RE: [asa] Radioactive decay of U-238 is imminent (just wait a few billion years)

Hi Pastor Murray-

 That is an interesting example.

 I'm not sure it is correct to say that any particular atom would decay imminently, because we know some will decay soon (imminently), some much later (not imminent at all), and we are unable to predict when it will happen for a particular atom.

 In the case of the return of Jesus- it is all supposed to be imminent- not parts now and other parts millions of years later.

...Bernie

-----Original Message-----
From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On Behalf Of Murray Hogg
Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2009 9:08 AM
To: ASA
Subject: [asa] Radioactive decay of U-238 is imminent (just wait a few billion years)

John Burgeson (ASA member) wrote:
> I take "imminent" to mean "at any time." No indication in the word as
> to whether that time is 10 nanoseconds from now -- or 4 million years.

Hi Burgy,

It strikes me that a scientific example illustrating the notion of immanence would be radioactive decay.

To take the most extreme instance, there is nothing inconsistent with the observation that for any atom of Uranium-238 the decay to Thorium-234 is "imminent" AND with the belief that with a half-life of about 4.5 billion years it's probably not worth sitting around waiting for it to happen!

Blessings,
Murray

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Received on Thu Jan 22 12:26:42 2009