Science and the Study of the Past

 How good science is at studying the past is a central point to the discussion of origins. One of the primary assumptions made by evolutionists is that the past can be studied and understood as easily as the present functioning of the universe can. They seem to think that the same degree of certainty can be obtained about the present functioning of the universe and its past. They do this by ignoring the fact that while we can see how the universe operates today, we cannot observe the past. This means that studying the past requires a lot of philosophical assumptions to be applied when interpreting evidence.

When we are studying the operating principles of the universe in the present, we can focus on specific observations and experiments in the present to see what the results are. However, we cannot actually see the past. Even when observing a distant object in space we cannot observe what could be seen before we looked through the telescope. As a result, we cannot actually test the past, because everything we see we observe in the present. If more than one theory can produce what we currently see in the universe, you cannot distinguish between them scientifically, except by eliminating a possibility by showing that it could not have happened.

What about forensics, you may ask? Yes, forensics is dealing with the past, but it is also not perfect. It is actually a good example of how science can go wrong when dealing with the past. In forensics, the forensic scientist on the case looks at the evidence and tries to construct a theory about what happened. Sometimes that theory is wrong because there is another factor for which there is no evidence. In fact, this is one of the reasons why the longer a case lingers the less likely it is to be solved. That is because evidence tends to degrade with time. It is also interesting to note, that forensics is in part about finding intelligent involvement in a past event, however, evolutionists exclude intelligent involvement as a starting assumption.

This is a key problem when trying to study history scientifically, that is you have to make assumptions about the past. A key assumption made by institutionalized science is absolute naturalism. This assumption eliminates the possibility of any intelligent involvement in the origin and subsequent history of the Earth and the universe. It excludes any divine involvement and therefore it excludes history as described in the Bible before any evidence is even looked at. You see the Bible describes two major supernatural acts of God in Earth’s history, Creation, and the Genesis Flood. If you try to determine the history of the Earth, based on the assumption that only natural processes were involved, you have to assume that these two events never occurred. Consequently, if these events actually did occur as described in the Bible and you tried dating the earth based on naturalistic presuppositions, you will inevitably derive an age for the earth that is much older than it really is. This is because both of these events would have thrown off the dating methods that are used.

A prime example of this is the age of the Earth. Institutionalized science commonly gives an age for the earth of 4.5 billion years. This figure assumes that the earth formed naturalistically by collapsing out of a cloud of dust and gas, however, few people realize that the paper also states that if it did not form that way it could be any age younger than 4.5 billion years. By the way, while not specifically stated in the paper 6,000 years is less than 4.5 billion years. This of course is just one of many examples, but it makes the point quite well.

The problem with trying to scientifically study history is that we do not have access to the past and so we have to make assumptions. Consequently, any theory about the history of the earth or the universe or anything else in it requires making assumptions that can never be tested. As a result, these theories are only as good as the assumptions behind them.

So, while it is possible to apply scientific methodology to past events, it is limited by the fact that we can only observe what exists in the present. Because we cannot observe past events, we need to rely on the records and other evidence about the past that we can study in the present. One of the problems that result from this, is the fact that it is always possible to add extra hypothetical events to a model to explain away problems with the original concept. Sometimes there are legitimate reasons for this because there are other clues, but it is far too easy for such just-so stories to be invented to patch a theory about the past. However far too often it is extremely difficult and even impossible to test these stories. It is a major reason why science is limited when studying the past.

The Ultimate Answers Pack

Answers for Kids Box Set

The Carlton Mystery: The mystery of the old clock 

Warrior Press

Flood by Design

The Biblical Basis for Modern Science

Radiometric dating - The assumptions of Radiometric dating

http://genesismission.4t.com/Radiodating/methods.html

Some of the basic Dating Methods are as follows:

• Samarium - Neodymium. (Sm-Nd)
• Rhenium - Osmium (Re-Os)
• Uranium / Thorium - Lead. ( U/Th-Pb)
• Ribidium - Strontium (Rb-Sr)
• Potassium - Argon (K-Ar)
• Argon - Argon (Ar-Ar)
• Lutetium - Hafnium (Lu-Hf)

All these methods rely on the changing ratio of  parent or daughter isotopes in a closed system. Now such a closed system does not really exists, but open system affects can't be determined easily, so it is hoped that they about balance out. These methods all have the same basic assumptions.

1. Constant decay rate.
2. No gain or loss of parent or daughter isotope.
3. Known amounts of daughter isotope at start.

Realizing the difficulty of dealing with assumptions #2 and #3 above Isochron Dating was developed in an attempt to solve this problem. According to theory the sample starts out with daughter isotopes ratio with other isotopes of the same element at a constant value, but with the parent isotope is arbitrary. As a result is forms a strait horizontal line on a graph. As parent decays to daughter, the ratios change and the straight line remains but becomes angled. The slope of the line equals the number of half-lives of the parent isotope has passed sense solidification.

A shift  from contamination can take place in all of the data points, but such contamination does not affect all data points equally, so it can cause the data points to shift off the true Isochron completely. Given this when one looks at an Isochron plot how can one really tell where the true Isochron line should be. Sufficient contamination can produce any Isochron pattern regardless of the true Isochron. It is even possible to get a negative slope, this would be equivalent to a negative or future date.

When you look at actual isochron plots such as the ones at above link, there seems to be room for subjectivity. Some are better than others but there is often room for multiple plot lines. Even uniformitarian geologists recognize the existence of false isochron. So how do they distinguish good data from bad? The answer is where the sample fits in the Geologic Column.

The unique key assumption of Isochron dating is that the affect of contamination does on the Isochron can be determined. However the quality of an Isochron is still judged by where the sample fits in the Geologic Column. Also like all forms of radiometric dating it assumes that nuclear decay rates are constant, an assumption which will later be shown false.

--
Charles Creager Jr.
Genesis Science Mission
Genesis Mission
Creation Science Talk

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History and the Philosophy and Historical sciences

The further on looks back in history the more information has gotten lost about the events that occurred. It is also harder to know the credibility of available information.  This means that some means is needed to test credibility of source material and to fill in gaps in our knowledge. As a result the philosophical assumptions of a given historian play a major role in his testing of credibility and filling in gaps. This is why philosophical assumptions play a major role in studying History.

A perfect example of the influence of philosophical assumptions is an historian who holds to the philosophical assumption of absolute naturalism. Such an historian would automatically discount any historical reference to a supernatural event. Such an historian would automatically dismiss much of the Biblical account regardless of any other supporting evidence.

In the beginning

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

This is the first verse of the Bible, it is important to note that God is assumed to exist and he is designated as the first cause from which all affects come. Mentioned in this verse are the three main components of the universe space (the heaven), mater (the Earth), and time (the beginning).

In physics, relativity theory shows that space, matter (energy) and time are interrelated parts of the universe such they can not exist separately. It also shows that time is an integral property of the universe that can have a beginning. Furthermore the beginning of time must coincide with the beginning of space and matter and Genesis 1:1 is consistent with this.

Quantization of Quantum Mechanics

Quantization is the situation where physical quantities such as position, energy and momentum can only have certain discrete values. In free empty space these values are continuous but if a particle is bound to an area of space these properties can only have certain discrete values. The energy contained in a given frequency of electromagnetic waves is quantized in that it always has the same value at the same frequency. The electromagnetic energy is found in discrete packet called photons.

The quantization of the energy of an electron inside an atom explains much of the behavior of atoms such as why atoms emit only discrete frequencies of light. An electron that is in a low orbit of an atom can absorb a photon causing the electron  to jump to a higher orbit. The electron then emits a photon jumping back to the lower orbit.

The quantization of space-time is based on two of Max Planck’ natural units that are based on five universal physical constants: Gravitational constant, Reduced Planck constant, Speed of light in a vacuum, Coulomb constant, and Boltzmann's constant  The two with physical significance are Planck Length and Planck Time are the smallest possible measurements of space-time according our current understanding of the laws of Physics because of the  uncertainty principle when a plied to these scales. This suggests that time and space themselves are Quantized.

Planck Length is the smallest measurement of length that has any meaning with in the laws of physics as we understand them today. The value of Planck Length is1.616 252 × 10⁻³⁵ m

Planck Time is the amount of time it takes a photon to cross a Planck Length. It is the smallest measurement of time that has any meaning with in the laws of physics as we understand them today. The value of Planck Time is 5.391 24 × 10⁻⁴⁴ s

Quantization requires physical quantities like position, energy and momentum to have discrete values explaining much of what goes on in side atom and based on our current understanding of the laws of physics it suggest that time and space are quantized.

Dimensions are Directions

Dimensions are directions that are mutually perpendicular to each other. The depiction of individual dimensions is as an axis lines that show the direction of that particular dimension.

Building dimensions begins with a point of zero dimensions. This point can be expanded into one dimension forming a line. The lined can then be expanded into two dimensions so as to form a plane. Finally the plain can be expanded into three dimensions forming a space. This process can continue indefinitely with no theoretical limit to the number of dimensions. In spite of our existence has only three spacial dimensions any number of dimensions is theoretically possible.

In physics dimensions have been classically used to refer to space however Spacial Relativity added time as a dimension. Cosmological Relativity adds cosmic expansion velocity as a dimension. String theory uses from 10 - 26 dimensions and its child M theory uses 11 dimensions. Mathematically there in no limit to the number of possible dimensions from zero to infinite dimensions. In fact N^th dimensional modeling is useful for dealing with any set of properties as if they were physical dimensions.

While dimensions are primarily used to describe space and time though some physical theories use more than three spacial dimensions specifically string theory. They can also be used to model the distribution of non spacial properties.

Introduction to Physics

Physics is the study of energy, and matter and  the ways they interact. Physics not just formulas you may not understand. While physic is scientifically expressed by formulas, it is more than those formulas. It can take the form of practical experience. 

Physics is even found in sports. Baseball is a prime example of physics in sports, specifically ballistics. Pool is another example of physics in sports specifically collision physics.

The two main founders of physics are Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton. These two men are the main ones responsible for establishing modern physics, there were others involved but they were the most significant.

Physics is central to all other physical sciences including Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Cosmology and Geology.  Physics has shown us much about the structure of matter, the nature of Energy and the nature of space and time. Physics has the potential to shown us how the universe works and the nature of reality itself.