Datazioni in conflitto con la Scienza?

Cosa accade quando la datazione di un reperto entra in conflitto con il resto della scienza (teoria di Darwin per esempio)?
Ecco la mia risposta a Stefano Dubaldi …parliamone!

Domanda di Stefano Dubaldi 3 Dicembre 2009.

Ciao Stefano!
La mia domanda è molto semplice ed elementare.
Cosa accade quando la datazione di un reperto entra in conflitto con il resto della scienza (teoria di Darwin per esempio)? Grazie.

Stefano Rossignoli 4 Dicembre 2009

Sten al Museo di Storia Naturale di Milano

Caro Stefano, innanzi tutto ti ringrazio per aver visitato il mio blog e per avermi posto questa domanda interessante e non certo frequente.

Mi capita spesso infatti di parlare della teoria sull’Evoluzione per Selezione Naturale formulata da Charls Robert Darwin ufficialmente nel 1859 ed è un argomento che amo particolarmente.
Quando concludo una visita guidata sull’evoluzione, spesso e volentieri concludo dicendo che tutto ciò che è scienza, biologica e non biologica, viene sempre studiato su base evolutiva, cioè si cerca di studiarne i cambiamenti passati e quelli in corso, prevedendone alle volte anche quelli futuri.
I ‘reperti’ fossili, ad esempio, vengono datati e studiati in modo da localizzarli con la maggior precisione possibile nell’albero filogenetico (l’albero genealogico delle specie) di tutte le specie vissute e viventi sul nostro pianeta.
Quando Darwin capì che tutte le specie viventi sono tra loro parenti perchè si sono originate da antenati in comune via via sempre più antichi, disegnò su uno dei suoi taccuini privati il ‘Corallo della Vita’, ovvero il primo o comunque uno dei primi alberi filogenetici…
I fossili per ora confermano semplicemente ed in modo elementare che Darwin ha avuto ragione.
Non serve conoscere i metodi di datazione assoluta per comprendere questo, ma basta conoscere i metodi di datazione relativa, cioè quelli che ci indicano che una cosa è più antica o più recente dell’altra.
La datazione relativa viene fatta soprattutto in base agli strati di sedimenti o di rocce sedimentarie che si trovano sul nostro pianeta. Sono stati studiati e vengono tutt’oggi studiati gli strati di tutta la Terra e sono stati messi in ordine dai più antichi ai più recenti.
I fossili che si trovano all’interno degli strati, sono i fossili corrispondenti al periodo in cui gli strati si sono formati, salvo rari casi di fossili infiltrati ma comunque comprensibili e databili.
In base a questo metodo, NON E’ MAI stato trovato un fossile che metta in discussione la teoria darwiniana, ma anzi, i fossili CONTINUANO A CONFERMARLA e continuano a confermare l’evoluzione in generale facendoci notare le tappe di questo processo di cambiamenti… Un ritrovamento che metta in discussione la teoria di C.R.Darwin potrebbe essere, giusto per fare un esempio banale, portare alla luce i resti di un uomo dagli stessi strati in cui si trovino i dinosauri, o viceversa.
MA QUESTO NON E’ MAI SUCCESSO!
L’alternativa potrebbe essere che un ritrovamento qualsiasi metta in discussione questi o altri fondamenti scientifici attuali, allora la comunità scientifica internazionale ne discuterà e valuterà automaticamente il modo di procedere…
Sarebbe ingiusto e disonesto nascondere alcuni reperti.
Mi viene in mente quanto sarebbe proficuo inventarsi l’esistenza di dossier e magazzini segreti in cui vengano conservati i frutti di ritrovamenti che vanno contro la scienza!!!

In realtà, scrivendo, mi viene in mente che NESSUN ritrovamento, scoperta o datazione potrà mai andare in conflitto con la scienza, semmai potrà solo migliorarla. Uno scienziato che si rispetti (e la comunità scientifica in generale) è portato per abitudine a cambiare le proprie idee quando prove certe e non discutibili lo portano verso conclusioni diverse da quelle previste.
Certamente è anche tenuto a verificare e a controbattere, quando si tratta solo di congetture.

Per quanto riguarda la teoria di Darwin, ho seri dubbi che verrà confutata dal mondo scientifico.
Comunque sia, ad esempio, 150 anni fa la comunità scientifica era creazionista. Oggi no, perchè il tutto è stato valutato e le basi su cui lavorare sono cambiate e migliorate.

Sperando di aver risposto in modo esauriente, rinnovo i miei ringraziamenti e ti saluto cordialmente!
A presto!

Stefano Rossignoli.

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