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Re: orion 14C and falsifiability
There is actually a great deal more discussion that could take place on the
appropriate use of C14 data. I have not had any hope of dealing with individual
DSS, so have not dug into the methods of C14 dating. I'm busily occupied with a
lot of other stuff that's time critical. I do have extensive experience in
scientific method and statistics, enough to be concerned that the findings of
the technology involved are being misinterpreted as *absolute data by
non-scientists. One example follows:
Strictly speaking, the observation of either a cluster, or the beginnings of a
normal bell-curve distribution of frequencies, means that the harvesting and
tanning of the leather >of the TESTED scrolls< occurred in a briefer period than
the occupation of Qumran. The presence of "outliers" tends to support the longer
period of occupation of Qumran, such as Jodi Magnes has maintained. I'm sure you
know that. A visually apparent cluster of dated leather pieces doesn't say that
the scrolls were *deposited at one time, and it offers no support for a theory of
one time deposit.
In other words, the outliers don't matter that much.
Sigrid Peterson University of Pennsylvania petersig@ccat.sas.upenn.edu