Meteorite Patterns and Storytelling

The way most people understand science is often called operational science, dealing with things in the present. This is contrasted with historical (forensic) science, which uses things found in the present in an attempt to reconstruct the past. Which do you think applies to patterns in meteorites?

Widmanstätten pattern in Gibeon meteorite credit: Flickr / James St. John (CC by 2.0)

By the way, the distinction between these two types of science was not "made up by YECs" as some anti-creationists asseverate. The distinction has been around for quite a few years.

There is something called a Widmanstätten pattern that is found in iron-nickle meteorites. Let's engage our think bones for a few moments. What do you have? A meteorite with a pattern. When does it exist? In the present, like us. How do those patterns with the long name form? That can be determined by other metals that have been heated and then cooled. Do these pattern in meteorites take millions of years to form? Not hardly! That's the realm of historical science, but it is not even science. Nobody was there, so they resort to storytelling to keep the old universe dogma afloat. The stories are based on circular reasoning and assumptions have have no place in science — and they are not a threat to the biblical timeline and recent creation!

Today’s feedback is from Troy J. from Canada asking about Widmanstätten patterns in iron meteorites and how long they take to form.

Hi,

I recently picked up a slice of a meteorite fragment that shows Widmanstätten patterns in the metal. The argument goes that this pattern only forms as the meteor slowly cooled over millions of years, permitting the metallic crystal growth. What is a young earth counter argument for this? Thanks

CMI writer/speaker Dr Tas Walker responded:

To see how Dr. Walker responded, click on "Widmanstätten patterns in meteorites".