Re: [asa] Oklo as the graveyard of YEC

The RATE project report devoted a section of one chapter to Oklo. This was Chaffey's chapter on theoretical particle physics. His goal was to show the feasibility of accelerated decay rates. They need about a factor of a million at least. He argues that the decay rates are so sensitive to the strong force coupling constant, that only a 10% change in that constant would be sufficient. Hence, it's not a big deal. God should be able to handle a 10% change. It's a lot easier than changing something by a factor of a million.

In the middle of that chapter he discusses Oklo and points out that Oklo data indicate a bound on the degree to which decay rates have changed. He estimated that bound to be a factor of 10. That's a long way from the factor of a million that he needs. But he never does anything with that contradiction. Just leaves it dangling as far as I can tell. And concludes that accelerated decay is feasible. The discussion of Oklo was so convoluted I couldn't figure out a decent response.

Randy
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Rich Blinne
  To: David Campbell ; Randy Isaac
  Cc: asa@calvin.edu
  Sent: Monday, April 16, 2007 3:22 PM
  Subject: Re: [asa] Oklo as the graveyard of YEC

  Randy, did the RATE report accede to the Oklo dates? Is that what caused them to theorize about an accelerated decay during the flood?

  On 4/16/07, David Campbell <pleuronaia@gmail.com> wrote:
    And every time they try to use the polonium halo argument, YECs affirm
    that the laws governing radioactive decay have not changed and that it
    is possible to distinguish between effects of later alteration and
    components of the original rock.

    --
    Dr. David Campbell
    425 Scientific Collections
    University of Alabama
    "I think of my happy condition, surrounded by acres of clams"

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Received on Mon Apr 16 21:58:01 2007