HOT FUNGICIDE
Exodus 37:29
"And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the apothecary."
Plant seeds are distributed by a number of ingenious methods, including wind, water, mammals and birds. Plants that rely upon these creatures to distribute their seeds often attract them with tasty fruit surrounding the seed. However, tasty fruit contains sugar and other substances that many other creatures also find inviting. Yes, the problem is, everybody likes sugar and that includes insects, molds and fungi, all of which are useless as seed distributors. Some plants make up for this problem by producing large amounts of fruit, just to ensure that some are reproduced.
It has long been said that "hot" chili peppers use spice to deter non-seed distributors from contaminating their fruit. Researchers have now confirmed this and report that the "hot" taste in these chili peppers comes from the amount and types of chemicals in them called capsaicinoids.
They studied the Capsicum chili plants in Bolivia that have a range of capsaicinoids. A common fruit pest in this part of the world is a sap-sucking bug whose mouth parts commonly infest plants with a black fungus. Researchers surveyed infestations in different plant populations and analyzed the quantity of capsaicinoids they contain. Sure enough, the hotter peppers had measurably fewer black mold infestations than the more mild peppers.
In providing these plants with protection from pests, God has also provided us with useful and pleasant spices.
Father, thank You for not only providing protection for productive plants but for giving us useful spices as well. Amen.
www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/35114/title/Bittersweet_fruits, 8/12/08, Rachel Ehrenberg, "Bittersweet Fruits."
Exodus 37:29
"And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the apothecary."
Plant seeds are distributed by a number of ingenious methods, including wind, water, mammals and birds. Plants that rely upon these creatures to distribute their seeds often attract them with tasty fruit surrounding the seed. However, tasty fruit contains sugar and other substances that many other creatures also find inviting. Yes, the problem is, everybody likes sugar and that includes insects, molds and fungi, all of which are useless as seed distributors. Some plants make up for this problem by producing large amounts of fruit, just to ensure that some are reproduced.
It has long been said that "hot" chili peppers use spice to deter non-seed distributors from contaminating their fruit. Researchers have now confirmed this and report that the "hot" taste in these chili peppers comes from the amount and types of chemicals in them called capsaicinoids.
They studied the Capsicum chili plants in Bolivia that have a range of capsaicinoids. A common fruit pest in this part of the world is a sap-sucking bug whose mouth parts commonly infest plants with a black fungus. Researchers surveyed infestations in different plant populations and analyzed the quantity of capsaicinoids they contain. Sure enough, the hotter peppers had measurably fewer black mold infestations than the more mild peppers.
In providing these plants with protection from pests, God has also provided us with useful and pleasant spices.
Father, thank You for not only providing protection for productive plants but for giving us useful spices as well. Amen.
www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/35114/title/Bittersweet_fruits, 8/12/08, Rachel Ehrenberg, "Bittersweet Fruits."
STAR SMELLERS
Genesis 27:27a
"And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him...."
Can mammals that spend time in the water smell odors under water? Of course they can, but no researcher is going to take a big sniff under water to find out!
Being able to smell helps us to learn important information about our surroundings – smells can attract or warn of danger. But it has always been thought that semi-aquatic animals could never smell odors under water. Animal researchers at Vanderbilt University were aware that water shrews and star-nosed moles release bubbles constantly when they are under water, but they didn't know why. The star-nosed mole is amazing by itself. Its nose has 16 pink tentacles, giving this strange-looking creature its name.
So they watched the animals under water on high-speed video. They saw the creatures exhaling and then re-inhaling the bubbles at the rate of ten times a second. That led them to wonder whether the animals could be detecting odors under water. As a test, they placed food in the tank but separated it from the test subjects with a screen so there was no physical contact. As the animals were tested, they excitedly targeted in on the food source, demonstrating that they were indeed detecting the odor of wanted food.
Since these creatures make their living under water, God has given them the amazing and surprising ability to smell under water.
Heavenly Father, the gifts You give are wonderful and often unexpected, for which I praise and thank You. Amen.
www.rscc.org/Chemistry World/News/2006/December/20120601.asp, "A breath of fresh water." Photo: Star-nosed mole. Courtesy of U.S. National Parks Service. (PD)
Genesis 27:27a
"And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him...."
Can mammals that spend time in the water smell odors under water? Of course they can, but no researcher is going to take a big sniff under water to find out!
Being able to smell helps us to learn important information about our surroundings – smells can attract or warn of danger. But it has always been thought that semi-aquatic animals could never smell odors under water. Animal researchers at Vanderbilt University were aware that water shrews and star-nosed moles release bubbles constantly when they are under water, but they didn't know why. The star-nosed mole is amazing by itself. Its nose has 16 pink tentacles, giving this strange-looking creature its name.
So they watched the animals under water on high-speed video. They saw the creatures exhaling and then re-inhaling the bubbles at the rate of ten times a second. That led them to wonder whether the animals could be detecting odors under water. As a test, they placed food in the tank but separated it from the test subjects with a screen so there was no physical contact. As the animals were tested, they excitedly targeted in on the food source, demonstrating that they were indeed detecting the odor of wanted food.
Since these creatures make their living under water, God has given them the amazing and surprising ability to smell under water.
Heavenly Father, the gifts You give are wonderful and often unexpected, for which I praise and thank You. Amen.
www.rscc.org/Chemistry World/News/2006/December/20120601.asp, "A breath of fresh water." Photo: Star-nosed mole. Courtesy of U.S. National Parks Service. (PD)
GOD BLESS YOU INDEED
Matthew 6:26
"Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them."
Most people know that if they are stranded at sea without fresh water they should not drink sea water. While we need salt, the amount of salt in sea water would kill a person more quickly than thirst. Have a little too much salt on your popcorn and your kidneys will filter out the extra. But to do so, they need extra fresh water.
The marine iguanas of the Galapagos islands drink too much salt water every day. They feed on the algae that grow in sea water, but they lack a good freshwater supply to flush the salt out using their kidneys. Since God knew what kind of environment this iguana would one day be living in, He gave the marine iguana a special gland. Located in its head, it removes excess salt from the iguanas' blood and holds it. Periodically, the iguana will sneeze, expelling the salt-saturated fluid. As it dries it leaves a salty crown on the top of its head that dissolves back into the sea during the next swim. Several other reptiles also have salt glands, but each of these work very differently. This means that evolutionists must explain how these salt glands evolved at least ten times.
God gave the marine iguana these unique glands because He knew what they would need for the life He gave them.
Thank You, Lord, for providing so wondrously for all Your creatures, even as You have provided for my salvation. Amen.
Answers, 3-4/09, pp. 20-22, Mary Mitchell, "Salt-Sneezing Lizards." Photo: Marine iguana on Baltro island, Galapagos islands, Ecuador. Courtesy of Diego Delso. (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Matthew 6:26
"Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them."
Most people know that if they are stranded at sea without fresh water they should not drink sea water. While we need salt, the amount of salt in sea water would kill a person more quickly than thirst. Have a little too much salt on your popcorn and your kidneys will filter out the extra. But to do so, they need extra fresh water.
The marine iguanas of the Galapagos islands drink too much salt water every day. They feed on the algae that grow in sea water, but they lack a good freshwater supply to flush the salt out using their kidneys. Since God knew what kind of environment this iguana would one day be living in, He gave the marine iguana a special gland. Located in its head, it removes excess salt from the iguanas' blood and holds it. Periodically, the iguana will sneeze, expelling the salt-saturated fluid. As it dries it leaves a salty crown on the top of its head that dissolves back into the sea during the next swim. Several other reptiles also have salt glands, but each of these work very differently. This means that evolutionists must explain how these salt glands evolved at least ten times.
God gave the marine iguana these unique glands because He knew what they would need for the life He gave them.
Thank You, Lord, for providing so wondrously for all Your creatures, even as You have provided for my salvation. Amen.
Answers, 3-4/09, pp. 20-22, Mary Mitchell, "Salt-Sneezing Lizards." Photo: Marine iguana on Baltro island, Galapagos islands, Ecuador. Courtesy of Diego Delso. (CC BY-SA 4.0)
THE LOTUS EFFECT
1 John 1:9
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Perhaps you have a self-cleaning oven in your kitchen, and if you have small children in your house, you've probably wished for self-cleaning walls. Self-cleaning clothes would be nice, too!
Lotuses often grow in muddy water where mud can accumulate on leaves. Yet, for efficiency in collecting sunlight, their leaves need to be clean. And, yes, they stay clean despite the environment in which they grow. Close examination under a powerful electron microscope reveals why. The top of the leaves are covered with tiny spikes that feel waxy. They are so tiny that they can even hold up a particle of dust that settles on a leaf. As a result, any water that lands on the leaves rolls right off. As it rolls off, it collects any dirt that may be on a leaf. These leaves are self-cleaning!
Researchers realized that this microscopic spike structure could be used to make self- cleaning products. For example, self-cleaning paint for homes is already in use under the product name Lotusan. Self-cleaning food containers are being developed as well. And one day we may even have self-cleaning clothes, including swimming suits that never get wet.
However, when it comes to our standing before God, we are not self-cleaning. We must rely on the cleansing from our sin won for us by our Lord Jesus on the cross.
Father, thank You for the forgiveness of sins I have through my Lord Jesus Christ and the life He gives me. Amen.
Science Illustrated, 7/8/08, pp. 62-69, "Inspired by Nature," ("Mr. Clean," pp. 68-69). Photo: Indian lotus at Lotus Pond in India, showing the lotus effect after rain. Courtesy of J.M.Garg. (CC BY 3.0)
1 John 1:9
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Perhaps you have a self-cleaning oven in your kitchen, and if you have small children in your house, you've probably wished for self-cleaning walls. Self-cleaning clothes would be nice, too!
Lotuses often grow in muddy water where mud can accumulate on leaves. Yet, for efficiency in collecting sunlight, their leaves need to be clean. And, yes, they stay clean despite the environment in which they grow. Close examination under a powerful electron microscope reveals why. The top of the leaves are covered with tiny spikes that feel waxy. They are so tiny that they can even hold up a particle of dust that settles on a leaf. As a result, any water that lands on the leaves rolls right off. As it rolls off, it collects any dirt that may be on a leaf. These leaves are self-cleaning!
Researchers realized that this microscopic spike structure could be used to make self- cleaning products. For example, self-cleaning paint for homes is already in use under the product name Lotusan. Self-cleaning food containers are being developed as well. And one day we may even have self-cleaning clothes, including swimming suits that never get wet.
However, when it comes to our standing before God, we are not self-cleaning. We must rely on the cleansing from our sin won for us by our Lord Jesus on the cross.
Father, thank You for the forgiveness of sins I have through my Lord Jesus Christ and the life He gives me. Amen.
Science Illustrated, 7/8/08, pp. 62-69, "Inspired by Nature," ("Mr. Clean," pp. 68-69). Photo: Indian lotus at Lotus Pond in India, showing the lotus effect after rain. Courtesy of J.M.Garg. (CC BY 3.0)
SALAD SPIDERS
Genesis 1:30
"And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air... I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so."
In the perfect world that God created there were no meat eaters. In today's sinful world it is hard to imagine meat eaters, like spiders, being vegetarians.
Some spiders have occasionally been observed tasting plants. The male crab spider has been seen tasting plant nectar. Some baby spiders eat spores that they find in their webs. But now a small jumping spider that lives on acacia trees has been discovered that is vegetarian.
Acacia trees are often home to vicious ants that protect the tree from other gnawing insects. In return, the tree offers the ants protection and tasty nectar. So the little jumping spider must constantly avoid the guard ants when it heads out for a meal of nectar. One of their strategies for avoiding ants is to build their nests on mature leaves. These leaves are the least guarded on the plant. Researchers noted that they did observe four instances of a spider eating ant larva, but this was out of 140 feeding observations.
Our experiences in a fallen world do not begin to prepare us for what God is able to create, despite all the wonders around us. If it pleases God, He can make vegetarian lions, tigers and even spiders. Who of us would ever have thought of His plan to rescue us from sin through His Son, Jesus Christ?
Thank You, dear Father, for providing for all of Your creatures, even in a fallen world. Amen.
Science News online, http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/35121, 8/12/08, Susan Milius, "Vegetarian Spider." Photo: Crab spider. Courtesy of André Karwath. (CC BY-SA 2.5)
Genesis 1:30
"And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air... I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so."
In the perfect world that God created there were no meat eaters. In today's sinful world it is hard to imagine meat eaters, like spiders, being vegetarians.
Some spiders have occasionally been observed tasting plants. The male crab spider has been seen tasting plant nectar. Some baby spiders eat spores that they find in their webs. But now a small jumping spider that lives on acacia trees has been discovered that is vegetarian.
Acacia trees are often home to vicious ants that protect the tree from other gnawing insects. In return, the tree offers the ants protection and tasty nectar. So the little jumping spider must constantly avoid the guard ants when it heads out for a meal of nectar. One of their strategies for avoiding ants is to build their nests on mature leaves. These leaves are the least guarded on the plant. Researchers noted that they did observe four instances of a spider eating ant larva, but this was out of 140 feeding observations.
Our experiences in a fallen world do not begin to prepare us for what God is able to create, despite all the wonders around us. If it pleases God, He can make vegetarian lions, tigers and even spiders. Who of us would ever have thought of His plan to rescue us from sin through His Son, Jesus Christ?
Thank You, dear Father, for providing for all of Your creatures, even in a fallen world. Amen.
Science News online, http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/35121, 8/12/08, Susan Milius, "Vegetarian Spider." Photo: Crab spider. Courtesy of André Karwath. (CC BY-SA 2.5)
DESIGNED AS A COMPANION
Genesis 9:2a
"And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air...."
When God told Noah that man could now eat meat after the Flood, He kindly filled the animals with a natural fear of man. However, He evidently left a few animals without that fear in order for them to be helpmates and companions for man.
The dog has been man's best friend probably since before the Genesis Flood. Researchers recently tested whether Border Collies were intelligent enough to fetch an unseen item in another room simply by being shown a picture or model of it. Chimps and dolphins had also been tested for this ability and were unable to do it. Collies, both trained and untrained to "fetch", were tested in their own homes. Eight toys they were to fetch were in a second room. Then the dogs were shown either an exact copy of what they were to fetch, a model of it, or a photograph and were told, "bring it here."
All retrieved their toy easily after being shown a model of it. Trained dogs did well when shown an exact copy, but the untrained dogs needed a little practice with this task. Some dogs were even able to fetch a toy when shown a full-sized photograph.
Not only does the domestic dog have no natural fear of man, but many of them can relate to us in very helpful ways.
Father, thank You for those animals which can be companions and even help us. Amen.
Science News Online, 3/21/09, http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/419732, Bruce Bower, "Dogs Show a Fetching Communication Savvy." Photo: Border collie. Courtesy of Sannse. (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Genesis 9:2a
"And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air...."
When God told Noah that man could now eat meat after the Flood, He kindly filled the animals with a natural fear of man. However, He evidently left a few animals without that fear in order for them to be helpmates and companions for man.
The dog has been man's best friend probably since before the Genesis Flood. Researchers recently tested whether Border Collies were intelligent enough to fetch an unseen item in another room simply by being shown a picture or model of it. Chimps and dolphins had also been tested for this ability and were unable to do it. Collies, both trained and untrained to "fetch", were tested in their own homes. Eight toys they were to fetch were in a second room. Then the dogs were shown either an exact copy of what they were to fetch, a model of it, or a photograph and were told, "bring it here."
All retrieved their toy easily after being shown a model of it. Trained dogs did well when shown an exact copy, but the untrained dogs needed a little practice with this task. Some dogs were even able to fetch a toy when shown a full-sized photograph.
Not only does the domestic dog have no natural fear of man, but many of them can relate to us in very helpful ways.
Father, thank You for those animals which can be companions and even help us. Amen.
Science News Online, 3/21/09, http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/419732, Bruce Bower, "Dogs Show a Fetching Communication Savvy." Photo: Border collie. Courtesy of Sannse. (CC BY-SA 3.0)
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