Age of the Earth.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVII, Issue 19, 8 May 1912, Page 60

Age of the Earth.

Professor Frank Allen, of Manitoba University, stated in a lecture on the Age of the Earth that radium had upset aIT the theories on this subject. “Lord Kelvin,” said lie, “who computed that the earth was 20,000,000 years old declared that unless some new way of producing heat in the earth's surface could be found his calculations were correct. ~ _ “Such a new way has actually been discovered in radium, which has. thq power of giving out heat xxithout dimin-* ishing in weight. One pound of radium would keep "a house warm for 2000 years. Radium is scattered throughout the earth’s surface, and therefore Lord Kelvin's calculations are worthless. “Radium gives off helium, and helium is scattered throughout the earth’s crust. The amount of helium given off by an actual piece of rock could easily, be measured. "Bv comparing the amount of radium and of helium in a piece of rock it would be possible to form an estimate of the earth's age, and if this were done it would be found that the earth was over 1.500,000.000 years old.”