Nuclear Physics and the Young Age of the Earth
What does nuclear physics have to do with the age of the earth? Well… everything… and nothing. How can that be? That sounds like unclear physics – but it will be made "crystal" clear during this session. The fallout from this session will be an understanding why young earth creationists do not need to be shielded from nuclear physics, as it is not harmful to their position but is more like radiation treatment destroying the cancer of long–ages.
Presented by Dr Jim Mason
Dr Jim Mason
Biography
Jim has a B.Sc. in Engineering Physics from Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada and a Ph.D. in experimental Nuclear Physics from McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario Canada (under Dr M.W. (Martin) Johns, then Head of the Physics Department).After a year on the faculty of the Physics Department at the University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada immediately following completion of his Ph.D. studies, he took a job with one of Canada’s major defence electronics system integration companies where he worked for 37 years. The first 20 years he spent developing passive and active sonar systems for shipborne, airborne and fixed applications that are in use with the Canadian, Portuguese, Belgian, Swedish and US Navies. The subsequent 17 years he spent developing integrated, secure, digital voice and data ground mobile tactical communications systems that are used by the Canadian and British armies. During his career, Jim held positions in software engineering, system engineering, program management and line management, including VP Engineering and Chief Technology Officer responsible for research and development. He served for several years on the company’s Executive Committee.
Jim grew up attending church regularly in a mainline Protestant denomination, reaching high school graduation without ever hearing the message of salvation and left the church and the faith when he took Geology 101 in first year engineering. Although he and his family resumed church attendance (in another mainline Protestant denomination) because he and his wife thought it would be good for their two young girls, it wasn’t until almost his 40th birthday that he heard the message of salvation when attending an evangelical church in response to the invitation of a friend and neighbour and subsequently accepted Christ.
However, Jim was initially what might be called a bi-polar Christian, believing in the salvation provided by Jesus but also believing in the evolutionary account of origins, the big bang, etc. It wasn’t until he attended a weekend seminar conducted by young-earth creation scientists where he saw that science and scripture were completely coherent. Since that time, largely as a result of information available from CMI, he has become increasingly amazed at how the truth of scripture is confirmed in every area of science and become increasingly concerned about how evolution is used as a means to avoid confronting the claims of Jesus.
Since retiring, he has felt called to use his scientific background to show others that the Bible is believable from first verse to last. Before joining CMI, he gave presentations on the creation-evolution issue to the College and Career groups at two local churches and facilitated a multi-week discussion group on the topic at the church he attends.
Dr Mason’s hobbies include skiing (downhill and cross-country), gardening/landscaping, renovations, and spending time with his two grandchildren. He and his wife Rosemary have three children and reside just outside Lakefield, Ontario near their two granddaughters.
Some Publications
- J.F. Mason, “Structure of Rubidium and Strontium nuclides of Mass 90 and 91”, Ph.D. Thesis, 1969.
- J.F. Mason and M.W. Johns, “Decay of 90Kr and 90Rb”, Canadian Journal of Physics 48(17), 1970.
- J.F. Mason and M.W. Johns, “Level Structures of 90Rb and 90Sr as populated in Beta Decay”, Canadian Journal of Physics 48(24), 1970
- J.F. Mason and M.W. Johns, “Lifetime of the First Excited State of 91Sr”. International Conference on Properties of Nuclear States (Montreal, 1969), contribution 2.43
- J.F. Mason, J.F. Boulter, W.V. Prestwich and M.W. Johns, “Beta Decay of 90Kr and 91Kr”, International Conference on Properties of Nuclear States (Montreal, 1969), contribution 2.43
Summary
- BSc in Engineering Physics; PhD in Nuclear Physics
- 37-year engineering and management career in defence electronics developing ASW systems and land, tactical C4 systems
- Positions included Vice President, Engineering and Chief Technology Officer for one of Canada’s leading defence electronics system integration companies and member of the company’s Executive Committee
Articles
