky Images Show Cold Gas and Strange Haze - NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Wmap microwave pictures are before stars and galaxies formed.
The Earth is 4.57 billion years old using argon dating. It also matches the age of the solar system, the sun is around 5 billion years old.
Twilight Hue
Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Do you have any good links for this? It sounds interesting
Sure. :O)
Here (Science NASA. Gov 2003): http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=age%20of%20the%20universe%20afterglow%20big%20bang&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCEQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscience.nasa.gov%2Fscience-news%2Fscience-at-nasa%2F2003%2F11feb_map%2F&ei=NR5NT6DPFcXn0QGpxdj_Ag&usg=AFQjCNE2_6Wq-1iwMMcBn7HntP-4ZnxtTQ
Looks like Shawn beat me to some of it. LOL
The age differs based on data collected from 2003.
Reptillian
Hamburgler Extraordinaire
Geology tells us that the Earth is really old, and gives relative ages, but doesn't allow for definative dating. What I mean is that we know certain processes (like plate tectonics or snow deposition in glaciers or soil creation/erosion) occur at a given rate in modern times, then we can extrapolate backwards to get a crude estimate of how long that process has been occuring. So geological estimates tend to be a bit inaccurate, but they allow for a rough estimate of ages.
Astronomy also tells us that the universe is pretty old. We can use geometry (parallax) to determine approximately how far away nearby stars are, and we can use nearby stars that burn with a "standard brightness" and basic physics to determine the distance to objects that are further away. Since we know that light has a finite speed, we know that the universe is at least as old as the time it took for the light from the furthest stars to reach us.
As with all scientific and mathematical models, there are assumptions made that lead to those values. The nice thing about science, is that those assumptions are chosen to match up with observation and then continually tested in future experiments. The age of the Earth, as others have mentioned, is mainly determined using radioactive isotope dating...using physics and chemistry.
Radiation physics, depends mainly on one assumption...that the rate of decay for a radioactive substance is proportional to the number of radioactive particles in a sample. What this means is that if the decay occurs at a certain rate for certain number of particles, then if you double the number of particles, the rate of decay doubles; if you triple the number of particles, the rate of decay triples; etc. This is a pretty simple assumption with roots in probability theory...in a sense you're assuming that the probability of decay of each radioactive particle is independent of other particles. So age estimation of a particular rock, say a moon rock, depends upon chemists being able to accurately measure the amount of lead and the amount of uranium in that rock. (Uranium decays into lead and experimental measurements suggest that roughly half of a sample of uranium atoms will turn into lead over about 4.5 billion years)
The age of the universe at large is a bit more theory dependent. The current number depends upon the assumptions of general relativity being true, and upon several other further assumptions used to produce the big bang solution to Einstein's equation. Personally, I think our universe age estimate is going to change in the next 100 years as I suspect general relativity will undergo changes as it incorporates discoveries in quantum theory.
Philosophically, since time scale is relative, I wonder what it means to say the universe is about 14 billion years old. Do all observers agree on that age? Would an alien in the andromeda galaxy get the same number? Are cosmologists using relativity's proper time?
Literate Peasant
Member
Could the 'big bang' be just a single exhalation.
gnostic
The Lost One
It is far too much to explain here, so like nowhere man and shawn001 wrote, they used the WMAP (Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe) satellite to measure the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR).
Both guys have already provided you with this links to NASA's WMAP satellite, but I would also suggest that look up CMBR too. You can look it up at Wikipedia and type in Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation.
It is the CMBR that allow scientists or astronomers to determine the age of the universe. It is the earliest (and the most distant) known radiation (CMBR).
Before the WMAP satellite was launched and measured the CMBR, astronomers had used radio telescopes. CMBR was 1st discovered and measured by Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson in 1964. Since then radio astronomers have confirmed these radiations elsewhere, using radio telescopes around the world. But the WMAP satellite is more accurate terrestrial-base radio telescopes.
It is this discovery (referring to CMBR) that allow science to accept the Big Bang theory, and reject other competing cosmologies.
Both guys have already provided you with this links to NASA's WMAP satellite, but I would also suggest that look up CMBR too. You can look it up at Wikipedia and type in Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation.
It is the CMBR that allow scientists or astronomers to determine the age of the universe. It is the earliest (and the most distant) known radiation (CMBR).
Before the WMAP satellite was launched and measured the CMBR, astronomers had used radio telescopes. CMBR was 1st discovered and measured by Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson in 1964. Since then radio astronomers have confirmed these radiations elsewhere, using radio telescopes around the world. But the WMAP satellite is more accurate terrestrial-base radio telescopes.
It is this discovery (referring to CMBR) that allow science to accept the Big Bang theory, and reject other competing cosmologies.
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sandy whitelinger
Veteran Member
I can personally testify that the earth and the universe are 52 years old.
shawn001
Well-Known Member
How the Moon Evolved - Video Guided Tour
From epic asteroid bombardment and lava flow to man landing on its surface, the Moon has a rich and violent history. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is uncovering a treasure trove of knowledge on the past and present state of Luna.
How the Moon Evolved - Video Guided Tour | Space.com
From epic asteroid bombardment and lava flow to man landing on its surface, the Moon has a rich and violent history. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is uncovering a treasure trove of knowledge on the past and present state of Luna.
How the Moon Evolved - Video Guided Tour | Space.com