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Science Frontiers ONLINE No. 115: Jan-Feb 1998 |
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Addenda And Emenda
Circles of contention (SF#110). As pre-dicted, the well-publicized dates of 116,000 and 176,000 years BP for artifacts found at the Jinmium site in Australia's Northern Territory are being subjected to extreme scrutiny. Thermoluminescence (TL) dating was used in estimating these dates, but TL-dating is in its infancy and full of pitfalls. Geochronologist R. Roberts has looked at the Jinmium data and ventures that the artifacts may be only 10,000 years old. However, he approves of TL dates of 50,000-60,000 years for two rock shelters elsewhere in the Northern Territory.
(Gibbons, Ann; "Doubts over Spectacular Dates," Science, 278:219, 1997.)
Triangular holes in boulders (SF#113). These puzzling holes may actually be left behind when tourmaline crystals are weathered out of the boulders.
(Saul, J.M.; personal communication. November 1, 1997.)
Standing stones in North Carolina? SF#114). Grandfather Mountain (5964 feet) is surpassed in height by over a dozen other peaks east of the Mississippi: Mount Washington (6288 feet); Clingmans Dome (6642 feet); etc. Oh well, at least some people are reading this newsletter carefully!
(Rice, Charles M.; personal communication, November 1997.)
About as anomalous as mounds can get. (SF#114). Watson Break or Watson Brake. We don't know. We have three references for each spelling!
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Sections through a multi-colored tourmaline crystral . |