Hi Uncle Onion, I think we have talked before on the old H2O. I just wanted to say that I'm glad your curiousity is so strong cause it keeps us-skeptic-science-lover-types on our toes. I've enjoyed your discussion with Amazing about C-14 and can't begin to do a better job than Amazing or Alan F on this kind of thing but I just wanted to point out that there are mounds of evidence proving that life has been on Earth for millions of years even if C-14 dating was completely discredited(which it has not been).
Firstly, since you have a healthy interest in such things I would strongly recommend that you take an introductory Geology class at a local Jr. College or University, some thing like " History of the Earth" and you will be amazed by what the Bible fails to mention and you will understand why college was discouraged by the WT Society for so long. I think you would really enjoy it and don't worry cause lot's of us "old fogies" are going back to college now days. I study this stuff as a hobby now and have taken many hours of Geology and Paleontology. Thanks to the fanatical opposition of the Watch Tower to science, especially earth sciences, I was very curious about these things and thanks to the WT's history of falsehood and distortion in all matters I am now a(literal) Bible skeptic. The fields of Archeology and Anthropology are also fascinating and quickly disprove the WT's chronology and screwy "logic".
The most surprising discovery for me was learning about Scientific Method and that scientists aren't a united group inspired and directed by Satan to discredit the Bible. In fact, each scientist is competing with the others in the search for truth fighting it out with evidence and filling the evidence gaps out with unconventional conjectures which are constantly tested,argued, scrutinized, and then retested. Scientists are not united and this is essential to Scientific Method as competition and ego keeps everybody honest. This is very different from how the bosses at the old Watch Tower Society formulate their theories cause they never have to answer their critics. What ever you see today that a majority of scientists can agree upon is supported by the best known overwhelming evidence and, even then, if a maverick proves it wrong it will be changed and a new paradigm will be formulated. There is no grand scheme to discredit the Bible as science started as an attempt to prove that the Bible was true and when the facts rolled in these early scientists were honest enough to call a spade a spade despite their personal faith and preconcieved notions. The Bible discredits itself easily without a conspiracy because it is not a fact or History book but rather a collection of ancient writings by government scribes and priests who had motives and prejudices just like the "pagan" writings from the same eras. As a JW it was easy to poo-poo scientists and their "crazy" theories because we had no clue about the real truth but most of us here now suspect that the Society lied to us on many levels so why not on their opinions about Science?
Best regards,
Liberty