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Talk:Counterexamples to an Old Earth (view source)
Revision as of 02:17, June 17, 2011
, 02:17, June 17, 2011→Diminishing intelligence, etc.
::Andy, this is simple math. My point is that extrapolation backward even 6000 years would also be inconsistent with the decline in intelligence observed in the last 50 years. We would be forced to conclude that the Earth isn't even 6000 years old but far far younger if the slope of this decline is consistent. If the slope is not consistent (meaning the acceleration of the decline of in intelligence is variable), then any extrapolation is not appropriate and will lead to erroneous results, like the earth being only 1000 years old for instance. If the argument is to be kept in the article, then an accommodating graph should be presented or linked as a reference, showing key markers of intelligence in recent decades and how the proposed extrapolation would yield an age for the Earth that is 6,000 years rather than something far younger than this.--[[User:Mike127|Mike127]] 22:04, 16 June 2011 (EDT)
::Andy, this is simple math. My point is that extrapolation backward even 6000 years would also be inconsistent with the decline in intelligence observed in the last 50 years. We would be forced to conclude that the Earth isn't even 6000 years old but far far younger if the slope of this decline is consistent. If the slope is not consistent (meaning the acceleration of the decline of in intelligence is variable), then any extrapolation is not appropriate and will lead to erroneous results, like the earth being only 1000 years old for instance. If the argument is to be kept in the article, then an accommodating graph should be presented or linked as a reference, showing key markers of intelligence in recent decades and how the proposed extrapolation would yield an age for the Earth that is 6,000 years rather than something far younger than this.--[[User:Mike127|Mike127]] 22:04, 16 June 2011 (EDT)
::Andy, I am a great fan of this website and your counterexamples are normally very sound, but I have to disagree with you on this one. You are assuming that the rate of decline in human intelligence is constant, whereas it changes over time, according to the interplay of many complex factors.
Using the same type of logic, and keeping in mind that average height has increased by one inch since 1960, I could argue that the Earth could not possibly be more than 3000 years old, because before then, people would have had a negative height. And that is assuming that before the birth of Christ, they were less than 2 feet and a half tall on average. --[[User:LeonardO|Leo-from-UK]] 22:17, 16 June 2011 (EDT)