# Determaining a Person's Age

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/determaining-a-persons-age/234109>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 13, 2004, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/determaining-a-persons-age/234109 "2004-03-13T20:04:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/determaining-a-persons-age/234109/1 "2004-03-13T20:04:37Z")

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While watching an old “Beverly Hillbillies” episode I came across this question.

Jed) How old are you Granny  
Granny) I don’t right know Jed  
Elly) Well how old are the hills?  
Jed) What?  
Elly) Well everyone back home says you’re as old as the hills.

Is it possible thru use of like DNA or measuring a person’s bone growth or some other physical thing to determain how old they are.

I’m guessing no? But if this is so then how close can they come? Within like 10 years? 5 Years?

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**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/determaining-a-persons-age/234109/2 "2004-03-13T20:31:04Z")

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In living adults, radiographs (x-rays) of the teeth, and measurements of the pulp, are one method of estimating age. The mean error is plus or minus 10 years for adults over 40.

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**Author:** ![gluteus\_maximus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f17d59/32.png) [@gluteus\_maximus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gluteus_maximus)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/determaining-a-persons-age/234109/3 "2004-03-13T20:40:51Z")

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[Granny](http://www.pcperspectives.com/hillbillies/granny.html) (Irene Ryan) died of a brain tumor on April 26, 1973 at the age of 71.

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**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/determaining-a-persons-age/234109/4 "2004-03-14T01:24:23Z")

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Cut 'em in half, and count the rings?