Toy car rocks million-year belief

by Tas Walker

Sandstone is just grains of sand held together by cement—in this case by the mineral called calcium carbonate (CaCO₃).

When you stroll along the beach you are walking on rocks that are millions of years old—right?

That’s the impression we get from TV and newspapers, and they seem to vie for the oldest date—in millions of years of course.

But Chris and Sandra Barnes were in for a shock as they walked along the beach near their home in Brisbane, Australia.

One particular rock on the shore at Victoria Point just looked like any other rounded piece of ordinary sandstone. But when they kicked it over, it exposed a child’s toy encased inside.

What a surprise!

It looks like an ordinary piece of sandstone rounded smooth over millions of years. But presto—underneath it contains a modern toy car.

Inside the rock, previously hidden from their view, was a miniature toy car. It had an ivory-coloured body, little black tyres and a yellow plastic cover. Some of the inside workings of the toy were also visible.

Clearly the rock was not millions of years old. It could only have been 10 or 20 years at the most. Yet it ‘looked’ old.

Rocks don’t need millions of years to form—they just need suitable conditions.

Readers’ comments

Charles K., United States, 28 June 2011

Fantastic find! As you well know, there are three types of rock. Igneous, Metamorphic, and Sedimentary. Sedimentary rocks form from pieces of Igneous and Metamorphic rock that have been shucked off by erosion, but they can also form from the hard parts of animals, mostly composed of calcium. A great example of this is Limestone, where we can find the shells of animals that have been extinct for millions of years!

So while sedimentary rock can form in a very short period of time, the parts that make up the sedimentary rock can be very old. In fact the oldest metamorphic rock can be found in the Nuvvuagittuq greenstone belt in Northern Quebec, dated to over four billion years!

Brett J., United States, 29 June 2011

The age of rocks is not determined by looking at them, it’s determined by using measurements such as uranium, strontium, and/or rubidium decay. This article displays your basic ignorance of what you are arguing against and ultimately seriously undermines your position. No scientists claim that all rocks are millions of years old.

Joseph E., United States, 29 June 2011

Forgive me if I’m bursting your bubble, but just because a rock has elements of a toy car on the underside does not mean the rock could only have been created in the past 10 to 20 years. The rock itself is still quite old, probably millions of years. The fact that there’s a toy car on the bottom indicates to somebody whetted away at the rock and used it to make a more modern toy. The fallacy lies in the that the rock was not created along wit the toy, as one could mistakenly be led to believe through your article. the rock is not young due to the toy car no more than a mountain is young because we have tunneled a hole through it.

Donald K., United States, 29 June 2011

There is a difference between fossilization and concretion.

John D., United States, 29 June 2011

This is not even wrong. Put another way, your article did not even achieve the relevance to be considered wrong. Put still another, it would be unclear without context whether or not you were making an ironic joke. The people you speak for should be insulted.

Eddie M., United Kingdom, 20 February 2012

I put this example to an evolutionist and he said it was due to concretion and that was not fossilization. Can someone clarify. Thanks.

Tas Walker responds:

Google will help you. The point is that old-looking rocks can form quickly, contrary to the general perception in our culture.

“One little bit doesn’t make a difference.” It’s a good job CMI didn’t think like that. We had to start somewhere producing information, one word and one article at a time. Similarly, please don’t think your small donation doesn’t help. They can add together to bring a shower of blessings.

Creation Ministries International

Toy car rocks million-year belief

Readers’ comments