Back at ancient Rome: radiocarbon dating tells us those huts date from about 850 BCE, or about 2,850 years ago. But the same findings were also subjected to “radiocarbon dating”, which suggested they are a full century older still. But radiocarbon dating results are hard to ignore, because they rely on a mechanism much like a ticking clock. But cosmic rays also smash into high-flying nitrogen atoms and turn them into C14 atoms. But sprinkled amid all that C12 are tiny deposits of a mutant variety called Carbon 14, whose atoms have two extra neutrons.

Source: Mint August 11, 2016 18:45 UTC