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Errors in the Science of the Urantia Papers.
In previous publications5,6,7 we have concentrated attention on what we called the prophetic component in the cosmology of the Papers. Though we were aware of discrepancies in their history of the geology and paleontology of the planet, these were set aside on the grounds that dating procedures were too inaccurate to be certain that the Papers were in error.
A new dimension has since been added to radiometric dating procedures by the discovery of the remarkable properties of tiny zircon crystals. These crystals accompany many sedimentary and metamorphic rocks and, in combination with incredible new micro-analytical technology, they enable the accurate dating of spots no wider than a human hair, taken either at the surface or the crystals interior.3
The revelators were well aware that this would eventually be so: "The radium clock is your most reliable timepiece." (659)
Included in the error listing that follows are statements from the Urantia Papers that would almost certainly be seen as erroneous by new readers and cause them to abandon interest--the more so if their expectation was they are reading a revelation from a supernatural source:
Page 656. Referring to Jupiter and Saturn, "These two largest of the solar system planets have remained largely gaseous to this day…The gas-contraction nucleuses of the other ten planets soon reached the stage of solidification and so began to draw to themselves increasing quantities of the meteoric matter circulating in near-by space."
Comment: The inner planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are classed as 'terrestrial.' The Jovian planets are the giant planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. These are also classed as 'the gaseous planets' because the major part of their volume is gaseous. All have a 'rocky' core. As a proportion of its mass, Uranus is much more 'rocky' than Jupiter. Nevertheless, it has a lower density.3
Page 657. "Such gravitational influences also contribute to the stabilization of planetary orbits while acting as a brake on the rate of planetary-axial revolution, causing a planet to revolve ever slower until axial revolution ceases, leaving one hemisphere of the planet always turned toward the sun or larger body, as is illustrated by the planet Mercury and by the moon, which always turns the same face toward Urantia."
Comment: In the late 19th century it was concluded that Mercury was in synchronous rotation exactly equal to its year of 88 Earth days. Thus there would be a dark side always facing away from the Sun. This was brought into question in the 1960's when observations indicated the 'dark' side was much hotter than it should be. A final answer came in 1974 from photographs taken by the spacecraft Mariner from which the rotational period was shown to be 58.646 Earth days--hence for Mercury there is no permanently dark side.3
Page 658. "2,500,000,000 years ago the planets had grown immensely in size. Urantia was a well-developed sphere about one tenth its present mass and was still growing rapidly by meteoric accretion."
Comment: The fact that evidence is available for the occurrence of sedimentary rocks and oceans dating back to from 3.8 to 4.4 billion years ago and for life forms existing close to 4 billion years ago is impossible to reconcile with this statement. And there is much convincing evidence indicating the Earth and its moon were close to their full size by about 4.4 billion years ago.3,4
Page 659. "1,500,000,000 years ago the earth was two thirds its present size…Volcanic action is now at its height. The whole earth is a veritable fiery inferno, the surface resembling its earlier molten state before the heavier metals gravitated toward the center. This is the volcanic age…The primitive planetary atmosphere is slowly evolving, now containing some water vapor, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen chloride, but there is little or no free nitrogen or free oxygen. Presently, the atmosphere became more settled and cooled sufficiently to start precipitation of rain on the hot rocky surface of the planet. For thousands of years Urantia was enveloped in one vast and continuous blanket of steam. And during these ages the sun never shone upon the earth's surface."
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