Creation & EvolutionForum for the discussion of this important topic. This forum is open to non-believers. There is a Christians-only forum in the Christians-only section too.
Can you come up with any mechanism that would change them? And if so, any reason to believe that occurred? To the best of our knowledge, decay rates are constant and I've never heard any reason to think they've changed.
Can you come up with any mechanism that would change them? And if so, any reason to believe that occurred? To the best of our knowledge, decay rates are constant and I've never heard any reason to think they've changed.
No, I know very little about carbon dating. I was just wondering if we were basing constant decay rates on any solid evidence or just on educated assumptions.
Not a stupid question, just one that we hear a lot. Although I would like to remind people that when others actually ask questions (instead of make statements they know nothing about) we should be nice and help them understand the answer.
We can be certain that the decay rates have remained relatively constant. Constant enough to make radiometric dating valid.
One simple observation about radiometric decay is that it produces heat. An increase in decay speed would increase the speed at which the isotope heats the sorounding matter. An increase in decay required for most young earth estimates would produce so much heat it would melt the rocks around it.
We have also found at least one natural nuclear reactor, and increase in decay rates would be evident at the reactor site (Including possible holes from nuclear explosions.)
Linear Mode
