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The Notion of Deep Time

Time -- or at least how we think of time -- can be complicated and very different depending on how you use it.

Rocky Planet iconRocky Planet
By Erik Klemetti
Mar 7, 2024 4:00 PMApr 1, 2024 2:46 PM
Evidence of human impact in sediment
A sand dune with a layer of plastic and other trash. Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Bramfab.

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The way Earth scientists can be very odd when seen from the outside. It is common to hear us say things like "oh, it was only a million years ago". Most people never consider events that happened a million years ago. Sometimes considering what you had for lunch makes yesterday seem like a long time ago. This is all about perspective and the question we ask of time.

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