# How Old Is the Earth? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 27, 2002, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-is-the-earth/139216 "2002-11-27T22:12:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-is-the-earth/139216/1 "2002-11-27T22:12:32Z")
I was curious to know what is the generally accepted age of the earth? And, how was this determined? Was it simply carbon-dating of rocks (hmm, can a rock be carbon dated?) Or, perhaps by deductive reasoning from empircal data provided by fossils, and such? I read a book which says the granite ledge I frequent at Peggy’s Cove, NS, Canada is estimated to be 400 million years old. But, for some reason, I thought the earth was believed to be younger than this…or, have I missed a few of Mother Earth’s b-days? Interested in hearing your input… - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![bryanmcc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@bryanmcc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bryanmcc)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-is-the-earth/139216/2 "2002-11-27T22:13:42Z")
4.5 billion years. Uranium dating of rocks. -b ---
**Author:** ![bryanmcc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@bryanmcc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bryanmcc)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-is-the-earth/139216/3 "2002-11-27T22:15:14Z")
[Look here.](http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-age-of-earth.html) -b ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-is-the-earth/139216/4 "2002-11-27T22:16:51Z")
Try [here.](http://www.how-old-is-the-earth.com/) In the future I think I’ll be adding a “.com” to the end of my questions. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-is-the-earth/139216/5 "2002-11-27T22:53:38Z")
**World Eater** , did you read much of the site you cite? > [@](#): > > Dinosaur Extinction is a recent phenomenon. Many of the great sea and land monsters went extinct in a global flood about 4400 years ago. Some of these creatures survived and inhabited earth with man, until they too went extinct as man killed them for sport, safety, and expansion… ---
**Author:** ![airdisc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19adc/32.png) [@airdisc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/airdisc)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-is-the-earth/139216/6 "2002-11-27T23:31:49Z")
Ringo, I think World Eater was being facetious. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-is-the-earth/139216/7 "2002-11-27T23:36:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by airdisc \* > \*\*Ringo, I think World Eater was being facetious. \*\* Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-is-the-earth/139216/8 "2002-11-27T23:38:54Z")
This was my favorite part… > [@](#): > > The Moon is slowly drifting away from the Earth. If it is getting further, at one time it was much closer. The Inverse Square Law dictates that if the Moon were half the distance from the Earth, its gravitational pull on our tides would be quadrupled. 1/3 the distance, 9 times the pull. Everything would drown twice a day. Approximately 1.2 billion years ago, the Moon would have been touching the Earth. Drowning would be the least of our concerns! Back to the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-is-the-earth/139216/9 "2002-11-27T23:53:18Z")
> [@](#): > > IN THE BEGINNING, God created dates. > > **2** And the date was Monday, July 4, 4004 B.C. According to [_Not the Bible_](http://www.gshotts.com/HUMOR/bookofcreation1.htm). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Coffeeguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/958977/32.png) [@Coffeeguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coffeeguy)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-is-the-earth/139216/10 "2002-11-28T00:10:49Z")
According to Medieval Jewish scholars, the world would presently be 5762 years old. Greek Orthodox theologians would say that the Earth is as old as 7510 years. Archbishop James Usher (1580-1656) published _Annales Veretis Novi Testamenti_ in 1654, which suggested that the Earth was created in 4004 BC. One of his underlings worked the calculation further and was able to determine that the Earth was created on Sunday October 21st, 4004 BC, at exactly 9:00 am (because God likes to get all his work done in the morning while he’s still feeling fresh). So, that’d put the age of our planet at 6006 years, one month, six days and some-odd hours, minutes & seconds. BTW- It also makes Earth a Libra. :pI miss Douglas Adams 😛 Coffeeguy ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-is-the-earth/139216/11 "2002-11-28T00:15:45Z")
[Addendum](http://www.gshotts.com/HUMOR/bookofcreation1.htm): > [@](#): > > 26 And God saw everything He and made, and He saw that it was very good; and God said “It just goes to show Me what the private sector can accomplish. With a lot of fool regulations, this could have taken **billions of years**.” > > [snip] > > [Chapter 2, verse 1] > Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and **all** in five days, and all less than six thousand of years **ago** ; and if thou believest it not, in a sling **shalt** thou find thy hindmost quarters. ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-is-the-earth/139216/12 "2002-11-28T00:34:31Z")
**bryanmcc** ’s citation of [talkorigins.org](http://talkorigins.org) should answer the question, but let me just add an incidental plug for G. Brent Dalrymple’s _The Age of the Earth_ (Stanford, 1991). An entire book devoted to just this question and a fabulous piece of exposition to boot. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-is-the-earth/139216/13 "2002-11-28T00:47:52Z")
I guess this thread brings new meaning to the phrase, “old as dirt.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-is-the-earth/139216/14 "2002-11-28T01:57:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Johnny L.A. \* > > > [@](#): > > > > IN THE BEGINNING, God created dates. > > > > 2 And the date was Monday, July 4, 4004 B.C. > > **According to [_Not the Bible_](http://www.gshotts.com/HUMOR/bookofcreation1.htm).** > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Coffeguy_ > **Archbishop James Usher (1580-1656) published Annales Veretis Novi Testamenti in 1654, which suggested that the Earth was created in 4004 BC. One of his underlings worked the calculation further and was able to determine that the Earth was created on Sunday October 21st, 4004 BC, at exactly 9:00 am** 1. The date determined by Ussher is October 23, 4004 BC (technically, 710 Julian). 2. The date was determined by Ussher, not one of his underlings. 3. The time of 9:00am was not determined by Ussher (or an underling), but by Sir John Lightfoot in 1644. Ussher did not mention a specific time for the creation. See [here](http://www-astronomy.mps.ohio-state.edu/~pogge/Ast161/Unit5/ussher.html). ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-is-the-earth/139216/15 "2002-11-28T02:12:43Z")
> [@](#): > > The Moon is slowly drifting away from the Earth. If it is getting further, at one time it was much closer. The Inverse Square Law dictates that if the Moon were half the distance from the Earth, its gravitational pull on our tides would be quadrupled. 1/3 the distance, 9 times the pull. Everything would drown twice a day. BWAH hah hah hah hah! Tidal forces scale as the inverse of the _third_ power of the distance!!! 1/3 the distance, _twenty-freakin’-seven_ times the tidal force. They could have had a whole 'nother power of three, but they were too damn ignorant. Bwaaah hah hah! _Pod wipes a tear from her eye._ Oh, Og love 'em all. (The naive assumption that the rate of recession of the Moon has been constant for its entire history is funny, too, though not quite as much.) ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-is-the-earth/139216/16 "2002-11-28T02:17:40Z")
The creationist fellow in my now-defunct writers’ group insisted that the Earth was only a few thousand years old. He wrote some rather odd science fiction as a result of this belief. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-is-the-earth/139216/17 "2002-11-28T02:52:17Z")
**Darwin’s Finch** : Wooshed? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-is-the-earth/139216/18 "2002-11-28T07:47:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Johnny L.A. \* > \*\ ***Darwin’s Finch** : Wooshed? 😃 \*\* That could very well be, but a lot of people seem to legitimately get Ussher’s actual date wrong. Just doin’ my part to fight ignorance, is all 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Doc\_Nickel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5fc32e/32.png) [@Doc\_Nickel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doc_Nickel)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-is-the-earth/139216/19 "2002-11-28T07:58:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duckster \* > \*\*I guess this thread brings new meaning to the phrase, “old as dirt.” > > 😃 \*\* “I may not be as old as dirt, but I can remember when it was still under warranty.” -Anon ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-is-the-earth/139216/20 "2002-11-28T12:55:57Z")
I don’t rememeber anything before last Tuesday, so the world must have been around for just over a week. Anyone who claims differently is just a figleaf of my imagination [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-is-the-earth/139216.md?page=2)