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→Widespread misunderstandings: Not just atheists.
== Widespread misunderstandings ==
== Widespread misunderstandings ==
Many people believe that carbon dating has proved that the Earth is millions or billions of years old, much older than the biblically derived date of around 6,000 years. However, as explained above, carbon dating is incapable of providing dates in the range of millions or billions of years, and some atheistic scientists turn to more speculative forms of dating to try to derive such extraordinary time periods.
Many people believe that carbon dating has proved that the Earth is millions or billions of years old, much older than the biblically derived date of around 6,000 years. However, as explained above, carbon dating is incapable of providing dates in the range of millions or billions of years, and many scientists turn to [[Radiometric dating|other forms of dating]] to derive such extremely long time periods.
Some also argue that carbon dating should only be used on samples that fall within the range over which it can measure.
Some also argue that carbon dating should only be used on samples that fall within the range over which it can measure.
However, this prompts the question of how one might determine this prior to using carbon dating to determine the age.
However, this prompts the question of how one might determine this prior to using carbon dating to determine the age.
They further argue that dating much older items will result in anomalous dates, which might fall within the range that carbon dating can measure.
They further argue that dating much older items will result in anomalous dates, which might fall within the range that carbon dating can measure.
This is incorrect. Any sample that is older than the range that carbon dating will measure will record zero <sup>14</sup>C, and can therefore not be confused with younger samples.
This is incorrect. Any sample that is older than the range that carbon dating will measure will record essentially zero <sup>14</sup>C, and can therefore not be confused with younger samples.
==See also==
==See also==