Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
same journal, and this was followed by a third missive from Perry.
Broadly speaking the younger combatant said that Kelvin's reasoning
for a young Earth must have been flawed. As Brian Shipley has recently
pointed out Perry showed that 'the faster heat was conducted outwards
from the Earth's core, the longer it would take to obtain the present
observed temperature gradient at the surface.' This was because Kelvin
had based his calculations on the conductive properties of surface
crustal rocks and had not included the denser sub-crustal rocks
known to exist. Longer was counter to Kelvin's conclusion.
However, there was some support at this time, and it came
from the American George Ferdinand Becker who in Science in
February 1908 re-examined Thomson's methods and concluded:
'Notwithstanding the inadequacy of the data, I can not but believe
that the 60-million year earth here discussed is a fair approximation to
the truth and that with better data this agewill not be changed bymore
than perhaps 5 million years.' Becker pointed out that this age
was broadly concurrent with those derived from the sedimentation
accumulation and oceanic sodium methods. Even Mark Twain
(1835-1910) who wrote a short essay on geological matters said of
Thomson that 'I think we must yield to him and accept his view'.
ACCOLADES AND LAURELS
Thomson received many honours during his lifetime including at
least seventeen honorary degrees, a knighthood, the Order of Merit
(an honour established in 1902, and restricted to twenty-four indivi-
duals and the monarch), membership of the Order of Sacred Treasure
of Japan, and the position of Honorary Colonel of the Electrical
Engineers. The accolades culminated in his elevation to Baron in
1892, a title that became extinct on his death. Following this eleva-
tion, like all members of the aristocratic establishment, he had to
adopt a coat of arms (Figure
11.2
). The motto reads 'Honesty without
fear', while the shield is supported on its dextral side by a capped
Glasgow student resplendent in a scarlet gown and holding a marine
voltmeter, and on its sinistral side by a sailor holding a sounding line
and weight. It summed up Kelvin's attitude and interests in life. He
