Counterexamples to an Old Earth

2010-03-11T20:36:26Z

KathL: Split into categories similar to Counterexamples_to_Evolution for easier readability

It takes only one "counterexample" to disprove the theory of an [[Old Earth]]. As with any logical proposition, one contradiction disproves the proposed rule.

== Counterexamples ==
The growing list of counterexamples to the theory of an [[Old Earth]] includes:

=== Astronomy ===
* the [[moon]] is receding from the [[Earth]] at a rate suggesting it would have been too close a billion years ago
* [[spiral galaxies]] appear to be young, and only implausible proposals of the existence of [[dark matter]] can reconcile with belief in an [[old universe]]
* the planetary orbits in the solar system -- including Earth's -- are unstable and unsustainable over the very long time periods asserted by [[atheists]]<ref>[http://www.newsweek.com/id/201582 Newsweek: "An embarrassing little secret of astronomy ...."].</ref>

=== Geology ===
* the massive [[Great Lakes]] are receding in volume too rapidly to have existed a long time
* freshwater lakes are known to be relatively young<ref>[[Ice Age]] theories were developed to try to explain this, but massive freshwater lakes exist even near the equator</ref>
* the existence of inland saltwater lakes, such as [[Mono Lake]] and the [[Great Salt Lake]], suggest a recent global [[flood]]
* the plentiful supply of high concentrations of underground well water, which would be expected based on familiar principles of [[entropy]] to dissipate over a long period of time.
* the [[Earth]]'s magnetism is changing at too fast a rate for the Earth to be old. The Earth's [[magnetic field]] is weakening in strength by 5% every 100 years<ref>[http://image.gsfc.nasa.gov/poetry/tour/AAmag.html Earth's Magnetic Field and its Changes in Time], from [[NASA]]</ref>. [[Exponential decay]] at that rate is not compatible with an old Earth, since it would have required the Earth's magnetic field to be impossibly large at the times postulated by old-Earth theory.
* earthquakes alter the Earth's rotation every century; extrapolating by orders of magnitude in time would have resulted in the occurrence of much larger earthquakes that would have destabilized the rotation<ref>A similar analysis may be performed for the likelihood of devastating collisions with meteors as time is extrapolated by orders of magnitude.</ref>
* the lack of erosion between rock layers<ref>http://www.amazon.com/review/R1WTZL8GG4H9K0</ref><ref>http://www.knowthebible.net/id115.html</ref>

=== Biology ===
* the age of onset of [[puberty|sexual maturity]] is rapidly changing, suggesting that life is in a short-term rather than long-term equilibrium<ref>For evidence of a rapidly changing age for sexual maturity in fish, see http://icesjms.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/46/3/235</ref>
* the high observed rate of [[extinctions of species]] and harmful [[genetic mutation]]s suggest a relatively short period for the existence of life rather than a long one.
* the age of onset of [[cancer]] is markedly decreasing,<ref>http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/109865519/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0</ref> suggesting rapid changes inconsistent with an alleged long existence to life
* the oldest direct evidence of life -- written documents, remnants of civilizations, tree rings, etc. -- is no older than about 3000 B.C.
* the number of natural, pure-bred bred dogs declines over time as dogs naturally crossbreed; a short period of time is suggested by the fact that there are over 100 different natural, pure breeds of dog thriving today

== References ==

<references/>

== See also ==

* [[Counterexamples to Evolution]]
[[Category:geology]]

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Counterexamples to an Old Earth