Mysterious aluminium object dating back 250,000 years

[Zimme83]

That looks like a bucket tooth from an excavator.

Exactly my thought, even if it is a bit odd if its made out of aluminium.

[mbailey]

Given that Aluminum is a natural element created when the earth formed, I would think the item tested would show up as billions of years old. I think they need to rethink their testing process.

[Zimme83]

Given that Aluminum is a natural element created when the earth formed, I would think the item tested would show up as billions of years old. I think they need to rethink their testing process.

1) No element was created on Earth, very short version is that they all come from Big Bang or from dead stars. Elements heavier than iron can only be created in exploding Supernovas.

2) Often you determine the age by looking for isotopes with a known half-life. The amount of the isotope gives you an idea of the age. (Carbon-14 is the most known one). The age of a stable element can of course not be determined.

But yes- they most likely screwed up their testing..

[zack1234]

Aluminium is made from borxite?

And electricity and rarely firms naturally

[redcatcherb412]

Aluminium is made from borxite?
And electricity and rarely firms naturally

Nothing 'firms' naturally, that's what  botox and silicone implants are for   

[Skuzzy]

There are two processes to create aluminum.  The aluminum we see used in production of many things, does not occur naturally.

One process requires the element alum.  The other process requires bauxite.

[guncrasher]

There are two processes to create aluminum.  The aluminum we see used in production of many things, does not occur naturally.

One process requires the element alum.  The other process requires bauxite.

and a big hot pizza oven?


semp

[Bizman]

---But yes- they most likely screwed up their testing..

Or, the object may have gone through an artificial aging process. Back when I did more business than today I had to familiarize with some testing protocols intended for telling how a novelty material would stand the test of time, mainly if a) it would not cause any harm to other materials and b) it would protect the other material. Since some elements had been noticed to cause issues during a long period, they were multiplied to make the aging process faster. The most common elements were UV radiation, heat and dihydrogen monoxide in gas form, IIRC. The object in question may have had such overdoses a lot, which makes me think it might be part of a human made spacecraft like a satellite. If so, it still would leave the question why it hadn't burned when falling through the atmosphere. Perhaps, if it were a piece of the fastening system of the thermal shields, it might have survived?

[pallero]

Oh, who left these tracks?

http://humansarefree.com/2015/08/geologist-these-are-14-million-year-old.html

Those bastards!

[MiloMorai]

There are two processes to create aluminum.  The aluminum we see used in production of many things, does not occur naturally.

One process requires the element alum.  The other process requires bauxite.

Aluminium is the third most abundant element in the Earth's crust (after oxygen and silicon) and its most abundant metal.

[Skuzzy]

Yes it is one of the most abundant elements of Earth.

Instead of trying to explain it, read this: http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele013.html

It will explain the difference between the natural element aluminum and the aluminum used in production.

Until it is refined, it bares little resemblance to the aluminum everyone is familiar with.

[Randy1]

Boy are y'all full of it.  Everybody knows all of our aluminum comes from recycled beer cans.

[ghi]

That's piece of my battle ship. I was sent to eliminate a demonic multidimensional troll lurking in that area , later known as Count Dracula . Should  find more debris and 2 bodies, me and Blade (Wesley Snipes)  last incarnations, we got nailed. The sucker cheated, quantum hacked my F3 mode, got shut down. We came back in 19th century stooped in black forest ate some mushrooms deeped in Black Goo sauce to gain immunity to Count tricks, and got him with wooden sticks made out of IKEA pre-assembled furniture. But  he is back, messing laws and time flow, i'm sensing a disturbance in force.

[Skuzzy]

 

Brilliant ghi, just brilliant! 

[bustr]

They may end up retracting this story if it's found the dating process was contaminated by Al stable isotopes found in marine strata and other kinds of strata. Those are used for dating of when the strata was no longer exposed to cosmic rays entering the atmosphere. When the isotopes are buried then they begin to decay which is measured. The aluminum alloys we use to make aircraft parts do not decay the same way, they oxidize. The oxidization layer from contact with the soil will hold stable Al isotopes.