DELICATE BEAUTY
Revelation 21:4
"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."
Bacteria and fungi form biofilms on just about every wet surface, like that bowl of water you left out last night! In this biofilm state, bacteria cause 70 percent of all human bacterial infections. On underwater pipelines, biofilms cause corrosion. Such biofilms even form on seaweed. That is, except for the seaweed called Delicate Beauty.
Delicate Beauty grows off the coast of Australia, and researchers long wondered why biofilms never form on this seaweed. Researchers have now discovered that Delicate Beauty secretes chemicals called furanones. Furanones don't kill the bacteria, but prevent it from colonizing by repelling them. This observation is important because it is believed that since the furanones don't kill the bacteria, the bacteria will not develop a resistance to the furanones.
Commercial production of these chemicals is now beginning to be used in water-cooling towers to prevent biofilm buildup and in clinical trials on contact lenses to prevent bacterial growth. So far these trials have been successful, and further applications are under study.
It was not God's desire that disease and death should come into His creation because of our sin. But He knew that it would. So He stocked the creation with things for us to discover to alleviate and avoid some of our suffering in this world. Christians know that there is no disease or death in heaven.
Father, while we will experience no disease when we get to heaven, I thank You for giving us tools to prevent it here. Amen.
Science Illustrated, 7-8/08, pp. 62-69, "Inspired by Nature." Photo: Polymicrobic biofilm epifluorescence. Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (PD)
Revelation 21:4
"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."
Bacteria and fungi form biofilms on just about every wet surface, like that bowl of water you left out last night! In this biofilm state, bacteria cause 70 percent of all human bacterial infections. On underwater pipelines, biofilms cause corrosion. Such biofilms even form on seaweed. That is, except for the seaweed called Delicate Beauty.
Delicate Beauty grows off the coast of Australia, and researchers long wondered why biofilms never form on this seaweed. Researchers have now discovered that Delicate Beauty secretes chemicals called furanones. Furanones don't kill the bacteria, but prevent it from colonizing by repelling them. This observation is important because it is believed that since the furanones don't kill the bacteria, the bacteria will not develop a resistance to the furanones.
Commercial production of these chemicals is now beginning to be used in water-cooling towers to prevent biofilm buildup and in clinical trials on contact lenses to prevent bacterial growth. So far these trials have been successful, and further applications are under study.
It was not God's desire that disease and death should come into His creation because of our sin. But He knew that it would. So He stocked the creation with things for us to discover to alleviate and avoid some of our suffering in this world. Christians know that there is no disease or death in heaven.
Father, while we will experience no disease when we get to heaven, I thank You for giving us tools to prevent it here. Amen.
Science Illustrated, 7-8/08, pp. 62-69, "Inspired by Nature." Photo: Polymicrobic biofilm epifluorescence. Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (PD)
A SERPENT CAN POINT TO CHRIST
John 3:14
"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up...."
The Tiger Keelback snake has a bite that delivers slow-acting venom and prevents the victim's blood from clotting. An adult human could bleed to death from a bite, but it takes a while for the snake to deliver a lethal dose.
When threatened, the average Keelback will raise its head and display its colorful swollen neck. Should the attacker bite the snake near its head, it will get a mouth full of a much stronger poison from glands in its neck. Where does that poison come from? For years scientists have debated whether the Keelback produces its own poison, or does it get the poison from some other creature that it ate?
Now research has revealed that the Keelback actually does store the poison of a poisonous toad that it eats. Moreover, it seems to know that it has this poison stored. For example, on an island where there are some Keelbacks but no toads, these Keelbacks when threatened do not display their neck to an attacker. Rather, they flee from their attacker.
God has used many ingenious designs in His creation, knowing that some would recognize this and, by doing so, acknowledge His existence, power and glory. His desire is always that we might be driven to His Word to learn of the salvation He has prepared for us in Jesus Christ.
Father, I thank You that You desire our salvation and that You have called me to faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.
Science News, 2/3/07, p. 69, S. Milius, "Bite This." Photo: Tiger Keelback. Courtesy of Yasunori Koide. (CC BY-SA 3.0)
John 3:14
"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up...."
The Tiger Keelback snake has a bite that delivers slow-acting venom and prevents the victim's blood from clotting. An adult human could bleed to death from a bite, but it takes a while for the snake to deliver a lethal dose.
When threatened, the average Keelback will raise its head and display its colorful swollen neck. Should the attacker bite the snake near its head, it will get a mouth full of a much stronger poison from glands in its neck. Where does that poison come from? For years scientists have debated whether the Keelback produces its own poison, or does it get the poison from some other creature that it ate?
Now research has revealed that the Keelback actually does store the poison of a poisonous toad that it eats. Moreover, it seems to know that it has this poison stored. For example, on an island where there are some Keelbacks but no toads, these Keelbacks when threatened do not display their neck to an attacker. Rather, they flee from their attacker.
God has used many ingenious designs in His creation, knowing that some would recognize this and, by doing so, acknowledge His existence, power and glory. His desire is always that we might be driven to His Word to learn of the salvation He has prepared for us in Jesus Christ.
Father, I thank You that You desire our salvation and that You have called me to faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.
Science News, 2/3/07, p. 69, S. Milius, "Bite This." Photo: Tiger Keelback. Courtesy of Yasunori Koide. (CC BY-SA 3.0)
HOMER MAY HAVE BEEN SMARTER THAN WE THOUGHT
Psalm 147:4
"He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names."
Homer, the blind Greek poet, spoke of Odysseus's return to Ithaca and describes some astronomical events that seldom happen in the order he describes. Yet, the setting of the events he writes about took place 400 years before it is thought Homer lived.
As Odysseus sails home five days before a banquet, he notes that both the constellations Boötes and Pleiades are visible. Because of their placement in the sky, they are very rarely visible in the same sky in Greece. Homer also mentions Odysseus's sighting of Venus just before dawn. Then, on the day of the banquet there is a solar eclipse.
Some have dismissed these details as just colorful descriptions in a fictional poem. However, a solar eclipse did take place in that part of the world on April 16, 1178 B.C., just the time period Homer is writing about. Researchers then figured out the positions of the other astronomical features Odysseus is reported to have seen, and they were indeed happening on and within days of that date as described. The problem is, Greek astronomy at Homer's time was not believed to be sophisticated enough to figure out where these astronomical bodies were 400 years earlier.
Perhaps man, who has made astronomical observatories since before most historic cultures were established, was originally given such knowledge by his Creator.
Father, I thank You for the beauty of the night sky that so gloriously sets forth Your glory and power. Amen.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/33683/title/Too_much_information_in_the_Odyssey. Photo: Head of Odysseus made of marble probably in the 1st century A.D.
Psalm 147:4
"He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names."
Homer, the blind Greek poet, spoke of Odysseus's return to Ithaca and describes some astronomical events that seldom happen in the order he describes. Yet, the setting of the events he writes about took place 400 years before it is thought Homer lived.
As Odysseus sails home five days before a banquet, he notes that both the constellations Boötes and Pleiades are visible. Because of their placement in the sky, they are very rarely visible in the same sky in Greece. Homer also mentions Odysseus's sighting of Venus just before dawn. Then, on the day of the banquet there is a solar eclipse.
Some have dismissed these details as just colorful descriptions in a fictional poem. However, a solar eclipse did take place in that part of the world on April 16, 1178 B.C., just the time period Homer is writing about. Researchers then figured out the positions of the other astronomical features Odysseus is reported to have seen, and they were indeed happening on and within days of that date as described. The problem is, Greek astronomy at Homer's time was not believed to be sophisticated enough to figure out where these astronomical bodies were 400 years earlier.
Perhaps man, who has made astronomical observatories since before most historic cultures were established, was originally given such knowledge by his Creator.
Father, I thank You for the beauty of the night sky that so gloriously sets forth Your glory and power. Amen.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/33683/title/Too_much_information_in_the_Odyssey. Photo: Head of Odysseus made of marble probably in the 1st century A.D.
SECURITY MITES
Psalm 20:1
"The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee...."
The potter wasp is a solitary wasp that makes a mud nest with several rooms in it. At egg-laying time, the wasp lays one egg in each cavity and leaves some food in each cavity. She also leaves behind a security force!
You see, there is another species of parasitic wasp that seeks out a potter wasp nest to lay its eggs. When it is successful, the baby potter wasps would have no chance of survival if it wasn't for the security force. The mother potter wasp has very specialized pockets on its back. Tiny mites live within those pockets, causing no harm to the wasp. Then, while the potter wasp lays her eggs, some of the mites exit and remain in each room with the egg. These mites will remain in the nest after it is sealed, feeding on the food left for the hatchlings. They also mate at this time, which conveniently provides a population of mites as food for the young potter wasps. While these mites are peaceful creatures, they are the security force, and should a parasitic wasp get into the nest, they eagerly attack it.
This arrangement that benefits both the potter wasp and the mites is too intricate to have come about by accident. It was designed by the same Creator Who protects His children.
Thank You, Father, for Your care and protection, especially Your protection from the devil through Christ's victory. Amen.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/33774/title/Mighty_mites. Photo: Female potter wasp. Courtesy of Bruce Marlin. (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Psalm 20:1
"The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee...."
The potter wasp is a solitary wasp that makes a mud nest with several rooms in it. At egg-laying time, the wasp lays one egg in each cavity and leaves some food in each cavity. She also leaves behind a security force!
You see, there is another species of parasitic wasp that seeks out a potter wasp nest to lay its eggs. When it is successful, the baby potter wasps would have no chance of survival if it wasn't for the security force. The mother potter wasp has very specialized pockets on its back. Tiny mites live within those pockets, causing no harm to the wasp. Then, while the potter wasp lays her eggs, some of the mites exit and remain in each room with the egg. These mites will remain in the nest after it is sealed, feeding on the food left for the hatchlings. They also mate at this time, which conveniently provides a population of mites as food for the young potter wasps. While these mites are peaceful creatures, they are the security force, and should a parasitic wasp get into the nest, they eagerly attack it.
This arrangement that benefits both the potter wasp and the mites is too intricate to have come about by accident. It was designed by the same Creator Who protects His children.
Thank You, Father, for Your care and protection, especially Your protection from the devil through Christ's victory. Amen.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/33774/title/Mighty_mites. Photo: Female potter wasp. Courtesy of Bruce Marlin. (CC BY-SA 3.0)
FISH BIRTH AMAZES EVOLUTIONISTS
Job 12:8
"Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee."
It was a nice day on a tropical reef in what is now Western Australia when an armored fish began to give birth. Before she could finish, the violence of the Genesis Flood encased her in mud.
Of course, that's not how evolutionists interpret the evidence. Our mom-to-be is a member of a newly discovered species of placoderm, a family of now-extinct armored fish. Not only were these fish armored, their jaws could apparently crush bones. Evolutionists say that these fish lived between 354 and 417 million inflated evolutionary years ago. This discovery pushes back the first-known example of a fish giving live birth 200 million evolutionary years ago.
After the discovery, scientists went back and studied the fossils of another placoderm and discovered that it, too, had a uterus with three apparent unborn pups in it. Scientists say that the partially born youngster was already a quarter of its mother's ten-inch length. This helped its survival in a fish-eat-fish world. Scientists admit that the fish had an unexpectedly sophisticated reproductive system. Such systems, they say, are found only in supposedly much more evolved fish.
Of course, like all other living things, the placoderms did not evolve but were created. Their so-called advanced reproductive system does not show evidence for evolutionary progression, but it does show evidence of a caring Creator.
Lord, the entire creation declares the excellence of Your handiwork. Help me to do so, too. Amen.
http:www.livescience.com/animals/080528-fossil-embryo.html. Photo: Dunkleosteus was a giant armored placoderm predator. (PD)
Job 12:8
"Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee."
It was a nice day on a tropical reef in what is now Western Australia when an armored fish began to give birth. Before she could finish, the violence of the Genesis Flood encased her in mud.
Of course, that's not how evolutionists interpret the evidence. Our mom-to-be is a member of a newly discovered species of placoderm, a family of now-extinct armored fish. Not only were these fish armored, their jaws could apparently crush bones. Evolutionists say that these fish lived between 354 and 417 million inflated evolutionary years ago. This discovery pushes back the first-known example of a fish giving live birth 200 million evolutionary years ago.
After the discovery, scientists went back and studied the fossils of another placoderm and discovered that it, too, had a uterus with three apparent unborn pups in it. Scientists say that the partially born youngster was already a quarter of its mother's ten-inch length. This helped its survival in a fish-eat-fish world. Scientists admit that the fish had an unexpectedly sophisticated reproductive system. Such systems, they say, are found only in supposedly much more evolved fish.
Of course, like all other living things, the placoderms did not evolve but were created. Their so-called advanced reproductive system does not show evidence for evolutionary progression, but it does show evidence of a caring Creator.
Lord, the entire creation declares the excellence of Your handiwork. Help me to do so, too. Amen.
http:www.livescience.com/animals/080528-fossil-embryo.html. Photo: Dunkleosteus was a giant armored placoderm predator. (PD)
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