The Rocks Don't Lie (geology and flood myths)

The Rocks Don't Lie: A Geologist Investigates Noah's Flood by David Montgomery is new book on the Noachian flood. It is by a real life geologist and is not a creationist book. Might be a good gift for your annoying creationist relative.

Here is a write-up from the publisher:

In Tibet, geologist David R. Montgomery heard a local story about a great flood that bore a striking similarity to Noah’s Flood. Intrigued, Montgomery began investigating the world’s flood stories and—drawing from historic works by theologians, natural philosophers, and scientists—discovered the counterintuitive role Noah’s Flood played in the development of both geology and creationism. Steno, the grandfather of geology, even invoked the Flood in laying geology’s founding principles based on his observations of northern Italian landscapes. Centuries later, the founders of modern creationism based their irrational view of a global flood on a perceptive critique of geology. With an explorer’s eye and a refreshing approach to both faith and science, Montgomery takes readers on a journey across landscapes and cultures. In the process we discover the illusive nature of truth, whether viewed through the lens of science or religion, and how it changed through history and continues changing, even today.

... and here is a FREE COPY of a chapter of the book courtesy of the National Center for Science Education.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, no, it is not even close to true that "every culture has a flood myth." But there is a falshood pertaining to that question: See "Every Culture Has A ..."

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Photo of the geology of Red Rock Canyon, Nevada by the author.

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They do so lie - look at that picture with all those rocks just lying there!

By MadScientist (not verified) on 20 Jun 2012 #permalink

Why does everyone think the bible should be the last word on the Flood. The Greeks were a lot smarter. They figured out the earth was round, and at least Aristarchus figured out the solar system was Heliocentric. Moreover, their Gods were just as crazy, but not so schizophrenic. Let's just go with their version of the Flood. Seems more reliable.

Now, if Jesus had just said F= ma, or E = m c^2 (or even E = 1/2 m v^2 ), or g = GM/r^2 ...