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  4. Are you smarter than a 17-year-old?

Are you smarter than a 17-year-old?

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  • D Dirk Higbee

    Ravel H. Joyce wrote:

    I thought God transcended the Universe, so time wouldn't apply to him. Anyway, a day is an arbitrary measure related to the Earth, so what is 1 day of God's measuring?

    God created time for us when he created the Earth. He then put it in perspective several times in the Bible telling us 1000 of our years is but 1 day to him, giving us a relative timeline.

    Ravel H. Joyce wrote:

    Do you actually understand carbon dating?

    a little: Carbon-14 is made when cosmic rays knock neutrons out of atomic nuclei in the upper atmosphere. These displaced neutrons, now moving fast, hit ordinary nitrogen (14N) at lower altitudes, converting it into 14C. Unlike common carbon (12C), 14C is unstable and slowly decays, changing it back to nitrogen and releasing energy. This instability makes it radioactive. The rate of decay of 14C is such that half of an amount will convert back to 14N in 5,730 years (plus or minus 40 years). This is the “half-life.” So, in two half-lives, or 11,460 years, only one-quarter of that in living organisms at present, then it has a theoretical age of 11,460 years. Anything over about 50,000 years old, should theoretically have no detectable 14C left. That is why radiocarbon dating cannot give millions of years. In fact, if a sample contains 14C, it is good evidence that it is not millions of years old.

    Don't take any wooden nickels.

    S Offline
    S Offline
    soap brain
    wrote on last edited by
    #82

    Dirk Higbee wrote:

    God created time for us when he created the Earth. He then put it in perspective several times in the Bible telling us 1000 of our years is but 1 day to him, giving us a relative timeline.

    That still doesn't make sense - a day is defined as being the time it takes for the Earth to rotate once. What's rotating on HIS end?

    Dirk Higbee wrote:

    Carbon-14 is made when cosmic rays knock neutrons out of atomic nuclei in the upper atmosphere. These displaced neutrons, now moving fast, hit ordinary nitrogen (14N) at lower altitudes, converting it into 14C. Unlike common carbon (12C), 14C is unstable and slowly decays, changing it back to nitrogen and releasing energy. This instability makes it radioactive. The rate of decay of 14C is such that half of an amount will convert back to 14N in 5,730 years (plus or minus 40 years). This is the “half-life.” So, in two half-lives, or 11,460 years, only one-quarter of that in living organisms at present, then it has a theoretical age of 11,460 years. Anything over about 50,000 years old, should theoretically have no detectable 14C left. That is why radiocarbon dating cannot give millions of years. In fact, if a sample contains 14C, it is good evidence that it is not millions of years old.

    Not quite, it gives an accuracy of up to about 60,000 years. It follows an exponential decay function, which is a bit more complicated. But it DOES prove that the Earth is older than 6,000 years old.

    There used to be a me, but I had it surgically removed.

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    • M MarkB777

      Grading kids in schools on their ability to remember dates is stupid. I don't give a sh*t about the exact date Captain Cook sailed to New Zealand, or the years the American Civil War took place. Sure, it's good to learn a little bit about these things, put we should be looking forward, not backwards. Common sense and logic/analytical reasoning is a far better indication of someone's intelligence.

      Mark Brock Click here to view my blog

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      O Offline
      Oakman
      wrote on last edited by
      #83

      MarkBrock wrote:

      Common sense and logic/analytical reasoning is a far better indication of someone's intelligence.

      Agreed. Now let us talk about education. You know, where people memorise things like the multiplication tables and dates. Intelligent people who don't learn things like 9x9=81 or the speed of light=186,282 mps or the American Civil War took place from 1861 to 1865 have handicapped themselves.

      Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface

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      • O Oakman

        MarkBrock wrote:

        Common sense and logic/analytical reasoning is a far better indication of someone's intelligence.

        Agreed. Now let us talk about education. You know, where people memorise things like the multiplication tables and dates. Intelligent people who don't learn things like 9x9=81 or the speed of light=186,282 mps or the American Civil War took place from 1861 to 1865 have handicapped themselves.

        Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface

        M Offline
        M Offline
        MarkB777
        wrote on last edited by
        #84

        Oakman wrote:

        Intelligent people who don't learn things like:

        Oakman wrote:

        9x9=81

        touché

        Oakman wrote:

        speed of light=186,282 mps

        touché

        Oakman wrote:

        American Civil War took place from 1861 to 1865

        Great - If I get onto Wheel of Fortune.

        Mark Brock Click here to view my blog

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        • M MarkB777

          Oakman wrote:

          Intelligent people who don't learn things like:

          Oakman wrote:

          9x9=81

          touché

          Oakman wrote:

          speed of light=186,282 mps

          touché

          Oakman wrote:

          American Civil War took place from 1861 to 1865

          Great - If I get onto Wheel of Fortune.

          Mark Brock Click here to view my blog

          O Offline
          O Offline
          Oakman
          wrote on last edited by
          #85

          MarkBrock wrote:

          Great - If I get onto Wheel of Fortune.

          Or ever try to figure out how the U.S. political system got that way.

          Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface

          1 Reply Last reply
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          • I Ilion

            Paul Conrad wrote:

            A shame that is.

            What we need in this country is Separation of School and State!

            P Offline
            P Offline
            Paul Conrad
            wrote on last edited by
            #86

            We already have things like that called Private Schools :rolleyes:

            "The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon

            I 1 Reply Last reply
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            • P Paul Conrad

              We already have things like that called Private Schools :rolleyes:

              "The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon

              I Offline
              I Offline
              Ilion
              wrote on last edited by
              #87

              Paul Conrad wrote:

              We already have things like that called Private Schools :rolleyes:

              :rolleyes: Yourself. The vast majority of America's children are consigned to the state-run indoctrination/propagandization centers we call "public schools." These do not exist for the benefit of the children, but for: 1) the immediate benefit of the unions which all-but-in-name own the educationisis who run and staff the schools; 2) the long-term (though short-sighted) benefit of the leftists who realize that the only way to take over American society is to train up the newer generations to be constitutionally unable to question "liberal" pieties.

              P 1 Reply Last reply
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              • I Ilion

                Paul Conrad wrote:

                We already have things like that called Private Schools :rolleyes:

                :rolleyes: Yourself. The vast majority of America's children are consigned to the state-run indoctrination/propagandization centers we call "public schools." These do not exist for the benefit of the children, but for: 1) the immediate benefit of the unions which all-but-in-name own the educationisis who run and staff the schools; 2) the long-term (though short-sighted) benefit of the leftists who realize that the only way to take over American society is to train up the newer generations to be constitutionally unable to question "liberal" pieties.

                P Offline
                P Offline
                Paul Conrad
                wrote on last edited by
                #88

                Ilíon wrote:

                [Roll eyes] Yourself.

                :laugh:

                Ilíon wrote:

                the long-term (though short-sighted) benefit of the leftists who realize that the only way to take over American society is to train up the newer generations to be constitutionally unable to question "liberal" pieties.

                Right on. All they are doing is poisoning young minds into their favor. Maybe that's why there is a lack of respect or common sense these days.

                "The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon

                1 Reply Last reply
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                • M MarkB777

                  Grading kids in schools on their ability to remember dates is stupid. I don't give a sh*t about the exact date Captain Cook sailed to New Zealand, or the years the American Civil War took place. Sure, it's good to learn a little bit about these things, put we should be looking forward, not backwards. Common sense and logic/analytical reasoning is a far better indication of someone's intelligence.

                  Mark Brock Click here to view my blog

                  B Offline
                  B Offline
                  brianwelsch
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #89

                  It isn't about remembering stupid dates. It's about being able to put past events into context and understanding how the world got the way it is. Using that understanding is helpful in working out solutions to today's problems.

                  BW


                  Quick to judge, quick to anger, slow to understand.
                  Ignorance and prejudice and fear walk hand in hand.
                  -- Neil Peart

                  M 1 Reply Last reply
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                  • S soap brain

                    Dirk Higbee wrote:

                    God created time for us when he created the Earth. He then put it in perspective several times in the Bible telling us 1000 of our years is but 1 day to him, giving us a relative timeline.

                    That still doesn't make sense - a day is defined as being the time it takes for the Earth to rotate once. What's rotating on HIS end?

                    Dirk Higbee wrote:

                    Carbon-14 is made when cosmic rays knock neutrons out of atomic nuclei in the upper atmosphere. These displaced neutrons, now moving fast, hit ordinary nitrogen (14N) at lower altitudes, converting it into 14C. Unlike common carbon (12C), 14C is unstable and slowly decays, changing it back to nitrogen and releasing energy. This instability makes it radioactive. The rate of decay of 14C is such that half of an amount will convert back to 14N in 5,730 years (plus or minus 40 years). This is the “half-life.” So, in two half-lives, or 11,460 years, only one-quarter of that in living organisms at present, then it has a theoretical age of 11,460 years. Anything over about 50,000 years old, should theoretically have no detectable 14C left. That is why radiocarbon dating cannot give millions of years. In fact, if a sample contains 14C, it is good evidence that it is not millions of years old.

                    Not quite, it gives an accuracy of up to about 60,000 years. It follows an exponential decay function, which is a bit more complicated. But it DOES prove that the Earth is older than 6,000 years old.

                    There used to be a me, but I had it surgically removed.

                    D Offline
                    D Offline
                    Dirk Higbee
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #90

                    Ravel H. Joyce wrote:

                    What's rotating on HIS end?

                    God is not human, he resides in a different dimension, unfathomable to most humans. That's why they call it faith.

                    Ravel H. Joyce wrote:

                    it DOES prove that the Earth is older than 6,000 years old.

                    the earth was created in 6000 years. Quite a few years have passed since then which are calculated throughout the Bible.

                    Beauty is only a light switch away.

                    1 Reply Last reply
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                    • B brianwelsch

                      It isn't about remembering stupid dates. It's about being able to put past events into context and understanding how the world got the way it is. Using that understanding is helpful in working out solutions to today's problems.

                      BW


                      Quick to judge, quick to anger, slow to understand.
                      Ignorance and prejudice and fear walk hand in hand.
                      -- Neil Peart

                      M Offline
                      M Offline
                      MarkB777
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #91

                      brianwelsch wrote:

                      It isn't about remembering stupid dates. It's about being able to put past events into context and understanding how the world got the way it is. Using that understanding is helpful in working out solutions to today's problems.

                      But that's exactly what i'm trying to say mate... However, the current question in a school exam is more likely to be "What year was Abraham Lincoln born?", rather than "What role did "Abraham Lincoln play in American history?" I'm trying to say that knowing a bit about these things is useful - Remembering exact dates is a waste of time.

                      Mark Brock Click here to view my blog

                      B 1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • M MarkB777

                        brianwelsch wrote:

                        It isn't about remembering stupid dates. It's about being able to put past events into context and understanding how the world got the way it is. Using that understanding is helpful in working out solutions to today's problems.

                        But that's exactly what i'm trying to say mate... However, the current question in a school exam is more likely to be "What year was Abraham Lincoln born?", rather than "What role did "Abraham Lincoln play in American history?" I'm trying to say that knowing a bit about these things is useful - Remembering exact dates is a waste of time.

                        Mark Brock Click here to view my blog

                        B Offline
                        B Offline
                        brianwelsch
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #92

                        My point was only that the dates are important to help keep some sort of timeline of events. I agree that Abe's exact birthday is not important, but knowing the period during which he lived has value. And certainly, as you mentioned, knowing his role in history is of even greater importance.

                        BW


                        Quick to judge, quick to anger, slow to understand.
                        Ignorance and prejudice and fear walk hand in hand.
                        -- Neil Peart

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