Radiocarbon Dating Gets a Postmodern Makeover

Charlotte Pearson organizes samples for radiocarbon dating. She says tree rings provide "a window into the past." (Photo credit: Mari Cleven)

 
By developing new ways to use radiocarbon in tree rings, UA dendrochronologist Charlotte Pearson builds on the legacies of scientists before her, including the famed polymath Andrew Douglass.

For decades, radiocarbon dating has been a way for scientists to get a rough picture of when once-living stuff lived. The method has been revolutionary and remains one of the most commonly used dating methods to study the past.

Charlotte Pearson says it's ready for a makeover.

Pearson, an assistant professor of dendrochronology at the University of Arizona, studies the past lives of trees to better understand the history of civilizations. Dendrochronology and radiocarbon dating have intertwined histories, she explains, with roots firmly planted at the UA... (Video*) UANews / Link 2 

*Vídeo: Radiocarbon Dating Gets a Postmodern Makeover - UA Research
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