The Chronologers' Quest: The Search for the Age of the Earth - Hardcover

Jackson, Patrick Wyse

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0521813328 ISBN 13: 9780521813327

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2006

Synopsis

The debate over the age of the Earth has been ongoing for over two thousand years, and has pitted physicists and astronomers against biologists, religious philosophers against geologists. The Chronologers' Quest tells the fascinating story of our attempts to determine the age of the Earth. This book investigates the many novel methods used in the search for the Earth's age, from James Ussher and John Lightfoot examining biblical chronologies, Comte de Buffon and Lord Kelvin determining the length of time for the cooling of the Earth, to the more recent investigations of Arthur Holmes and Clair Patterson into radioactive dating of rocks and meteorites. An intriguing account of the measurement of geological time, The Chronologer's Quest will delight even readers with little scientific background.

About this title

Book Description:

This book investigates the methods used to determine the Earth's age, from James Ussher and John Lightfoot examining biblical chronologies, to Arthur Holmes and Clair Patterson investigating radioactive dating of rocks. It will be of interest to those with little scientific background, and students and scientists in the Earth sciences.

About the Author:

Patrick Wyse Jackson is a lecturer in Geology and curator of the Geological Museum in Trinity College, Dublin, and is a member of the International Commission on the History of Geology.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0521813328
• ISBN 13: 9780521813327
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 310