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The Dodwell Curve

16 December 2013
Catastrophism

The Dodwell hypothesis that greatly intrigued SIS some years ago, on two occasions, is given a mauling at www.answersingenesis.org/articles/arj/v6/n1/analysis-of-dodwell-hypothesis … involves calculating the last time there was an axial shift, and this he thought occurred in late third millennium BC. He used a variety of sources, including the alignment of the Karnak temple, and various other ancient references (assuming all these things were reliably dated).

George Dodwell, an Australian astronomer (1874-1963) was a feature of early SIS articles and speculation, and much later, the centre of some research by Paul Dunbavin (which was not published in the end). He claimed, according to the link above, that a catastrophe occurred in 2345BC. This sounds suspiciously like the narrow growth ring that Baillie allocates to that year in the tree ring record (Belfast dendrochronology). I'm not sure if the author has put two and two together but it is worth pointing out that Dunbavin dated the last axial shift to around 3000BC (calendar years), shortly before Dynasty One and the beginning of the Old Kingdom. The Dodwell curve coincided with the period around 2300BC – but Moe Mandelkehr (in a letter) was convinced there was no evidence of axial shift at this time. He didn't explore the 3000BC event.

The author at the link above outlines what he thinks is wrong with the Dodwell curve which will interest members of SIS. You can look up Dodwell on the Catastrophism CD to get a handle on what has been said in the past. However, the author adds that there is data that is difficult to square with the conventional understanding of the obliquity of the ecliptic over time. As such, movement of the axis of rotation cannot be entirely ruled out. The article is 14 pages long.

At the same site, www.answersingenesis.org/articles/arj/v6/n1/plasma-astronomy … is basically a critique of Donald Scott's book, The Electric Sun, and pretty damning on the face of it. He claims to be an astronomer and is apparently worried that a lot of creationists are getting too heavily involved in the EU hypothesis. Some 9 pages of text.

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