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Topic: Earth's oldest known object on display
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Hephaestion
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4795
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posted 08 April 2005 12:27 PM
... and nope, it ain't Dick Clark!  quote:
MADISON, Wis A tiny speck of zircon crystal that is barely visible to the eye is believed to be the oldest known piece of Earth at about 4.4 billion years old.For the first time ever, the public will have a chance to see the particle Saturday at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where researchers in 2001 made the breakthrough discovery that the early Earth was much cooler than previously believed based on analysis of the crystal. To create buzz about an otherwise arcane subject, the university is planning a daylong celebration of the ancient stone — capped with "The Rock Concert" by jazz musicians who composed music to try to answer the question: What does 4.4 billion years old sound like? "This is it — the oldest thing ever. One day only," said Joe Skulan, director of the UW-Madison Geology Museum, where the object will be displayed — under police guard — from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. "The idea of having a big celebration of something that's so tiny — we're playing with the obvious absurdity of it." With the aid of a microscope, anyone will be able to check out the tiny grain, which measures less than two human hairs in diameter.
From: goodbye... :-( | Registered: Dec 2003
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Surferosad
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4791
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posted 08 April 2005 07:01 PM
quote:
Originally posted by LeftRight:
There's nothing really substantive reported to support their beliefs concerning the crystal. Just sounds like a bunch of hyp.....Isn't zircon something they can manufactor?
You don't know anything about this, do you? So how can you say that it's hype? Ok, here's a short explanation. First, zircon: it can be synthesised. But it's also a natural mineral common in igneous rocks. http://webmineral.com/data/Zircon.shtml Natural zircon usually contains a little uranium 238, which, with time, decays (i.e. transforms itself by emitting radiation) to lead 206 (those are element isotopes). That means that by measuring the amount of uranium and lead, geologists can figure out how long ago the zircon was formed. Zircon also has the useful property of being very resistant (it's very hard) and it has a high melting point, so it tends to stick around for a long time without being transformed into something else. [ 08 April 2005: Message edited by: Surferosad ]
From: Montreal | Registered: Dec 2003
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