RE: I am atheist,but I do not like science.
July 8, 2012 at 4:15 am
(This post was last modified: July 8, 2012 at 4:16 am by CliveStaples.)
(July 8, 2012 at 4:04 am)FallentoReason Wrote: Oh, my apologies. I completely missed the more subtle point you were making.
What you're saying basically is how do we know that the decay rates have stayed constant since the beginning of the universe. If they weren't always constant then you're right; the appearance of age doesn't mean anything.
No, that's not what I'm saying.
What I'm saying is, suppose you observe a certain amount of carbon. You then reason, "In order for this amount, c(t), of carbon to be here, given how much we know was present earlier--say, c(0)--a certain amount of time must have passed, given the half-life of these carbon particles."
My point is, how do you know that the universe didn't come into existence 5 minutes ago with c(t-5) amount of carbon in the particular place you're looking?
Quote:Here's a short article that you might find interesting. It's written by a Christian.
http://www.reasons.org/articles/multiple...ient-earth
The evidence suggests that the decay rates have in fact always been constant.
My point is that these models assume a certain amount of continuity in the past.
Maybe I should sharpen the question a bit. How do you know that the universe didn't come into existence an instant ago with the appearance of age--so all of your 'memories' are only an instant old, and there is no actual past?
(July 8, 2012 at 4:14 am)downbeatplumb Wrote: Well this would involve magic to have suddenly poofed the universe into existence with no explanation of a process that could possibly do this. But there is evidence that the universe is old and that there is a theory as to how it began and came to be like it is now.
Looks like someone needs to brush up on quantum mechanics. Isn't it well-known among atheists that Krauss has argued for a "universe that came from nothing"?
“The truth of our faith becomes a matter of ridicule among the infidels if any Catholic, not gifted with the necessary scientific learning, presents as dogma what scientific scrutiny shows to be false.”
