Carbon Dating DOESN'T work beyond 4500 years

First, the evidence says that the earth's magnetic field has modestly fluctuated over the past tens of thousands of years, thereby causing fluctuations in the levels of atmopheric C14, but nothing anywhere near the hundreds of percent you claim. C14 dating is corrected for these fluctuations, which never have an impact greater than about 10% anyway.Second, though there has not been a reversal of the earth's magnetic field in the time period covered by C14 dating (the last 50,000 years or so), reversals of the earth's magnetic field are copiously recorded in the sea floor produced at mid-oceanic ridges. I can't remember the exact figure, but I think I'm at least in the right order of magnitude if I say that magnetic field reversals occur on average every half million years or so.Third, C14 dating has been calibrated very precisely using tree ring data back about 11,000 years. For example, see How tree rings are used as a radiocarbon record at the Waikato Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory.--Percy

Just to add a little to the information Loudmouth provided, here's a diagram from the book Building Planet Earth by Peter Cattermole. It appears on page 68 and illustrates the magnetic striping that occurs to magma as it cools to form sea floor and moves away from the ridge: --Percy

While ¹⁴C dating isn't used to date the ocean floor itself, it can be used to date the ocean floor's clothing once it has finished stripping. Yes, I'm setting a bad example. I will make a greater effort in the future to stay on topic. --Percy

Thanks for going back to the first post and digging that out.It looks like we've provided only half the data to refute the original assertion. We've provided the data showing that magnetic reversals actually take place, and now we need data to show what the magnetic variations have been over the past 10,000 years or so, since the most recent reversal was around 700,000 years ago. It shouldn't be too hard to find information indicating that it wasn't "320% stronger 4500 years ago."I think the most puzzling thing about many YECs is their antogonistic attitude toward science. If scientists are developing faster computers or better TVs then they're okay, but when it comes to fields like biology, cosmology and geology they're just making it up. Pretty weird attitude.--Percy

I heard the same story, right down to it being the word "DIMENSION", from a computer science professor named Donovan back in the early 70s. And he liked to talk about how he'd personally met the King of Norway. Same guy?I'd be surprised (and gratified) if it was, but to be honest, while I believed the story at the time, after a while it's resemblance to stardard-fare urban myth became apparent.--Percy

So the legend is true!Did you meet Donovan in person? We only had his course recorded on tape at U of D. He was an inspiration. One night my roommate went down to campus just to view the Norway lecture again, "To get inspired," he said. Unforgettable guy!--Percy

What facts are you going on? This is way off topic, but it sounds like a great start to a philosophical thread if you want to propose a new topic in Proposed New Topics.--Percy

Nosy just gave you some facts. Before we give you "more than that," it would be helpful if you could respond to the information provided by Nosy thus far.--Percy