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Published online 1 February 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.550

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Unravelling carbon's chemical secrets

Nuclear theory aims to explain why carbon dating works.

Rachel Courtland

Researchers have come up with a physical argument to explain carbon-14’s anomalously long lifetime. A peculiar balance of fundamental forces in the nucleus of the atom may keep it stable for thousands of years longer than expected — thus making radiocarbon dating possible.

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  • http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080131/full/news.2008.545.html?q=2#last-comment

    • 01 Feb, 2008
    • Posted by: Shi Liu

  • Hi.......... It is Priyaranjan from Indian School Of Mines university

    • 02 Feb, 2008
    • Posted by: Priyaranjan .