How Creationism Taught Me Real Science 76 London Hammer

In this episode, we examine the London Hammer. A modern hammer found in 400 milion year-old deposits.

References:

Creationist Arguments

Helfinstine, Robert F., and Jerry D. Roth. 1994. Texas Tracks and Artifacts: Do Texas Fossils Indicate Coexistence of Men and Dinosaurs?

Baugh Ordovician

Baugh Cretaceous

Walter Lang Silurian
"Lab Test Report on Hammer!: Paluxy Progress" Bible-Science Newsletter. Vol. 21. No. 12. p. 1.

Paul Bartz Silurian
Questions and Answers on Creationism. Bible-Science Newsletter . July 1984. Vol. 22, No. 4. p. 16.

David Lines

Non-Creationist Observations

[WildwoodClaire]

One of the goofiest creationist arguments, and one of my old favorites! Anyone familiar with limestone, groundwater, and caves knows the answer.

[davidmurphy]

Actually, the creationists are right about this one. The faucet on my bath tap is 400 million years old and has experienced many floods.

[NEGATINofP]

"Using science" while avoiding science in order to "disprove" science. Creation "science" at is best 0_o

[condorboss]

This one is new to me, but I find it rather odd that Baugh won't allow independent testing. Any archeologist that tried that would very quickly find himself without funding.

[stm]

Thanks for bringing the hammer down on this argument, it isn't as concrete as they wood like to believe.

[CoolHardLogic]

That hammer is a fossil in the same way that aliens came to us in a ship powered by Champion bloody spark plugs! XD

Bonus points to those who get the reference.

[ixtlguul]

Carl Baugh be like: "You can't touch this"

[StubbornProgrammer]

How strange. By protecting it from examination, he's acting _as_ _if_ the artifact only retains value to his cause if it remains untested. If it were _actually_ dated to the cretaceous it would be a huge victory for him.

So it seems reasonable to infer that he doesn't think the artifact is what he's saying it is, but that by _pretending_ it might be he can further his cause.

[garethjones]

If the surrounding matrix were actual deposited concretions shouldn't they cover the handle and metal exactly?  If you look carefully at 0:14, there is space between the matrix and hammer head with no apparent signs of recent chipping away to release the entrapped metal object, the way you actually see when an object is released from a concreted matrix.  Also the handle seems to fit just as loosely inside the matrix.  One thinks of a rock carved out to accommodate a handle and iron head which were then assembled to fabricate an unconvincing artifact.

[dgwachtel]

I have iron pipes in my basement that date at least from the cratatious. Just cut one open and see the ancient rock inside :) (hard water!) I should try sell a piece to one of those "creation science museums". They just might be gullible enough to buy it. - Dave

[chartokai]

Probably the most convincing poe intro you've done. You nailed it! 🔨 I still remember being fooled when I first found you.

[godlessrecovery]

I think I could make some good money from old Carl with 20 years, some hard water and an iPhone.

[LaramidiaWX]

I suspect that the iron in the hammer is the key to the formation of the concretion. Iron, especially Fe(2+) ions such as from iron(ii) chloride (remember the chemical analysis that claimed 2.6% chlorine in the metal), reacts with many carbonate salts to form iron(ii) carbonate, otherwise known as siderite. Even carbon dioxide can convert metallic iron into siderite. Siderite is a common concretion-forming mineral and forms huge numbers of concretions in the cretaceous sedimentary rocks in the valley where I live. The precipitation of iron(ii) carbonate in sediment around the hammer head would bond that sediment and any accompanying rocks, such as the chunk with the shells which may indeed be of cretaceous age, into a single concretionary mass.

[JoelFeila]

Well that really clears up the london hammer. I happen to live in an area with with soft water so I;m used to mineral build up on pipes.

[LetsTalkOnePiece]

0:49 Or time travel or ancient aliens or better yet time travelling ancient aliens.

[nunyabisnass]

Theres a third hypotheis I've heard, humans have existed as a super advanced race for millions of years, and a recent cataclysm sent us back to the stone age.

[jtveg]

Awesome. ✔️
I didn't know about this one. 🤔

[michaelasnipes-vega]

I seriously love your videos. Miss working with you!

[kellyandrichweddle]

Well done. I am not surprised a concretion could form this quickly.

[esbendit]

Or paraphrasing ExtantDodo: "Neat hammer"