The Dilemma of the Geological Layers and their Fossil Contents

The Barbarian

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Did she ever make a fly airplane?

No, but I know how to anesthetize the flies without putting them into toxic shock.

Carbon dioxide. Fill the jar with CO2, and in a few minutes, they'll be out. And they'll be good as new, once you reintroduce oxygen. It's just about impossible to suffocate them, because their metabolism just slows down when the oxygen level drops.

(Jukia asks)
Does that mean there had to be a flood, an ark, etc.?

No, it could simply be an allegory. However, many thousands of years ago, in the Middle East, the Mediterranian Sea broke through the rock dam at the Bosporus, and filled what is now the Black Sea. It must have seemed like the end of the world to people living there. The water wasn't like a tidal wave over the whole area, but it rapidly spread over the land. Many settlements have now been found beneath the Black Sea, one of the earliest places occupied by anatomically modern humans.

So, while it is an allegory, it seems to be based on a real flood.
 

Stripe

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No, it could simply be an allegory. However, many thousands of years ago, in the Middle East, the Mediterranian Sea broke through the rock dam at the Bosporus, and filled what is now the Black Sea. It must have seemed like the end of the world to people living there. The water wasn't like a tidal wave over the whole area, but it rapidly spread over the land. Many settlements have now been found beneath the Black Sea, one of the earliest places occupied by anatomically modern humans. So, while it is an allegory, it seems to be based on a real flood.
The bible clearly delineates God's intention to wipe out all people not in the ark. Your compromises on the truth turn God into a liar.
 

Jukia

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The bible clearly delineates God's intention to wipe out all people not in the ark. Your compromises on the truth turn God into a liar.

There was no world wide flood. There was no ark. There was no disaster which wiped out all people but a few on a boat. It did not happen a few thousand years ago, it did not ever happen that way.
So if your interpretation of Genesis is literal--be careful what you wish for. You are the one suggesting that God is lying.
 

Stripe

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There was no world wide flood. There was no ark. There was no disaster which wiped out all people but a few on a boat. It did not happen a few thousand years ago, it did not ever happen that way. So if your interpretation of Genesis is literal--be careful what you wish for. You are the one suggesting that God is lying.
I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them Sam-I-Am.
 

The Barbarian

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Barbarian observes:
No, it could simply be an allegory. However, many thousands of years ago, in the Middle East, the Mediterranian Sea broke through the rock dam at the Bosporus, and filled what is now the Black Sea. It must have seemed like the end of the world to people living there. The water wasn't like a tidal wave over the whole area, but it rapidly spread over the land. Many settlements have now been found beneath the Black Sea, one of the earliest places occupied by anatomically modern humans. So, while it is an allegory, it seems to be based on a real flood.

The bible clearly delineates God's intention to wipe out all people not in the ark.

Of course, if it's an allegory, then it wouldn't have to be that way at all. It could merely illustrate His relationship with us. And since even Jesus used allegories, we know that it's something God often does in Scripture. However, it is not outside of God's capabilities to have killed all of His people in a local flood that far back.

Your compromises on the truth turn God into a liar.

You aren't God. And you can merely be mistaken, not lying about it.
 

Stripe

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You aren't God. And you can merely be mistaken, not lying about it.
I'm not God, but I know what he said. I might be wrong, but if I am then I'm misrepresenting God - making him out to be a liar.
 

The Barbarian

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I'm not God, but I know what he said.

You believe you know what He said. But most Christians disagree with you.

I might be wrong, but if I am then I'm misrepresenting God - making him out to be a liar.

Fortunately, He'll be more charitable with you than that. Being mistaken is not calling Him a liar.
 

The Barbarian

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Barbarian observes:
You believe you know what He said. But most Christians disagree with you.

Every atheist disagrees with me.

Nope. In fact, most atheists tend to use a fundy interpretation of scripture.

Barbarian observes:
Fortunately, He'll be more charitable with you than that. Being mistaken is not calling Him a liar.

I prefer not to take any chances on your say-so.

I think you've already done that.
 

Yorzhik

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Depends on the location. At any given time, different parts of the Earth are experiencing deposition, while others are experiencing erosion. So they show differences. There are few places on the Earth where the entire geological column exists in situ.

Depends. See above. Dependng on which one, and where you are, it can be anything from less than an inch to a few miles.
That's not what I'm trying to find out. The KTB appears to be worldwide. The sedimentary layers just below it and just above it could be worldwide, too. Perhaps they are not. If they are not, how big are the patches above and below the KTB. How many different patches of layers are there and where do they sit in relation to the KTB. Thickness is a component, but the "vastness" is directly what I'm looking for.

The Barbarian said:
Barbarian on 'hydrologic sorting':
So explain how you think it would be different, and how we can test that idea.

If you're right about hydrologic sorting (whatever that is) being the difference between fossils found at different levels, explain how it works, and what you would predict seeing at different levels. How can we test the idea
Sorry for the typo.

I know that the software engineers that spoke at our college described the great difficulties in getting their fluid dynamics programs to work. Hydraulic sorting was one of the problems they had to deal with because different things acted differently not only in fluid, but the temperature and the density of the fluid itself changed what problems one would run into trying to predict/interpret what the fluid was doing and what the sensors were really seeing. The question is not "does hydraulic sorting exist", the question is how does fluid move what things in what way. I don't think the problem has been modeled for a worldwide flood, but I think in time it can be figured out, or at least a good amount of it can be figured out.

The Barbarian said:
It's your idea. You don't know? Explain how we would be able to test it. What will be the difference between lower and upper layers?
I'll make the prediction that the difference in the fossils between the upper and lower layers is because of hydraulic sorting in the context of a worldwide flood.

The Barbarian said:
Barbarian observes:
Actually, when the evidence was discovered, almost everyone went over to the Heliocentric model. Although the civil authorities wanted Copernicus's books edited, most of them were not. By Galileo's time, people knew. He merely put the finishing touches on the theory.

Scientists agreed with him. BTW, you might want to check out the history; he was actually encouraged by the Pope to work on the theory. He was actually arrested on a trumped-up charge for political reasons. That was a convenient way to get him.
Ya, I know. That's the point. If you were going to get a grant from civil authorities you weren't going to get it having a Heliocentric model. So, to keep a job, you worked on whatever you were going to work on and you didn't make waves about the model.

The Barbarian said:
Barbarian observes:
Nope. Just show us the evidence. You're back to the "evil scientific conspiracy" stuff again. If you have no evidence for your beliefs, surely you can see that people aren't going to believe them.

Why not just admit you don't have any evidence?

So far, no evidence. You suggested "hydrologic sorting", but when I ask a few questions, you either don't know what it means, or you're remarkably shy about telling us.

Ah, you'd like to support your argument with facts, but the Evil Barbarian won't let you. Very handy.

But you won't show any of it to us. Whatta surprise.
Nothing that drastic. There is already plenty of evidence for ooparts. But I'm not a scientist, so it isn't that you stop me from presenting any, it's just that you personally wouldn't accept any from me even if it were valid.

The Barbarian said:
You think a lot of things that are pretty weird. This is hardly the strangest one.
We'll see. I'd be willing to bet that the sedimentary layers are vast, with a number of them continent sized. And also there will be large (in width, not thickness) layers overlapping with other layers that cover greater distances still. And I'll even go to far as to say we will see folding in every one of these vast layers that is indicative of waterborne sedimental layers.
 

The Barbarian

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That's not what I'm trying to find out. The KTB appears to be worldwide. The sedimentary layers just below it and just above it could be worldwide, too.

Seems very unlikely, although there are layers just above with a lot of soot, presumably from the fires that accompanied the meteor strike.

Perhaps they are not. If they are not, how big are the patches above and below the KTB. How many different patches of layers are there and where do they sit in relation to the KTB. Thickness is a component, but the "vastness" is directly what I'm looking for.

My guess is that it's going to be more uniform above, than below. And no, it's not uniform everywhere. The Deccan traps, for example, involve a huge, subcontinent-wide release of magma over huge areas. It seems to have occurred either shortly before, or shortly after the strike. And it occurred roughly on the other side of the world. It's tempting to think that they might be related, although I don't know enough about it to say for sure.

Barbarian
Barbarian on 'hydrologic sorting':
So explain how you think it would be different, and how we can test that idea.

If you're right about hydrologic sorting (whatever that is) being the difference between fossils found at different levels, explain how it works, and what you would predict seeing at different levels. How can we test the idea

I know that the software engineers that spoke at our college described the great difficulties in getting their fluid dynamics programs to work. Hydraulic sorting was one of the problems they had to deal with because different things acted differently not only in fluid, but the temperature and the density of the fluid itself changed what problems one would run into trying to predict/interpret what the fluid was doing and what the sensors were really seeing. The question is not "does hydraulic sorting exist", the question is how does fluid move what things in what way. I don't think the problem has been modeled for a worldwide flood, but I think in time it can be figured out, or at least a good amount of it can be figured out.

That's a somewhat more sophisticated outlook than the one the ICR presents. They claimed that the sorting of fossils could be explained by their shapes. I'm sure if you thought about it for a minute, you can see why that argument falls apart.

I'll be interested to see what you come up with, under your approach.'

Barbarian asks:
It's your idea. You don't know? Explain how we would be able to test it. What will be the difference between lower and upper layers?

I'll make the prediction that the difference in the fossils between the upper and lower layers is because of hydraulic sorting in the context of a worldwide flood.

Give me a testable claim for the way they'd be different. When you have that, you can make a scientific prediction.

Barbarian observes:
Actually, when the evidence was discovered, almost everyone went over to the Heliocentric model. Although the civil authorities wanted Copernicus's books edited, most of them were not. By Galileo's time, people knew. He merely put the finishing touches on the theory.

Scientists agreed with him. BTW, you might want to check out the history; he was actually encouraged by the Pope to work on the theory. He was actually arrested on a trumped-up charge for political reasons. That was a convenient way to get him.

Ya, I know. That's the point. If you were going to get a grant from civil authorities you weren't going to get it having a Heliocentric model.

Actually, he did. The Pope, as you might know, was also civil ruler at the time.

So, to keep a job, you worked on whatever you were going to work on and you didn't make waves about the model.

Most people didn't work on grants. They were either rich, like Galileo and Tycho, or they were academics, who had university resources.

Barbarian observes:
Nope. Just show us the evidence. You're back to the "evil scientific conspiracy" stuff again. If you have no evidence for your beliefs, surely you can see that people aren't going to believe them.

Why not just admit you don't have any evidence?

So far, no evidence. You suggested "hydrologic sorting", but when I ask a few questions, you either don't know what it means, or you're remarkably shy about telling us.

Ah, you'd like to support your argument with facts, but the Evil Barbarian won't let you. Very handy.

But you won't show any of it to us. Whatta surprise.

Nothing that drastic. There is already plenty of evidence for ooparts. But I'm not a scientist, so it isn't that you stop me from presenting any, it's just that you personally wouldn't accept any from me even if it were valid.

It seems completely backwards to have evidence, but refuse to show it. I'm used to creationists dismissing evidence out of hand, but it doesn't stop me from showing it to them.

I figure if they have even a portion of a working mind, they will be able to see what it says.

Barbarian
You think a lot of things that are pretty weird. This is hardly the strangest one.

We'll see. I'd be willing to bet that the sedimentary layers are vast, with a number of them continent sized.

Can't think of any, but some might be ocean-bottom-sized. I guess the closest would be the loess layers in North America and Eurasia, carried and deposited by glaciers.

And also there will be large (in width, not thickness) layers overlapping with other layers that cover greater distances still.

Hmm... widely spread deposits, unless they aren't, and they will be overlapped with other kinds of layers. I don't think there can be any other kind.

And I'll even go to far as to say we will see folding in every one of these vast layers that is indicative of waterborne sedimental layers.

How would you distinguish "waterborne folding" from the usual kind?
 

Jukia

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Yorzhik: Enough is enough, go back to school, learn some geology. Your position has no support in the real world. Hydrologic sorting, my butt.
 

The Barbarian

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It appears that Yorzhik is trying to figure out a more sophisticated approach to hydrologic sorting.

While the ICR version is pure hooey, I'll be willing to hear him out when he gets his version finished.
 

Yorzhik

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Seems very unlikely, although there are layers just above with a lot of soot, presumably from the fires that accompanied the meteor strike.
I'm not so sure. I'll predict that the layers just below and just above will be vast. And that there will be some overlap of these vast fields of sediment.


My guess is that it's going to be more uniform above, than below. And no, it's not uniform everywhere. The Deccan traps, for example, involve a huge, subcontinent-wide release of magma over huge areas. It seems to have occurred either shortly before, or shortly after the strike. And it occurred roughly on the other side of the world. It's tempting to think that they might be related, although I don't know enough about it to say for sure.

The Barbarian said:
How can we test the idea
I don't know. That will have to be for some future project when scientists are allowed to work directly on that problem. At this point, we can only gather data from results of scientific work on other things. Like I said, the engineers I heard were working on fluid flow models that incidentally showed hydrolic sorting, but they weren't trying to figure out how it would work in a worldwide flood.

The Barbarian said:
Actually, he did. The Pope, as you might know, was also civil ruler at the time.
Right, but not every scientist was friends with the Pope. The point is that the scientific establishment suppressed opposition to the prevailing view. It wasn't a conspiricy among all the scientists that held the prevailing view.

The Barbarian said:
It seems completely backwards to have evidence, but refuse to show it. I'm used to creationists dismissing evidence out of hand, but it doesn't stop me from showing it to them.
Refusing to show it? The KTB isn't evidence? Fluid flow software isn't evidence? As usual, The Barbarian doesn't want to discuss a topic; he'd rather just practice debate tactics.

The Barbarian said:
Hmm... widely spread deposits, unless they aren't,
If there aren't, then my prediction fails. This is unlike evolution where any result can be a post-hoc prediction.

The Barbarian said:
How would you distinguish "waterborne folding" from the usual kind?
The usual kind of folding rock? What are you talking about?

BTW, I think the loess layers are considered wind blown, not glacier carried.
 

The Barbarian

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Barbarian observes:
Seems very unlikely, although there are layers just above with a lot of soot, presumably from the fires that accompanied the meteor strike.

I'm not so sure. I'll predict that the layers just below and just above will be vast.

In some places; in others, there are very local deposits. Both have been known for hundreds of years, so it's not a "prediction".

And that there will be some overlap of these vast fields of sediment.

Has to be, otherwise, there's a big hole.

Barbarian observes:
My guess is that it's going to be more uniform above, than below. And no, it's not uniform everywhere. The Deccan traps, for example, involve a huge, subcontinent-wide release of magma over huge areas. It seems to have occurred either shortly before, or shortly after the strike. And it occurred roughly on the other side of the world. It's tempting to think that they might be related, although I don't know enough about it to say for sure.

Barbarian asks:
How can we test the idea

I don't know.

Then it's just a guess, not a theory.

That will have to be for some future project when scientists are allowed to work directly on that problem.

You think they have a list of "allowed" projects?

At this point, we can only gather data from results of scientific work on other things. Like I said, the engineers I heard were working on fluid flow models that incidentally showed hydrolic sorting, but they weren't trying to figure out how it would work in a worldwide flood.

A hydrologist with the ICR tried a long time. Never could get it to work.

Barbarian
Actually, he did. The Pope, as you might know, was also civil ruler at the time.

Right, but not every scientist was friends with the Pope. The point is that the scientific establishment suppressed opposition to the prevailing view. It wasn't a conspiricy among all the scientists that held the prevailing view.

In fact, by Galileo's time, scientists generally realized the heliocentric idea was right. There's a rather angry comment by Martin Luther who assails Copernicus for saying the Earth moves, when (his literal reading of) Scripture says it does not.

Barbarian
It seems completely backwards to have evidence, but refuse to show it. I'm used to creationists dismissing evidence out of hand, but it doesn't stop me from showing it to them.

Refusing to show it?

The KTB isn't evidence?

It's not evidence for "hydrologic sorting."

Fluid flow software isn't evidence?

Not unless you can show how the fossil distribution is explained by it. Fairly simple process. Explain exactly what your idea predicts, and what it takes to test it. Then we can look at the fossil record and see.

As usual, The Barbarian doesn't want to discuss a topic; he'd rather just practice debate tactics.

You seem very reluctant to show us a testable claim of your idea. But if you can do that, I'd be pleased to look at it. Show me how "hydrologic sorting" explains the fossil record. Show me how it is responsible for the distribution of fossils in the geologic column.

Barbarian
Hmm... widely spread deposits, unless they aren't,

If there aren't, then my prediction fails.

Two problems; first, we know that there are both kinds. So it's not a prediction, it's an explanation. But it's not a good one, because you can explain how it works, or even test it.

This is unlike evolution where any result can be a post-hoc prediction.

Um, no. For example, one person once asked Haldane what would invalidate evolution. He remarked a rabbit in undisturbed Cambrian deposits. If you're right, there should be a few at least. But no vertebrates at all. And no bunnies.

The prediction of feathered dinosaurs must have seemed crazy, based as it was on obscure anatomical similarities between birds and dinos. But later, that prediction was validated. One of the best was Darwin's argument that Lord Kelvin's estimate of the age of the Earth had to be wrong, based on the observed variety of living things. Kelvin lost, when the source of the extra heat confirmed Darwin's theory. There's a lot more like that. Would you like to learn about them?

Barbarian observes:
How would you distinguish "waterborne folding" from the usual kind?

The usual kind of folding rock? What are you talking about?

Rock, over a long period of time, deforms and folds under compression. It's how the Himalayas are so high. They are still folding, BTW, and GPS instruments can actually measure it. We have no evidence for "waterborne folding"; it's just a story AIG likes to tell.

I think the loess layers are considered wind blown, not glacier carried.

Both, actually.

The properties of glacial loess and the formation of loess deposits
I. J. Smalley

Journal of Sedimentary Research; September 1966; v. 36; no. 3; p. 669-676

Takes both glaciers and wind to make them.
 

Jukia

New member
Um, no. For example, one person once asked Haldane what would invalidate evolution. He remarked a rabbit in undisturbed Cambrian deposits. If you're right, there should be a few at least. But no vertebrates at all. And no bunnies.

The prediction of feathered dinosaurs must have seemed crazy, based as it was on obscure anatomical similarities between birds and dinos. But later, that prediction was validated. One of the best was Darwin's argument that Lord Kelvin's estimate of the age of the Earth had to be wrong, based on the observed variety of living things. Kelvin lost, when the source of the extra heat confirmed Darwin's theory. There's a lot more like that. Would you like to learn about them?

.

My guess is that he does not want to learn about anything that might cause him to question a literal reading of Genesis.
 

Yorzhik

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Barbarian observes:
Seems very unlikely, although there are layers just above with a lot of soot, presumably from the fires that accompanied the meteor strike.

In some places; in others, there are very local deposits. Both have been known for hundreds of years, so it's not a "prediction".
Then there must be a map of these deposits somewhere. I cannot find it. Do you know where it is?

Has to be, otherwise, there's a big hole.
What I mean is that layer patches of the same time frame will be next to each other, with some overlap. However, it may be more true that one patch will mix with the patch next to it. The map would help maybe.

Barbarian observes:
My guess is that it's going to be more uniform above, than below. And no, it's not uniform everywhere. The Deccan traps, for example, involve a huge, subcontinent-wide release of magma over huge areas. It seems to have occurred either shortly before, or shortly after the strike. And it occurred roughly on the other side of the world. It's tempting to think that they might be related, although I don't know enough about it to say for sure.
So the KTB isn't worldwide?

Barbarian asks:
How can we test the idea
I don't know. Someday when I'm a fluid engineer I'll see what I can do.

Then it's just a guess, not a theory.
A theory is a kind of guess. But it's based on what scientists have shown in the past.

You think they have a list of "allowed" projects?
Not a list, but an understanding. If you don't want to lose your job, don't do anything that will help creationists.

A hydrologist with the ICR tried a long time. Never could get it to work.
Who was that? It would be interesting to see what he said.

Barbarian
Actually, he did. The Pope, as you might know, was also civil ruler at the time.

In fact, by Galileo's time, scientists generally realized the heliocentric idea was right. There's a rather angry comment by Martin Luther who assails Copernicus for saying the Earth moves, when (his literal reading of) Scripture says it does not.
Luther was wrong about a number of things. What are you referring to? I don't think there is a literal passage in the bible saying the earth doesn't move. And as you know, I take the literal parts of the bible literally.

Barbarian
Not unless you can show how the fossil distribution is explained by it. Fairly simple process. Explain exactly what your idea predicts, and what it takes to test it. Then we can look at the fossil record and see.
We know hydraulic sorting exists. What we haven't done is spend the brainpower or money to figure out how a global flood would deposit the contents it washed up over the earth. Especially with a great number of varialbles that we don't know yet. I predict we'll find stacking and order based on what we learn of fluid dynamics in the context of a global flood. If I were I scientist with an unlimited budget, we'd be able to get more information.

You seem very reluctant to show us a testable claim of your idea. But if you can do that, I'd be pleased to look at it. Show me how "hydrologic sorting" explains the fossil record. Show me how it is responsible for the distribution of fossils in the geologic column.
I'm not a scientist so I can't provide anything you'de accept as far as a testable theory is concerned. However, would ooparts satisfy you that evolution is wrong about what is in the sedimentary layers?

Two problems; first, we know that there are both kinds. So it's not a prediction, it's an explanation. But it's not a good one, because you can explain how it works, or even test it.
Do we know there are both kinds because we have maps? Is there anything particularly different between the makeup of the vast layers and the makeup of the small patches?

Um, no. For example, one person once asked Haldane what would invalidate evolution. He remarked a rabbit in undisturbed Cambrian deposits. If you're right, there should be a few at least. But no vertebrates at all. And no bunnies.
And there isn't a scientist that you would believe that would make such a claim.

The prediction of feathered dinosaurs must have seemed crazy, based as it was on obscure anatomical similarities between birds and dinos. But later, that prediction was validated. One of the best was Darwin's argument that Lord Kelvin's estimate of the age of the Earth had to be wrong, based on the observed variety of living things. Kelvin lost, when the source of the extra heat confirmed Darwin's theory. There's a lot more like that. Would you like to learn about them?
Oh, my, you really believe that the precursor to birds was a kind of dinosaur...

Barbarian observes:
How would you distinguish "waterborne folding" from the usual kind?
Waterborne sediments folding is different when it is soft.

Rock, over a long period of time, deforms and folds under compression. It's how the Himalayas are so high. They are still folding, BTW, and GPS instruments can actually measure it. We have no evidence for "waterborne folding"; it's just a story AIG likes to tell.
And that folding looks different from the folding of waterborne sediments when they are soft.
 
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