tgamble

http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/sho...6&pagenumber=2

Winace tries to get out of his blunder. Fact is, the PRINCIPLE is the same that beta decay can be accelerated by many orders of magnitude in atoms stripped of electrons. There are possible scenarios during creation week where this is possible.

And does WinAce know anything about the theory of decay? There are theoretical means of producing accelerated decay, e.g. a small change in fundamental constants or the shape of the nuclear potential well can have a large effect on the decay rate (but little effect on radiohalo diameter which is alleged to indicate decay constancy).

Also, despite the ASSERTION of constancy of decay rates, nuclear physicists and geophysicists have several lines of evidence to the contrary:

Evidence of much decay of uranium-238 and its daughter elements to produce mature multi-ringed radiohalos in basement rocks. But they are absent in Phanerozoic rocks although uniformitarian ‘dating’ predicts that there should be plenty of time to form them. This is consistent with a rapid decay episode during Creation week but no such great acceleration since then.

The presence of the alpha particles still within the rock where they were apparently formed by nuclear decay. Alpha particles are helium nuclei, and they have attracted two electrons to form helium atoms. The diffusion rate of helium through minerals would suggest that it would have escaped if the rocks were really billions of years old.

High correlation of heat flow at Earth’s surface with concentration of radioactive isotopes, consistent with a pulse of accelerated decay during the Flood year to produce heat that hasn’t had time to dissipate."

Naturally, no scientific references are given. I'd be interested to know what kind of errors are here.

Also an article on NAIG is here.
http://home.austarnet.com.au/stear/c...ssia_scott.htm

and the response here.
http://www.creation.webzone.ru/Eng/response_scott.htm

Any comments on the response? Thanks!

Quetzal

I don't know if this will help, but Patrick had a great thread on the Po halo issue last year. Here's the link, which I hope still works.

Good luck.

ps418

What a load. If decay rates were not accelerated during the flood, if they have been constant since the creation week, then there is no way to account for the radiometric ages of igneous rocks found in supposed flood deposits, which may be 500+ million years old. Accelerated decay during the "Creation week" obviously cannot account for the great ages of igneous rocks etc. attributed to post Creation week processes. Also, the haloes may or may not be absent from Phanerozoic rocks (who's looked, and at how many rocks), but either way this is not evidence for altered decay rates.

The constancy or near-constancy of decay rates is not simply an assertion -- it is a testable hypothesis that is well-supported by the empirical evidence. See this thread for a discussion of what real geophysical and astrophysical research on changes in physical 'constants' reveals. HINT: YEC claims are bullshit. Also, see this article, which provides evidence for the constancy or near-constancy of decay rates over many millions of years, as do this one and this one,.

As for the "theoretical means" of altering decay rates, they do exist. As do the theoretical means of doing all sorts of other things. The relevant question is whether those theoretical possibilities have or could have obtained on planet earth, and the answer is no, particularly the beta-decay modifications that are so often mentioned by YECs (see this and this).

Patrick

caravelair

talkorigins has 2 articles on gentry's polonium halo claim:

both can be found here:

http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/po-halos/

Dr.GH

Oh Boy.

Sounds like Socrates is in full bore again.

Jesus Tap-Dancin' Christ

Has anyone ponted out that he acts NOTHING like the REAL Socrates--and that in fact, Socrates would have a field day and a half with him?

Tom Ames

Maybe we can give him a nice hot cup of a certain botanical extract to drink. At least then he'd have one thing in common with Socrates.

Godot

I'd be happy enough if someone gave Socrates a nice tall glass of shut the fuck up.

SULPHUR

Electrons are beta particles aren't they. Puzzled

Jesus Tap-Dancin' Christ

Beta Particles are indeed electrons-usually with a high kinetic energy.