>        "Fossil" (Coal, Petroleum)

> There are those that are now challenge this commonly
> held and widespread belief that hydrocarbon fuels
> derived from surface life (now existant as 'fossils') .....
> The work of one Thomas Gold comes to mind (one of
> his books: "The Deep Hot Biosphere" comes to mind).

Some maintain it was all produced in around 5000 years plus or minus a few
thousand (or laid down complete). Some don't :-)

Interestingly, I have been informed that coal (or something
indistinguishably equivalent) has been produced in very short time spans (a
few years?) using levels of temperature and pressure liable to have been
encountered at sites where coal is now found. I do not have any solid
references to this but I imagine there will be references to it on the net.

Some very cherished beliefs that some processes demand long time scales in
all instances have been reversed by new evidence.

One example is the idea that formation of deep canyon/valley systems
requires "geological time scales". As example of where this is now accepted
to not have been the case is the Montana scablands. A laaaarge lake held by
an ice dam is believed to have formed impressive canyon systems in days.
Prior belief was that millions of years would have been required.

    http://www.gonorthwest.com/Washington/northeast/Dry_Falls.htm

At the time the result would have included world's largest known waterfall.

Other major scientific theories which have achieved the state of holy and
unquestionable writ have also been overturned by new evidence. The history
of Plate tectonics is a fine example. Nowadays PT constitutes Holy Writ and
anyone questioning it would be considered an imbecile by scientific
orthodoxy.

Recent scientific studies suggest that the speed of light appears to have
been falling for a considerable period. The implications for scientific
knowledge as it is presently held are severe. The proposers are,
notwithstanding their eminence, therefore necessarily imbeciles :-)



            Russell McMahon

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