Extrapolation back in time from the thousands of years of recorded history to the billions of years for the universe is widely supported scientifically, but it too requires caution. Diagram extrapolating daughter's growth rate over time. Our perspective of time may change . Unexpected scientific discoveries in the past have changed age estimates by several orders of magnitude. In the 1800s, Lord Kelvin estimated that the earth was about 40 million years old, based on the amount of time it would take for the Earth to cool from a molten ball and assuming that all heat sources were then known.
Time is a point of contention between science and Scripture.
The life associated with these old rocks is assumed to have a corresponding old age. Although the long-age explanation is not perfect, it does explain more than ecological zonation theory, flotation, and motility. Good scientific evidence supports long ages, and a fairly comprehensive long-age model with supporting evidence exists. However, science is not perfect, and some scientific evidence to be discussed later does support a short-age model. Laminae in the Permian Castille Formation.