Professor Caroline Winterer

Because we imagine that things are deposited in order, right, as you would make a sandcastle at the beach. The layer on the bottom was put down at 1 o'clock in the afternoon. The layer on the top was put down at 3 o'clock. But you actually have no idea how old the layers are. And so what's extraordinary about the deep time revolution is that it unfolds precisely in the absence

Because we imagine that things are deposited in order, right, as you would make a sandcastle at the beach. The layer on the bottom was put down at 1 o'clock in the afternoon. The layer on the top was put down at 3 o'clock. But you actually have no idea how old the layers are. And so what's extraordinary about the deep time revolution is that it unfolds precisely in the absence

of what you were calling scientific instruments. So this is purely an act of the imagination. Young rocks are on top, older rocks are underneath, but we can only have fights about relative dates, not about actual dates. So it's really purely an act of the imagination. that they are imagining deep time.

of what you were calling scientific instruments. So this is purely an act of the imagination. Young rocks are on top, older rocks are underneath, but we can only have fights about relative dates, not about actual dates. So it's really purely an act of the imagination. that they are imagining deep time.

of what you were calling scientific instruments. So this is purely an act of the imagination. Young rocks are on top, older rocks are underneath, but we can only have fights about relative dates, not about actual dates. So it's really purely an act of the imagination. that they are imagining deep time.

And it's really not until the 20th century that we can start saying, oh, this is billions and that's millions, et cetera, et cetera. It's the same thing that happens with the discovery of dinosaur fossils and all kinds of fossils. Around what we would say now 500 million years old, they have no idea. They only know that the trilobite fossils, these little

And it's really not until the 20th century that we can start saying, oh, this is billions and that's millions, et cetera, et cetera. It's the same thing that happens with the discovery of dinosaur fossils and all kinds of fossils. Around what we would say now 500 million years old, they have no idea. They only know that the trilobite fossils, these little

And it's really not until the 20th century that we can start saying, oh, this is billions and that's millions, et cetera, et cetera. It's the same thing that happens with the discovery of dinosaur fossils and all kinds of fossils. Around what we would say now 500 million years old, they have no idea. They only know that the trilobite fossils, these little

sort of about the size of the face of an Apple watch, right? That's the size of a trilobite. These funny little things that look like horseshoe crabs, they find these by the millions in the Northern Appalachian Mountains. They think they look really weird, but they know very hauntingly that these are the first beings that lie over the rocks that have no fossils.

sort of about the size of the face of an Apple watch, right? That's the size of a trilobite. These funny little things that look like horseshoe crabs, they find these by the millions in the Northern Appalachian Mountains. They think they look really weird, but they know very hauntingly that these are the first beings that lie over the rocks that have no fossils.

sort of about the size of the face of an Apple watch, right? That's the size of a trilobite. These funny little things that look like horseshoe crabs, they find these by the millions in the Northern Appalachian Mountains. They think they look really weird, but they know very hauntingly that these are the first beings that lie over the rocks that have no fossils.

So these must be the first life forms created on earth, but created by what and created by whom? Did God in fact create trilobites first? Putting aside Adam and Eve, was it in fact instead the trilobites that God created first? and then after them, the dinosaurs that are eventually found in strata all over the East Coast, but especially in the Midwest.

So these must be the first life forms created on earth, but created by what and created by whom? Did God in fact create trilobites first? Putting aside Adam and Eve, was it in fact instead the trilobites that God created first? and then after them, the dinosaurs that are eventually found in strata all over the East Coast, but especially in the Midwest.

So these must be the first life forms created on earth, but created by what and created by whom? Did God in fact create trilobites first? Putting aside Adam and Eve, was it in fact instead the trilobites that God created first? and then after them, the dinosaurs that are eventually found in strata all over the East Coast, but especially in the Midwest.

All of these wonderful discoveries occur in the absence of any kind of actual dates, which makes this revolution all the more amazing.

All of these wonderful discoveries occur in the absence of any kind of actual dates, which makes this revolution all the more amazing.

All of these wonderful discoveries occur in the absence of any kind of actual dates, which makes this revolution all the more amazing.

Yeah, absolutely. It's a wonderful series of exciting finds, each of which is very meaningful. The first, of course, are the trilobites, and you should definitely do an episode on trilobites. They love the trilobites. They imagine that God in his infinite love for the life forms he created and gave the first oceans to these lowly creatures.

Yeah, absolutely. It's a wonderful series of exciting finds, each of which is very meaningful. The first, of course, are the trilobites, and you should definitely do an episode on trilobites. They love the trilobites. They imagine that God in his infinite love for the life forms he created and gave the first oceans to these lowly creatures.

Yeah, absolutely. It's a wonderful series of exciting finds, each of which is very meaningful. The first, of course, are the trilobites, and you should definitely do an episode on trilobites. They love the trilobites. They imagine that God in his infinite love for the life forms he created and gave the first oceans to these lowly creatures.