On Creationism

 A polystrate fossil is a fossil that spans multiple layers of the geological column and, at a casual glance, would seem to refute mainstream dating of rocks. The term seems to be an invention of creationists. It is a great example of cherry-picking data. There are plenty of web sites that shout loudly about how polystrate fossils prove the Flood, and ignore all the evidence that argues the other way, from several different sciences such as geology (eg radiometric dating), physics (eg ancient starlight) and biology (eg the fossil record). Based on a Quote-Mine Polystrate fossils seem to have become a thing with Henry Morris' book, Scientific Creationism , published in 1974, though as far as I can tell the term appeared later. The relevant bit can be found here . Morris quotes a book from 1964: It is clear that trees in position of growth are far from being rare in Lancashire (Teichmuller, 1956 reaches the same conclusion for similar trees in the Rhein-Westfalen Coal Measures), and ...

Radiometric dating is well-established science, but because it gives results creationists do not like, they will usually reject it out of hand, without good reason or even understanding what t is. This is a quick overview of what it is. What is an isotope? Atoms are made of relatively large protons and neutrons in the centre (the nucleus), with tiny electrons whizzing around around them. The number of electrons will be equal to the number of protons, and it is this that determines what the atom actually is, what element it is. If there are 6 of each, it is carbon, if there are 26, it is iron, if there is only 1 of each, it is hydrogen. There are approximately the same number of neutrons, but it can vary. The number of neutrons does not change the element, but does change the isotope . An atom of hydrogen has 1 proton and 1 electron, but it can have 0, 1 or 2 neutrons (or more). Some isotopes are stable - they will last for every - some are not. The isotope of hydrogen with two neutrons...