1. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. Deep Time, Creationism and National Parks Oregon State University Geo307 Feb. 9, 2007 Nick Matzke National Center for Science Education http://www.ncseweb.org Robert J. Lillie

2. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. National Center for Science Education What we do: Watchdog group Creationism/evolution archives Networking during crises Information Resource for Teachers Students Media http://www.ncseweb.org

3. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. Outline 1. Deep Time 2. Creationism and where it comes from 3. Interacting with the public

4. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. Q. How old is the Earth? A.4.55 billion years (approximately) (that’s 4,550,000,000 years)

5. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. Q. How old is the Earth? Animal fossils: last 13 yards Mesozoic (“Age of Dinosaurs”): 5-1.5 yards Cenozoic (“Age of Mammals”): 1.5 yards to present Modern humans: 4/10 of an inch Written history: 3/100 of an inch

6. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. Q. How do we know? A. Many lines of evidence

7. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. 1600s – Archbishop James Ussher http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ussher.jpg The problem of “chronology”: Medieval Europe had the Bible, but there was not extensive speculation on the age of the Earth Scholars began to rediscover ancient histories – Jewish, Greek, Roman, etc. James Ussher (1581-1656)

8. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. 1600s – Archbishop James Ussher http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ussher.jpg Adding up the generations in these various chronologies led to a date: “In the beginning God created Heaven and Earth, Gen. 1, v. 1. Which beginning of time, according to our Chronologie, fell upon the entrance of the night preceding the twenty third day of Octob[er] in the year of the Julian [Period] 710. The year before Christ 4004.” (Ussher, 1650, Annals of the World ) James Ussher (1581-1656)

9. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. 1700s – views change http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:James_Hutton.jpg James Hutton: “Founder of Modern Geology” Explored geology of Scotland Realized the significance of “unconformities” James Hutton (1726-1797)

10. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. Hutton’s Unconformity http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/30/Siccar_Point.jpg/250px-Siccar_Point.jpg

11. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. Hutton’s Unconformity http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/distance/gg101/Programs/program12%20Geologic%20Time/program12.html

12. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. Unconformities http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/Ben/Pictures/Structure/structure.htm

13. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. Grand Canyon – Great Unconformity http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/arizonasite/imagepages/unconformity.html

14. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. Unconformity: Missing Portion of the Geologic Record Angular Unconformity Parks and Plates ©2005 Robert J. Lillie

15. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. Unconformities -- implications http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:James_Hutton.jpg “The result, therefore, of our present enquiry is, that we find no vestige of a beginning - no prospect of an end.” -- James Hutton James Hutton (1726-1797)

16. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. 1800s – old earth widely accepted Most scientists were Christians Age of the earth not particularly controversial Several interpretations of the Bible http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:James_Hutton.jpg James Hutton (1726-1797)

17. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. 1800s – old earth widely accepted Most scientists were Christians Age of the earth not particularly controversial Several interpretations of the Bible http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:James_Hutton.jpg James Hutton (1726-1797)

18. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. 1900s – measuring the age Listing of Persistent Nuclides by Half-Life [ From Dalrymple (page 377), also Kenneth Miller (page 71) ] Radioactive atoms decay randomly, emitting radiation Each element has a half-life Brent Dalrymple (1991) radioactive decay

19. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. Additional evidence – radioactive decay Listing of Persistent Nuclides by Half-Life [ From Dalrymple (page 377), also Kenneth Miller (page 71) ] NuclideHalf-Life Found in Nature? 50 V6.0 x 10 15 yes 144 Nd2.4 x 10 15 yes 174 Hf2.0 x 10 15 yes 192 Pt1.0 x 10 15 yes 115 In6.0 x 10 14 yes 152 Gd1.1 x 10 14 yes 123 Te1.2 x 10 13 yes 190 Pt6.9 x 10 11 yes 138 La1.12 x 10 11 yes 147 Sm1.06 x 10 11 yes 87 Rb4.88 x 10 10 yes 187 Re4.3 x 10 10 yes 176 Lu3.5 x 10 10 yes 232 Th1.40 x 10 10 yes 238 U4.47 x 10 9 yes 40 K1.25 x 10 9 yes 235 U7.04 x 10 8 yes 244 Pu8.2 x 10 7 yes Nuclide Half- Life Found in Nature? 146 Sm7.0 x 10 7 no 205 Pb3.0 x 10 7 no 247 Cm1.6 x 10 7 no 182 Hf9 x 10 6 no 107 Pd7 x 10 6 no 135 Cs3.0 x 10 6 no 97 Tc2.6 x 10 6 no 150 Gd2.1 x 10 6 no 93 Zr1.5 x 10 6 no 98 Tc1.5 x 10 6 no 154 Dy1.0 x 10 6 no millions  Note: this table excludes radiogenic elements (those produced by other decay processes). From The Age of the Earth by Brent Dalrymple 1991, p. 377. billions  trillions 

20. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. Additional evidence Many techniques for absolute dating: Carbon-14 half-life: ~5,000 years range: 0 to 50,000 years Uranium-Lead half-life: 4.47 billion range: millions to billions

21. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. The Creation/Evolution Continuum If someone says, “I am a creationist”, you should ask, “What kind?” Many different interpretations of the Bible http://www.natcenscied.org/resources/articles/ 1593_the_creationevolution_continu_12_7_2000.asp

22. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. 1920s – rise of fundamentalism William Jennings Bryan Scopes Monkey Trial (1925)

23. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. 1960s – rise of “creation science” John Whitcomb and Henry Morris were fundamentalists who read Genesis completely literally young earth (6,000 years) Global Noah’s Flood They promoted something called “Flood Geology”, derived from the work of Seventh-Day Adventists 1961

24. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. 1960s – rise of “creation science” They promoted something called “Flood Geology”, derived from the work of Seventh-Day Adventists Historian Ronald Numbers traces the complex history in The Creationists 1961

25. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. Evolution and the public Survey published in 2006 U.S. ranks 2 nd to last 1961

26. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. Evolution and the public Gallup Poll on Creation and Evolution, 1982-1997 (Percent Answering True) Question1982199119931997 God created people in present form, ~10,000 years ago4547 44 Evolution occured, guided by God39403539 Evolution occurred, no interference by God991110

27. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. Young-earth creationism and the National Parks 1961 Many different people use: Public schools Museums National Parks What should science interpreters say?

28. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. Young-earth creationism and the National Parks 2001 National Park Service Management Policies, Chapter 7, Interpretation and Education: “Factual information presented will be current, accurate, based on current scholarship and science, and delivered so as to convey park meanings, with the understanding that audience members will draw their own conclusions.” “Interpretive and educational programs will be based on current scholarship and research about the history, science, and condition of park resources, and on research about the needs, expectations, and behavior of visitors.” “Acknowledging multiple points of view does not require interpretive and educational programs to provide equal time, or to disregard the weight of scientific or historical evidence.”

29. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. Young-earth creationism and the National Parks Some good things to remember: 1. Your job is to educate and help people understand the science. Listeners can make up their own minds about what they believe. 2. There is not one single “creationist” view. Inside Christianity there are many different ways of interpreting the Bible, and outside of Christianity there are many different religions. The government cannot intentionally promote any particular religious view. 3. However, the government can (and should) use and promote good science.

30. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. Best single book to read by Eugenie Scott (2005)

31. Nick Matzke, www.ncseweb.org. OSU Geo 307, Feb. 9, 2009. Deep Time. National Center for Science Education What we do: Watchdog group Creationism/evolution archives Networking during crises Information Resource for Teachers Students Media http://www.ncseweb.org