Up Next
Back to Show
Reactions
How Do We Know How Old the Earth Is?
Season 4
Episode 31
Since there’s no “established in” plaque stuck in a cliff somewhere, geologists deduced the age of the Earth thanks to a handful of radioactive elements. With radiometric dating, scientists can put an age on really old rocks — and even good old Mother Earth. For the 30th anniversary of National Chemistry Week, this edition of Reactions describes how scientists date rocks.
Support Provided By
18:01
There are a few obstacles to overcome before we get there.
13:15
Come along on George’s epic journey into the wilds of salt science!
9:41
Weeds are building a defense against today's herbicides.
17:15
We explore how far carbon structures are from revolutionizing the world.
14:45
We dig into the science of flavor pairings, especially when it comes to the famous combo.
10:39
Can a medicine cause a war? The treatment for Malaria may just have.
11:30
We explore what happens to space debris closest to the earth.
12:47
We look at the century-long quest for the Holy Grail: synthetic blood.
13:38
The process might be relatively simple but it's dangerous and illegal without a license.
9:32
Gas stove ranges are polluting our homes.
13:43
We look at the science behind the whole process, from sap to syrup.
11:50
With the right cleaning methods, we can turn the dirtiest water into safe cleaning water.