@okfunfacts: In 1948, geochemist Clair Patterson tried to date the Earth using uranium-lead isotope decay in ancient meteorites. However, his samples were consistently contaminated with lead from the air, water, dust, and even his own hair. To solve this problem, Patterson built one of the world's first ultra-clean laboratories at Caltech in 1953. By 1956, he had successfully measured the Earth's age as 4.55 billion years old. But Patterson's findings also revealed a disturbing trend: lead levels in the environment had increased by over 1,000 times since the industrial era began, primarily due to the use of tetraethyl lead in gasoline by General Motors, DuPont, and Standard Oil. Despite facing opposition from the lead industry, including Dr. Robert Kehoe, who was funded by Ethyl Corporation, Patterson continued to publish his research. His work ultimately led to the phaseout of leaded gasoline in 1996, resulting in an 80% drop in average American blood lead levels. Research has since linked the lead exposure to a significant increase in violent crime, which peaked in the early 1990s and declined thereafter. Learn more about Clair Patterson's story and the impact of his work: https://old.reddit.com/r/HistoryAnecdotes/comments/1tj85qz/clair_patterson_he_just_wanted_to_date_the_earth/. Follow @okfunfacts for daily stories that sound fake but are real. #funfacts #ClairPatterson #leadpoisoning #environmentaljustice #sciencehistory

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Sunday 31 May 2026 04:30:19 GMT