The scientific process of determining the age of an object is called radiocarbon dating or carbon dating when referring to organic materials. This method measures the amount of carbon-14, a radioactive isotope, remaining in a sample. Since carbon-14 decays at a known rate, scientists can calculate when the organism died by comparing the remaining carbon-14 to the initial levels when the organism was alive. Radiocarbon dating is widely used in archeology to date ancient artifacts, fossils, and historical remains, helping researchers understand the timeline of human history and environmental changes.