Lord Kelvin and the age of the earth

By Joe D. Burchfield

Book Overview

Burchfield charts the enormous impact made by Lord Kelvin's application of thermodynamic laws to the question of the earth's age and the heated debate his ideas sparked among British Victorian physicists, astronomers, geologists, and biologists. "Anyone interested in geologic time, and that should include all geologists and a fair smattering of biologists, physicists and chemists, should make Burchfield's commendable and time-tested volume part of their personal library"-Brent Darymple, Quartely Review of Biology

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0882020137
• ISBN13: 9780882020136
• Release Date: January 1975
• Publisher: Science History Publications
• Length: 260 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Catchy and informative book!

Lord Kelvin and the Age of the Earth by Joe D. Burchfield is one the most interesting books I have ever read. It focuses on the debate over the earth's age which Lord Kelvin was devoted to finding out. With his theories and principles, he amazed the scientific world in discovering the earth's age. Despite the constant opposition, criticism and controversy he received, his ideas sparked geologists, astronomers, physicists, and biologists of his time. Even though his assumptions and calculations of the earth's age were incorrect, his work encouraged many other scientists to calculate the actual age of the earth. Joe D. Burchfield, a professor at Northern Illinois, does a great job gathering all the arguments, principles, and theories involved in Kelvin's discovery. Burchfield was influenced by Kelvin to show the interaction of other sciences, especially geology and physics, opposing each other in one of the most intense debates in scientific history. No one ever thinks about the how the earth's age was calculated, but it is a very informative and interesting topic. This book, in detailed information, offers a close view into this topic. At the same time, it gives many effects of Kelvin's work, such as influences, opposition and controversies, and much more! I would recommend this book to people who are interested in science, especially in geology and physics, or to anyone who is curious by how the earth's age was calculated.