Post by rizdek on Jan 28, 2019 18:52:35 GMT
Jan 28, 2019 17:57:30 GMT @graham said:
The thing about science is that you don't actually have to take the word of scientists!Well, when it comes to the laws of gravity, I guess you don't have to.
But when it comes to the age of the earth, I don't see much of an alternative (short of becoming a scientist yourself).
Well, maybe not if one wants to state some specific number of billions of years. But if one wants to go out and look at some landforms...much the same as Hutton, one can kind of guess that the earth is ancient...far far older than a few thousands of years old.
Through observation and carefully reasoned geological arguments, Hutton came to believe that the Earth was perpetually being formed; he recognised that the history of Earth could be determined by understanding how processes such as erosion and sedimentation work in the present day.
All one need do is visit some of the canyons out west to see that first, layer upon layer had to have built up over what must've been very long periods of time, judging by how slowing those processes are working now. And AFTER those layers built up, they must have had to be raised by some force so they COULD be worn away by flowing water. IOW, the Grand Canyon doesn't speak of a very very ancient earth because of how deep and big it is, but by the many layers of different kind of rock that had to have laid down BEFORE the canyon ever started forming.

