Macuahuitl
Should old age dates be taught as fact in the science classroom? Teaching old age dates as fact is ignorant of alternate logical and even scientific interpretations of radiometric dating results, considering the parable of the candle.
The candle analogy points out a very significant fact. One does not make a conclusion based on little data. That the candle/time inference had flaws is precisely the reason why
scientists who study in the field of radiometric dating are careful to question the possible uncertainties that arise when they make a measurement.There are always uncertainties and you can view them for yourself when you read about such dating since they always give a date + or - factor for the level of uncertainty.
The greatest assurance that is afforded to dating techniques is that they agree {within the error bars of the technique} when tested by different types of radiometric dating. Since there is no reason an inaccurate reading occurring through these methods could explain why different methods agree on the same date this fact lends great weight to the justification we assert for them.
Please go right ahead and check your sources to see if they have a viable explanation for why the different techniques agree on the date revealed by them.
"A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death."
Albert Einstein
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