this post was submitted on 16 Aug 2026
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Explain Like I'm Five

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ELI 5 Carbon dating? And how we just found remnants of Theia from 4.5 billion years ago? How is that even calculable? (lemmy.world)
submitted 1 month ago by Patnou@lemmy.world to c/explainlikeimfive@lemmy.world
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[–] TootSweet@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

all traces of carbon-14 would be long gone after 14 billion years.

I don't think anyone would seriously say that Theia is 14 billion years old. The universe is about 14 billion years old. None of the planets of our solar system developed until about 4.6 billion years ago, and I wouldn't think the upper limit for the development of the hypothetical planet Theia (if indeed it ever did exist) could be much more than that 4.6 billion years ago figure. That said, your point certainly stands that Theia would be far older than that up "to about 60,000 years ago" figure, so carbon dating is inapplicable to any discussion around evidence for/against the Theia hypothesis.

[–] TheJesusaurus@piefed.ca 4 points 1 month ago

I just wrote the wrong number. Thing said 4.5b

[–] saltesc@lemmy.world -2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Theia would be far older than that up "to about 60,000 years ago

Citation needed

[–] TootSweet@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

Theia... is a hypothetical ancient planet in the early Solar System which, according to the giant-impact hypothesis, collided with the proto-Earth around 4.50 billion years ago...

(Emphasas mine.)