Flaws in a Young-Earth Cooling Mechanism (NCSE)

In an article published by the National Center for Science Education titled Flaws in a Young-Earth Cooling Mechanism Glenn Morton and George L Murphy present four criticisms of Russell Humphreys' cooling mechanism, by way of a rapid expansion of space. Below is a response to each criticism.


 * Source:
 * Flaws in a Young-Earth Cooling Mechanism by Glenn Morton and George L Murphy. Reports of the National Center for Science Education 24.1, 31, 2004.

Criticism #1
Their model and calculations seem to be accurate for a classical oscillator but it is not an accurate model for a particle bouncing around inside a crystal.

The force formula for a classical oscillator is $$\,\!F=-kx = -mxw^2$$

This is based on a weight on a spring.



A particle bouncing around inside a crystal is not a weight on a spring but it is moving between atoms whose electrical forces are trying to repel it. Furthermore the force of each atom varies by the square of the distance from the atoms. The simplest force formula for a particle bouncing around inside a crystal is

$$F= \frac{k}{(X + x)^2} - \frac{k}{(X - x)^2}$$



The result is that their model is totally wrong for a particle bouncing around inside a crystal. Note from the above illustration that the forces involved are only significant at the extremes and the modeled of particle in a box is best. This means that the particle spends most of it time as a free moving particle and would loose energy to the expansion of space.

Criticism #2
It is too slow now but Humphreys’ theory involves a significant increase the expansion rate during the Flood. Humphreys’ reference to a twofold increase in the expansion rate was given as an example only and not intended as an absolute figure. The real increase in the expansion rate would probably be a several order of magnitude increase over the present rate.

Criticism #3
This ignores the effect of time dilation on Earth.

One option involves God causing time dilation in the area around Earth. In such a case the increased expansion rate would only be an effect of Earth’s time dilation and not seen outside the affected area.

Under Cosmological relativity, if the Earth is at the center of the rapid expansion, then time dilation would occur in the area of the solar system such that the rapid expansion would only be noticed locally.

The result in both models is that in deep space the expansion rate would seem normal, and thus there would be no visible effects in the spectra of star light.

Criticism #4
This is a pathetic attempt at making an issue where none exists.

The authors seem to be equating miracles to magic; there are several miracles described in the Bible where God is clearly manipulating nature rather than doing something more magical in appearance. By definition God stretching out space more rapidly than the normal expansion rate would qualify as a miracle.

Like all the items mentioned in the above quote, the rapid expansion of space is a description of a physical event that involved God miraculously manipulating nature to accomplish his ends. The shift from the miraculous to the naturalistic is only an invention of the authors to created a conflict where none exists.

Both of which are were made up by the authors to created a conflict where none exists.

There is nothing in this idea that requires God to perform to either Humphreys’ or anyone else’s whim. Humphreys is not demanding miracles from God, but simply postulating what God did, based on the available evidence.

The authors show a flawed view of miracles here. They are equating miracles to magic when that is not the case. God manipulating natural forces is just as miraculous as God acting in direct opposition to natural laws.

A miracle that causes a physical effect has physical processes going on. The authors are assuming that miracles involve no physical or physical like processes, when in fact they do.

Once again by definition God stretching out space more rapidly than the normal expansion rate would qualify as a miracle. So the authors’ argument here is moot.

Conclusion
All four of their criticisms are based a flawed representation of Humphreys’ model. The first incorrectly models the forces on the particles involved. The second misapplies an example used by Humphreys. The third ignores time dilation which is part of the model. The fourth is based on a flawed understanding of miracles, and accuses Humphreys of demanding actions from God, when Humphreys is only postulating what God did in an event (The Genesis Flood) that the Bible describes as an act of God.

The authors’ flawed representation of Humphreys’ model shows a poor understanding of the model. This along with a simplistic view of miracles resulted in flawed criticisms