Introduction
"My understanding is that all the assertions in the Bible which pertain to science would be true." (Gentry. 1986. p. 305)
"...few scientists realize that the biblical record provides a broad, expansive framework of earth history, capable of incorporating an almost unlimited variety of geological data." (Gentry, 1986, p. 203)
(Po210 in biotite, from Creation's Tiny Mystery, by R.V. Gentry)
Since the demise of the Paluxy River 'man-tracks.' creationists have had little solid evidence on which to base their claim at a recent instantaneous creation of the earth. Their most important weapon has been Robert Gentry’s writings on polonium halos, small spherical 'shells' of radiation damage that surround radioactive inclusions within certain minerals (See Brush, 1982, p. 51-52).
There is a difference, however, between the Paluxy tracks and Gentry’s halos The Paluxy tracks were a case of misidentification of dinosaurian tracks. The polonium halos constitute a case of misinterpretation because Gentry's preconceived ideas blinded him to some very important facts. His work has been devoted solely to the physics of the halos, and he has completely neglected the geological setting of the samples in which the halos are found. The result is the same though, a false conclusion reached because of an unjustified expectation of what the data should show.
"In both cases conclusions vindicating preconceived religious convictions were desired so badly that often scientific integrity was compromised, intentionally or inadvertently" (Hastings. 1982, p. 51-52)
Because of his apparent ignorance of geology, Gentry makes numerous unwarranted generalizations about the nature of the world's Precambrian rocks. The purpose of this paper is to explain the geological setting of three of Gentry’s sample sites. The geology at each of these sites clearly shows that the samples came from uranium-rich dikes that crosscut many other pre-existing rocks, including sedimentary rocks. Thus, Gentry's claims are disproven and provide a clear example of a creationist researcher (Gentry) misinterpreting his data.
