NationStates Jolt Archive


Amber containing air samples, more ammo for bashing fundies

Feil
24-05-2005, 23:21
I was recently debating a creationist who was purporting the "vapor canopy theory" (http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/canopy.html for a simple refutation).

He pointed out that it would be very difficult for dinosaurs to live in the modern atmosphere, due to the enormous amounts of oxygen per breath such large creatures would use. He claimed that the pressure increase that a vapor canopy would provide (I refuted him on the basis of light shining through, as opposed to the pressure refutation above) would allow them to live.

He brought up some evidence (said "I read somewhere that", then looked at me like I was sin itsself when I asked him to cite the study or explain its findings in detail) :

Amber with air bubbles trapped in it.

I was interested, so I did some googling, and found some interesting information.

To summarize briefly, samplings measured roughly 35% oxygen until the late cretacious, then dropped back to the present-day 21% afterwards. They pose that fire (burns oxygen) and widespread deforestation (removes what makes oxygen) would have caused this.

To their arguement I would add that the following ice age would have compounded the effect by slowing the rate at which plant life could re-establish itsself.

Essentially, just one more piece of evidence for the age of the earth, one more hole in the vapor canopy, and one less thing the fundies can lie to you about.
Drunk commies reborn
24-05-2005, 23:24
Apparently no ammount of evidence is enough to change a creationist's mind. It's like trying to talk a paranoid schitzophrenic into taking off his tinfoil hat.
Feil
24-05-2005, 23:31
Even an reincarnated inebriated socialist could have told me that...
Blood Moon Goblins
24-05-2005, 23:42
Aww, poor Drunk Commies, did you get picked on by Christians as a kid? :p

Anyway...
My knowledge of the ancient world (the really ancient one, not those piddling Greeks and such :P) isnt that great, but as I understand it something like %95 of the (modern) worlds oxygen is produced by bacteria in the ocean. I would think that even back then it would be roughly the same...
Drunk commies reborn
24-05-2005, 23:49
Aww, poor Drunk Commies, did you get picked on by Christians as a kid? :p

Anyway...
My knowledge of the ancient world (the really ancient one, not those piddling Greeks and such :P) isnt that great, but as I understand it something like %95 of the (modern) worlds oxygen is produced by bacteria in the ocean. I would think that even back then it would be roughly the same...
No, I was one. *shudders*
German Nightmare
24-05-2005, 23:50
@ Feil: Thanks for that post. Really interesting! Glad I "dropped in" and learned something more ;)

But what is wrong with a tinfoil hat, Drunk commies reborn?

*shyly removes hat for a second and frantically puts it right back on*

Almost got me fooled there! I'm just glad that my whole flat is completely wrapped in tinfoil :)
Feil
24-05-2005, 23:51
Aww, poor Drunk Commies, did you get picked on by Christians as a kid? :p

Anyway...
My knowledge of the ancient world (the really ancient one, not those piddling Greeks and such :P) isnt that great, but as I understand it something like %95 of the (modern) worlds oxygen is produced by bacteria in the ocean. I would think that even back then it would be roughly the same...

That's phytoplancton, and 50%, not bacteria and 95. It lives on the surface so would likely have been almost as severely effected.
Super-power
24-05-2005, 23:57
Creo v Evo..... not again! *-_-
Culex
25-05-2005, 00:00
Apparently no ammount of evidence is enough to change a creationist's mind. It's like trying to talk a paranoid schitzophrenic into taking off his tinfoil hat.
thats a good point..because I am a paranoid schitzophrenic.... :D
Feil
25-05-2005, 00:45
SuperPower: I found something interesting, so I shared it by posting the interesting information.

German Nightmare:
You're welcome.
Phylum Chordata
25-05-2005, 11:00
I feel sorry for all those whales in the ocean who are suffercating right now because there isn't enough pressure to supply them with the enormous amount of oxygen they need with each breath. Poor whales.
Mott Forest
25-05-2005, 11:08
I feel sorry for all those whales in the ocean who are suffercating right now because there isn't enough pressure to supply them with the enormous amount of oxygen they need with each breath. Poor whales.
Damn, you snatched my line! :D
Lagrange 4
25-05-2005, 12:30
Idiocy of BOTH sides

Mind giving me any examples of the idiocy of mainstream (evolutionist) scientists on this issue?
Straughn
26-05-2005, 01:10
No, I was one. *shudders*
Did you and JesusSaves trade places then?
Vaitupu
26-05-2005, 06:15
It's like trying to talk a paranoid schitzophrenic into taking off his tinfoil hat.


IT'S MY HAT *runs into wall*

*twice*