Changes

===Age of the Earth===

===Age of the Earth===

I have heard many, many claims that the Earth is only 6,000 years old, with various proofs offered (and I will not respond to all of them, yet) such as:

I have heard many, many claims that the Earth is only 6,000 years old, with various proofs offered (and I will not respond to all of them, yet) such as:

1. Mud on the Sea Floor

*1. Mud on the Sea Floor

2. Winding up of the Galactic arms

*2. Winding up of the Galactic arms

3. Agriculture is too recent

*3. Agriculture is too recent

4. History is too short

*4. History is too short

5. Human pop. too small

*5. Human pop. too small

6. Too little H. Sapien skeletons

*6. Too little H. Sapien skeletons

7. Comets (only last a few thousand years)

*7. Comets (only last a few thousand years)

8. Too little Helium in the atmosphere

*8. Too little Helium in the atmosphere

9. Fading of Earth's magnetic field, and  

*9. Fading of Earth's magnetic field, and  

10. (my personal favourite) Erosion of the continents.

*10. (my personal favourite) Erosion of the continents.

====Responses====

====Responses====

1. Plate tectonics is a wonderful thing.  Mud goes down to the sea floor, eventually becomes sedimentary rock, comes back up with the rising continental plate (or goes back into the mantle)

*1. Plate tectonics is a wonderful thing.  Mud goes down to the sea floor, eventually becomes sedimentary rock, comes back up with the rising continental plate (or goes back into the mantle)

2.  Density waves have been proposed as a possible explanation for this.  DW are like sound waves; areas of compression and areas of rarefaction.  Stars move in and out of these waves (as do air molecules in sound waves).  These density waves would also kick off star formation in there dense regions (also explaining why there are so many supernovae in the arms; there are bigger stars there).

*2.  Density waves have been proposed as a possible explanation for this.  DW are like sound waves; areas of compression and areas of rarefaction.  Stars move in and out of these waves (as do air molecules in sound waves).  These density waves would also kick off star formation in there dense regions (also explaining why there are so many supernovae in the arms; there are bigger stars there).

3.+4.  You really need agriculture to have civilization, as it support larger population with fewer people, so those left over can do useful things like live in cities, rule over others, etc.  Some have suggested that writing was started for tax purposes (the ruler wants all he can get).

*3.+4.  You really need agriculture to have civilization, as it support larger population with fewer people, so those left over can do useful things like live in cities, rule over others, etc.  Some have suggested that writing was started for tax purposes (the ruler wants all he can get).

==Science==

==Science==