The kickstart of the age of the Earth race: Revisiting the experiment of the Comte de Buffon at school

Abstract

In this work, the first experiment ever done to determine the age of the Earth is revisited. The benefits of its application at primary and secondary school levels are presented and discussed. In particular, emphasis is placed on the advantage of facing students with the challenges that scientists have had to overcome during the past three centuries to reach our present knowledge in contrast to the mere transmission of the latest facts.