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Lord Kelvin and the Age of the Earth
Burchfield charts the enormous impact made by Lord Kelvin's application of thermodynamic laws to the question of the earth's age and the heated debate his ideas sparked among British Victorian physicists, astronomers, geologists, and biologists."Anyone interested in geologic time, and that should include all geologists and a fair smattering of biologists, physicists and chemists, should make Burchfield's commendable and time-tested volume part of their personal library"—Brent Darymple, Quartely Review of Biology
- GenresScience
278 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1975
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December 30, 2020
Five-Star Read!
This is like a thriller! The author has a commanding knowledge of the intricacies, strengths and weak points of the arguments of the various philosophers of the 19th century. I appreciate how he distinguishes between the different types of catastrophism, and he fully appreciates and explains the intricacies of the arguments of the 19th century. The book is a kind of a 'taking down of Kelvin' which also adds an element of fun. For a long time and to this day, pure mathematics seems to override sound judgement, and effective fact. Dealing with uncertainties on a blackboard with equation seems to be a way of overriding nature, instilling conviction in the minds of the gullible.
Dr Charles Kos. End of 2020. Melbourne.
This is like a thriller! The author has a commanding knowledge of the intricacies, strengths and weak points of the arguments of the various philosophers of the 19th century. I appreciate how he distinguishes between the different types of catastrophism, and he fully appreciates and explains the intricacies of the arguments of the 19th century. The book is a kind of a 'taking down of Kelvin' which also adds an element of fun. For a long time and to this day, pure mathematics seems to override sound judgement, and effective fact. Dealing with uncertainties on a blackboard with equation seems to be a way of overriding nature, instilling conviction in the minds of the gullible.
Dr Charles Kos. End of 2020. Melbourne.
Displaying 1 of 1 review