BBC science fail?

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Was listening to the story about antique ivory and how they can date it to pre/post-1947 by using radio carbon dating. That was news to me; the half life of C14 is so long I thought it was only useful for much older things.

And then they said the 1947 date was due to the 'atomic age'. Since when did atom bombs make C14?

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Eric Mc said:

I always think replies like this rank high in the "internet rudeness" scale.

Agreed. I endeavoured to find the actual news item to check what I'd heard but no luck, and part of the 'social' aspect of forums is discussion, not being a geek who reads Google all day.

LandR said:

Bomb-curve radiocarbon measurement of recent biologic tissues and applications to wildlife forensics and stable isotope (paleo)ecology

In fact, carbon dating can't be used to date very old things. It's only useful up to about 50-60,000 years.

Interesting link, thanks. I'd imagined the isotope they'd be looking for post-1947 would be thorium 234; hadn't realised fresh doses of C14 were made too.

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Derek Smith said:

I got a letter back within a week or so. It merely mentioned that I was right and went on to suggest that my lad not to believe everything on TV, even if a scientist said it as they might have made a mistake...

I suspect TW dumbed it down to the point that what they said was wrong. They should have been more careful. If TW is wrong then frankly don't have the show!

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Boring_Chris said:

It's OK to be wrong, so long as you're willing to learn from it.

So many people need to learn this lesson.

Generally yes but I don't find it acceptable for a TV programme to impart wrong information to a young audience. If you have to make it dumb at least use Olympic size swimming pools for volume, tennis courts for area and elephants for weight .

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dickymint said:

As a kid my all time favorite were The Christmas Lectures.

My parents liked those. But as a student who'd just got home for holiday after 12 solid weeks of lectures, I wasn't inclined to watch more - and the pace by then was too slow for me. But good for bright youngsters I agree.

I expect they do everything in elephants now too...

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jmorgan said:

Are there not scientific institutions after pre nuclear steel? They go for ship wrecks etc. for instrument making?

Something tickles that memory cell on this.

Mine too - was it about magnetism and compasses?