CREATION MOMENTS: 6.24.16

ARE BIBLICAL CREATIONISTS A STUMBLING BLOCK?

Mark 10:5-6

"And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female."
In his excellent article in Creation magazine "Jesus on the Age of the Earth", Carl Wieland reports that the standard secular timeline of billions of years for the age of the universe is "accepted by most people in the evangelical Christian world." He went on to write, "Some would even say that to even dispute billions of years is to place an unnecessary stumbling block in the way of any scientifically-minded potential converts."

I can't count the number of times Creation Moments has been attacked by Christian leaders and laypeople … and even pastors! No, young earth creationists are not the stumbling block. We are simply standing up for biblical authority in a world that is rejecting it. As Wieland writes, many authors of the Bible – even Jesus Himself – make it clear that people were on the Earth at the beginning of creation and not millions of years later.

How tragic, writes Wieland, that so many Christian leaders have been "bluffed and intimidated into assuming that secular interpretations of the evidence should dictate their understanding of God's Word." Ironically, this rejection of biblical authority comes "at a point in history when there are more scientific reasons than ever to confirm the utter rationality of trusting the Bible…"

Yes, you can and must trust the Bible. After all, you don't want to become a stumbling block to the gospel by rejecting what the Bible clearly teaches.

Heavenly Father, I pray that You will keep me from being a stumbling block in the way of unbelievers. I believe that the best way for me to present the gospel is by teaching what the Bible itself teaches. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Carl Wieland, "Jesus on the Age of the Earth," Creation 34(2) 2012, pp. 51-53. Photo: Dr. Carl Wieland, author and founding editor of Creation magazine. (Fair Use)

 

CREATIONIST ASTROPHYSICIST

Psalm 8:3

"When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;"
Evolutionists would be foolish to question creation scientist Dr. Markus Blietz's credentials as a legitimate scientist. Dr. Blietz earned his Ph.D. in astrophysics at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics and now works in the semiconductor industry in charge of helping researchers develop new ideas.

In an interview that was published in the book Busting Myths, he talks about black holes, comets, distant starlight, and most important, how he came to become a Christian and a creationist. "I read the gospel according to Matthew," he said. "Almost immediately I understood that Jesus was a real, historical person, that He came to fulfill a mission and that I needed Him urgently."

He also spoke out about evolution and world views. "Only belief in Jesus Christ can open our eyes and give us the correct view of our world," he said, adding that "before I was a Christian, I never felt really content with the evolutionary world view, which I had adopted. It produced too many contradictions and left open too many questions. Only the truth in the Word of God is able to give a full, comprehensive answer to our basic questions of life and death."

Dr. Blietz also had these words of advice for young people: "Study science to be able to better serve God." Creation Moments thinks this is great advice, not just for young people but for everyone.

Heavenly Father, thank You for raising up scientists who know biblical truth. I pray that You will encourage and protect them as they take a stand for Your truth in the midst of unbelieving colleagues. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

"Galaxies, Black Holes, and Creation", Jonathan Sarfati and Markus Blietz. Busting Myths, pp. 11-15 (Creation Book Publishers, 2015). Photo: Creationist astrophysicist Dr. Markus Blietz. Courtesy of Creation Ministries International.

 

EVOLUTIONISTS STILL CLUELESS ON ORIGIN OF LIFE

Job 32:3

"Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job."
How good are evolutionists at explaining the origin of life? Not very! Listen to what some have written and said. First up is professor Paul Davies from the University of Arizona. In his book The Fifth Miracle: The Search for the Origin and Meaning of Life, he wrote, "Obviously, Darwinian evolution can operate only if life of some sort already exists." He continued: "Darwinism can offer absolutely no help in explaining that all-important first step: the origin of life."

Now consider what evolutionist science writer Gordy Slack wrote in The Scientist: "Evolution should be able to explain, in theory at least, all the way back to the very first organism that could replicate itself through biological or chemical processes … and what came before it…. Right now, we are nowhere close."

Here's another honest statement – this one from Simon Morris, professor of evolutionary biology at Cambridge University: "Despite decades of experimentation, with accompanying shouts of 'breakthrough' or 'almost there,' we are still paddling on the edges of an ocean of ignorance."

I close today's broadcast with this marvelous quote from Henry Lipson, professor of physics at the University of Manchester: "I think we must admit that the only acceptable explanation is creation. I know that this is anathema to physicists, as indeed it is to me, but we must not reject a theory that we do not like if the experimental evidence supports it."

Heavenly Father, I pray that when evolutionists run into walls that the tools of science can't break through, they will turn to biblical creation for the truth. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Sources of all quotes can be found in Evolutionists Say the Oddest Things, Lita Cosner, editor, pp. 43-46 (Creation Book Publishers, 2015). Photo: Evolutionist Paul Davies from the University of Arizona (2006). (PD)

 

SO WHERE IS EVERYBODY?

Jeremiah 10:12

"He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion."
On our previous broadcast, we told you about the Fermi paradox. In case you missed it, the Fermi paradox is the attempt by scientists to account for the fact that we have not come in contact with extraterrestrial life. This is a very real problem for evolutionists because they believe that if life evolved here, evolution must have occurred on countless other planets. So why haven't we found anybody out there? Here are a few attempts to solve the Fermi paradox.

Because intelligent civilizations are too far apart in space-time, say some. Because it is too expensive to travel throughout the galaxy, say others. Still other scientists believe it's because civilizations broadcast detectable radio signals only for a brief period of time. Or how about this one – that alien life forms are so different from us, we cannot recognize their attempts to communicate with us. And die-hard evolutionists suggest that intelligent extraterrestrial life does exist, but they don't contact us because they don't want to interfere with our natural evolution and development.

Creation Moments believes that all of these explanations fall short because the Fermi paradox is based on the faulty premises that evolution is true and that life must have evolved elsewhere. As we said last time, we believe the real reason why mankind hasn't found intelligent life out there is because God created such life on only one planet – right here on Earth.

Heavenly Father, I pray that many of those who are looking for extraterrestrials will come to realize that our planet was already visited by Someone who is not of this Earth. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermi_paradox. Illustration: A graphical representation of the Arecibo message – mankind's first attempt to use radio waves to tell alien civilizations that we exist. Courtesy of Arne Nordmann. (CC BY-SA 3.0)

 

THE FERMI PARADOX

Deuteronomy 10:14

"Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD'S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is."
Where is everybody?! That's what physicist Enrico Fermi wanted to know. After all, if life evolved on Earth, he thought, certainly it must have evolved on countless other planets. So in 1950, he put forth what is called the "Fermi paradox" – a challenge to other scientists to explain why extraterrestrial life has not yet been found.

One of the more popular explanations is that the universe is so big, we just haven't found them yet. But now there are scientists who think aliens may have already found us! They are hiding from us to protect themselves, according to Adrian Kent of the Perimeter Institute in Ontario, Canada. Aliens, he suggests, do not want to attract the attention of more advanced species from other planets who might want to harm them.

But let's think about that. If aliens have developed the technology to travel through the vastness of space to a planet that only managed to put a man on its moon around 50 years ago, wouldn't they be far more advanced than us and have nothing to fear?

Many other scientists have attempted to solve the Fermi paradox. Some of their solutions are very imaginative. But here is one solution that I believe agrees with both science and the Bible. The reason why man has not found other beings elsewhere in our vast universe is because the Earth is the only planet created by God to nurture human beings, who were made in the image of God Himself.

Heavenly Father, I pray that scientists would turn their attention to learning about the universe that You created – just like it really is and not like they want or imagine it to be. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

"Is ET hiding?", Creation magazine, Jan-Mar 2012, p. 9. Photo: Italian-American physicist Enrico Fermi (1901-1954). (PD)

CREATION MOMENTS: 6.17.16

OTA BENGA: MAN OR MONKEY?

John 12:26

"If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour."
In his review of Dennis Sewell's book The Political Gene, creation scientist and author Dr. Jerry Bergman mentions one of the most deplorable events in evolutionary history – the story of Ota Benga.A pygmy from the Congo, Benga attracted a great deal of attention when he was put on display at the Bronx Zoo. He eventually ended his life by firing a bullet into his heart in 1916.

Ota Benga and an orangutan of similar height were placed inside a locked cage. Quite naturally, the display had people asking if Ota Benga was a monkey or a man. The zookeeper answered that he was a transitional form between man and monkey – the missing link. Sewell's book points out that evolutionists defended the display by noting that evolution is taught in the school textbooks and is, quote, "no more debatable than the multiplication table."

African American clergymen complained to zoo officials about the exhibit, saying, "The Darwinian theory is absolutely opposed to Christianity, and a public demonstration in its favor should not be permitted." But the New York Times disagreed, saying: "We do not quite understand all the emotion which others are expressing in the matter. It is absurd to … moan over the imagined humiliation and degradation Benga is suffering. The pygmies ... are very low in the human scale…"

The tragic story of Ota Benga clearly reveals the stark contrast between those who follow Christ and those who follow Darwin. Whose side are you on?

Heavenly Father, I pray that You will open the eyes of many so they will turn away from Darwin's false teachings and turn to You for eternal life. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Dr. Jerry Bergman, "Darwin is the universal acid that affects everything," Journal of Creation, Vol. 25(1), 2011, pp. 19-21. Photo: Promotional photo of Ota Benga on display at the Bronx Zoo in 1906. Ten years later he committed suicide at the age of 32. (PD)

 

THEN I GOT INVITED TO A BIBLE STUDY

Isaiah 55:11

"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."
Dr. Gary Parker, a scientist with a doctorate in biology, used to love teaching his students about what he called "the fact of evolution." As he describes it in his book Creation Facts of Life, "For me, evolution was much more than just a scientific theory. It was a total world-and-life view, an alternate religion, a substitute for God."

He continued, "I didn't just believe evolution. I embraced it enthusiastically! And I taught it enthusiastically! I considered it one of my major missions as a science professor to help my students rid themselves of old, 'pre-scientific' superstitions, such as Christianity." Dr. Parker also points out that he was willing to let his students believe in whatever "god" they wanted to … just as long as their religious belief did not keep them from believing in evolution.

His story takes a sudden turn, however, when he writes, "But then I got invited to a Bible study." For this distinguished scientist, everything changed. And for many years now, through his books and seminars, he has been using science and logic to teach that evolution is false. "And it's not just me," he adds. "Thousands of scientists are sharing the scientific evidences in God's world that encourage us to believe all the wonderful promises and principles in God's Word, the Bible."

It's truly amazing how adaptable even the scientific mind becomes when considering the complete body of evidence rather than conforming to unproven hypotheses like evolution.

Heavenly Father, I know that the simple act of inviting someone to a Bible study can have a profound impact, not only on that person's life but on the lives of many others as well. Use me, Lord, to reach out to others. Amen.

Dr. Gary Parker, Creation Facts of Life, pp. 11-12 (Master Books, 15th printing, 2013). Photo: Dr. Gary Parker, creationist biologist.

 

WHO'S LOOKING OUT FOR YOU?

Genesis 28:15

"And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of."
A cable TV news commentator often poses the question – "Who's looking out for you?" – implying that he's looking out for his viewers. Well, Christians know who's really looking out for us. That would be Jesus, the One who created us, saved us and watches out over us every hour of our lives. But in His wisdom, our Creator has also given us a number of animals to watch out for us in a more earthly sense. These creatures are known as animal sentinels.

Perhaps the best-known animal sentinel is the canary. As Wikipedia tells us, "The idea of placing a canary or other warm blooded animal in a mine to detect carbon monoxide was first proposed by John Scott Haldane, in 1913." This is where the familiar phrase "canary in a coal mine" came from.

Over the years, man has turned to many other creatures to keep us safe. Honeybees, for example, have been used to test for air pollution. Bivalve mollusks help us do water-quality surveys. Pigeons are excellent at detecting lead in the atmosphere. Man's best friend has been used to provide early warning of lead-poisoning hazards in the home. Even cats have been helpful in determining household exposures to pesticides, cigarette smoke and other carcinogens.

Let us not forget to thank God for giving us these animal sentinels and for giving humans the ingenuity to know how these animals can be used for our protection.

Heavenly Father, I just want to thank You for watching out for me, not only in this life but in the never-ending life to come. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Wikipedia entry on "animal sentinel." Photo: Courtesy of U.S. Dept. of Labor. (PD)

 

HOW DO BATS LAND UPSIDE DOWN?

Psalm 40:4

"Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies."
Most bats, as you know, hang from their feet on the ceilings of caves. But not until recently did scientists know how bats switched from flying right-side-up to landing upside down in the space of a half second. Scientists assumed that bats used some kind of aerodynamic trick to pull this off. But the bats' mid-flight flip has almost nothing to do with air flow.

According to a new study in PLOS Biology, researchers took high-speed videos of bats as they landed upside down on a gauze net attached to the ceiling. The researchers were surprised to see the bats manipulating the inertia in their bodies to execute the flip just before landing. This is similar to the way pirouetting figure skaters speed up or slow down their rotation by pulling their arms closer to their body.

"It never would have occurred to me that aerodynamics would play such a small role in landing," said evolutionary biologist Sharon Swartz. "I always think of flight as a primarily aerodynamic phenomenon. Wings are aerodynamic organs, and landing seems so obviously to be a flight behavior."

Once again, we see that "obvious" answers can lead scientists astray. Evolutionary biologists in particular think it's obvious that animal behaviors are the result of evolution. They should look at solutions that aren't so obvious. If they did, they might learn more about the creatures they are studying as well as the One who created them.

Heavenly Father, You have given Your creatures everything they need to live the life You planned for them, but You have done so much more for me by sending Your Son to die for my sins. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

N. Akpan, "Bats flip like Tony Hawk to land upside down," PBS Newshour, 11/16/15. Photo: High-speed video and computer models show that bats use inertia to make acrobatic flips and land upside down. Photo by Bergou AJ et al. (2015) Courtesy of PLoS Biology. (Fair Use)

 

YOUNG BLOOD

Job 41:24

"His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone."
As dinosaur bones containing blood vessels and blood cells are continually being found, more and more laboratories are assigning dates to these bones in the thousands, not millions, of years. This makes evolutionists just like the patient who goes to his doctor, convinced that he is dead. After failing to convince the patient he is alive, the doctor pricks the man's finger, causing it to bleed. "See?" the doctor says. You must be alive because dead men don't bleed." And the patient replies: "Imagine that! Dead men do bleed after all!"

Evolutionists know full well that dinosaur bones that are millions of years old should not have blood and blood vessels in them. To defend their position, they usually say the bones were contaminated, throwing off the dating. But North Carolina State University said that their researchers "have confirmed that blood vessel-like structures found in an 80 million-year-old hadrosaur fossil are original to the animal, and not biofilm or other contaminants."

But like the patient who kept thinking he was dead, the university went on to say that their findings "add to the growing body of evidence that structures like blood vessels and cells can persist over millions of years."

Evolutionists just won't admit that their evolutionary dating of dinosaurs has finally been falsified. After all, that would be like admitting that the Bible is right, and this is something that atheistic evolutionists will never do.

Heavenly Father, without You opening the eyes of evolutionists, I know it is impossible for me to get them to believe. Open their eyes to the truths found in Your infallible Word, I pray. Amen.

"Researchers Confirm Original Blood Vessels in 80 Million-Year-Old Fossil," NC State News, 12/1/15. Photo: Blood vessels found in a supposedly 80-million-year-old hadrosaur fossil. Courtesy of North Carolina State University. (Fair Use)

CREATION MOMENTS: 6.10.16

THE ANTS' ROAD DEPARTMENT

Psalm 5:8

"Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face."
You're driving down the road and all of a sudden traffic slows to a crawl. Finally, you get to the cause of the slowdown – a big pothole in the road that causes people to slow down and drive around.

Some ants have the same problem. A species of army ant found in Brazil sends out hunters every morning. They travel, several ants wide, looking for other ants – even things as large as scorpions – to attack and return to home base. However, paths in the Brazilian jungle can be rough and even have potholes. When the ants encounter an ant-sized pothole in their road, one choice might be to slow down and narrow their path to get around it. Researchers say that such slowdowns can cut the amount of food delivered home by thirty percent. So, instead, the first ant to encounter such a pothole measures it. If the hole is his size, he fills the pothole with his own body. If the pothole is small, a full grown ant will leave it for a smaller ant to fill.

While God gave these army ants this ability to efficiently overcome obstacles in their path, He has done far more for us. When Scripture talks about making our ways straight before the Lord, it is speaking of Christ's righteousness which is ours by grace through faith.

Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for the gift of Your righteousness. Help me always treasure and live in this gift. Amen.

Science News, 6/2/07, pp. 340-341, S. Milius, "Pothole Pals."

 

AN ELEGANT QUILT OF RELATIONSHIPS

Psalm 104:16-17

"The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted; Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house."
There are many incredible designs around us that are unlikely to exist if everything is the result of mindless chance. Many birds eat insects through the summer. While such high protein diets like this are good in mating and reproductive season, they do not prepare the birds to survive the cold weather of winter.

What they need to do is build a layer of fat both for calorie storage as well as insulation. So, as winter nears, the berries that have been growing and ripening all summer on various shrubs become more numerous. The high sugar content of the berries' juice helps the birds to quickly build up fat. The freeze on cold fall mornings even helps to increase the sugar concentration in the berries. Even more amazing is that the various types of berries eaten by the birds ripen in a staggered fashion so that berry season is long and the supplies are always available. For example, as the elderberry supply is just about consumed, highbush cranberries are in production. Often, the summer's hatchlings' plumage doesn't reach full color until they eat the various pigments in the berries, and those pigments are incorporated into the new feathers. In exchange, the birds spread the seeds in the berries.

All of these complex, interrelated systems depend on each other in an elegant, fine-tuned design.

Father, thank You for the beauty and song of the birds which bless and enrich our lives. Amen.

http://www.startribune.com/templates/Print_this_story?sid=64091192, 10/14/09, Val Cunningham, "Why bushes are better for birds."

 

DID NOAH'S FLOOD AFFECT MARS, TOO?

Genesis 7:11

"In the six hundredth year of Noah's life ... were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened."
One of the biggest headlines in planetary exploration in recent years was the confirmation that at one time Mars had water. Further exploration and study reveals evidence that there was once quite a lot of moving water on the surface of Mars.

With two rovers having sent back pictures and information from the surface, plus an orbiter exploring the surface, evidence of water action began to mount. At first, small features that looked like they were formed by moving water were discovered. Soon, it looked like that there was widespread water action in the southern hemisphere. Besides erosion, there is widespread evidence of the type of rocks that form underwater. Now, similar evidence suggests widespread water action in the northern lowlands as well. One of the most dramatic features could be the Mars version of the Grand Canyon. Called Valles Marineris, it is 2,000 miles long, 400 miles wide and five miles deep. It is so big, it can be seen from Earth with a good telescope. It would take catastrophic amounts of water to form such a canyon.

While the Bible doesn't say anything about the flood that would suggest Mars was involved, some creation geologists say that it may have been. Once thing is certain. This water action did not take place billions of years ago as those who believe in evolution say.

Lord, I thank You for Your trustworthy Word which judges sin and speaks the welcome words of the Gospel to us. Amen.

Acts & Facts, 9/10, pp. 12-13, Larry Vardiman, "News From the Red Planet."

 

GOSSIPING PLANTS

Isaiah 40:8

"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."
The venus flytrap senses a fly and, in less than a second, its trap springs shut. It will eat today. A new area of science is plant behavior. Plant behaviorists point out that plants, like the venus flytrap that interact with animals, have to move on an animal scale. We have traditionally thought of plants as inactive living things that just sit there. But as we learn more about them, we are beginning to discover that plants are much more active than we ever thought.

Other plants move as well, often when they interact with animals. But sometimes not. When a white mulberry tree opens its blooms, they open at half the speed of sound. But there's more than this to plant behavior. Scientists have learned that plants have memory, despite the lack of a nervous system or brain. Yet, when a leaf has mobilized its defenses against a predator in the past, it will do so more quickly the next time the threat returns. Previously we have talked about how plants communicate by emitting scents. When a leaf is attacked, a scent is emitted, warning surrounding leaves and plants. Scientists now call this "plant gossiping."

When we see how much ability God has given even plants, we are led to realize, thankfully, that God has been even more generous to us.

Father, I rejoice and thank You for Your generous gifts to me, most especially for Your grace and forgiveness. Amen.

Science News, 6/20/09, pp. 16-19, Susan Milius, "No brainer behavior."

 

MEET THE HORROR FROG!

Psalm 20:1b

"The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee..."
Did you know that there are salamanders that can grow spines? They do this by forcing their ribs to grow through their skin. But a frog nicknamed the "horror frog" is even stranger.

When it is threatened, the "horror frog" breaks bones in its foot and extends the ends of the broken bone through its hind foot pads. The result is a catlike claw. The "horror frog" is actually a family of eleven frog species, nine of which are able to perform this grisly feat. Most of these species are native to Cameroon. One end of the broken bone is attached to a special muscle that pushes the bone through the foot pads. Once the threat is past, the bone claw pulls back into the foot and the tissue heals. To add to the "horror frog" aspect, these frogs also are hairy. The hair actually turns out to be hair-like skin growth. As unappetizing as they sound, they are prized for roasting and eating.

Before death came into the world, the "horror frog" would probably not have any need for claws to defend itself. Yet, just as God knew that we would need a plan for our salvation, He also knew that creatures like this frog could benefit from a method of defending itself. So He gave this frog this creative method of defending itself.

Father, protect me from all dangers in this life, both spiritual and physical, assuring me of Your presence. Amen.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn13991-horror-frog-breaks-own-bones-to-produce-claws.html?full=true&print=true, 5/28/08, Catherine Brahic, "'Horror frog' breaks own bones to produce claws."

CREATION MOMENTS: 6.4.16

 BEETLE PRODUCES FUNGICIDE TO PROTECT YOUNG

Psalm 51:7

"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."
The southern pine beetle is a real problem in southeastern North America. They burrow into pine trees that could be harvested for lumber, often killing them. Those that aren't killed are left, stained an unattractive blue tint by a fungus they leave behind.

That fungus grows from spores carried in a special pouch under the beetles' neck. It will grow into a tiny garden that will feed the baby pine beetles when they hatch. However, several species of mite also infest the beetle. They have their own fungus that they use for food. That fungus will not sustain the baby beetles. Worse, the mite fungus is more robust than the beetle fungus and will crowd it out. However, the beetle also carries a special bacteria. The bacteria produces a very special fungicide. While it does not harm the beetle's fungus, it targets the mite's fungus, wiping it out. So, the baby southern pine beetle's little ones will have their fungus garden to feed them after all.

Natural fungicides and antibiotics surround us. The hyssop that God commanded His people to use in cleansing ceremonies is a natural antibiotic. While man has since learned to use many antibiotics, how did the beetle learn to use the right fungicide to protect its young? It should be clear that this relationship was arranged by our creating God.

Father, I thank You that I have been cleansed from the filthiness of my sins through the blood of Jesus Christ. Amen.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/37160/title/beetles_grow_weed_killer, Susan Millius, "Beetles Grow Weed Killer."

 

ROBOT WITHOUT A BRAIN

Psalm 18:32

"It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect."
A robot that can move about on its own must be programmed in great detail. Instructions must be given to each moving part. These instructions must also be able to direct the robot under all anticipated conditions. If there is any error in the instructions or an encounter with unexpected conditions, the robot will probably just freeze in place. Even slime mold can do better than this.

Even though slime mold cells are not connected to each other by nerves, when the cells join together, the resulting organism is able to move. It is able to deal with unexpected circumstances moving about by shifting liquid to change their collective bag-shaped body. Taking their cue from slime mold, a research group from Tohoku University in Japan has used the same principle to make a mobile robot. The robot is able to move across any flat surface by shifting liquid around, which changes pressure on different parts of the robot. It is made of 14 interconnected syringes, each with a motor to move the water. It moves around randomly until it is given a direction. Then the motors synchronize, and the robot begins to move in the commanded direction. This slime-mold type arrangement adjusts to changes in environment just like the real thing.

Leave it to God to accomplish a complicated task with a simple design.

Father, move my heart to flee what will spiritually harm me and to seek that good You have to give me. Amen.

Nikkei Weekly, 9/13/10, p. 21. "Robot inspired by slime mold."

 

WHAT THE CAT KNEW

Proverbs 16:23

"The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips."
While modern computers can do increasingly amazing things, they would not compete well on even a simple task with an animal.

For example, you can teach a computer where the front door of your home is and where the furniture is in the living room. Give it wheels, park it at the front door and tell it to find the easy chair. No problem. Now move the furniture around and repeat the command to the computer. Now it is hopelessly lost. Move your furniture around, and the cat will still find your easy chair. Today's computers can do a few limited things that a cat's brain can do. But such a computer needs its own power supply and 140,000 central processing units. And even this arrangement is over 80 times slower than a cat's brain. In human and cat brains, memory and learning are possible because neurons are all connected to many other neurons. Thus, either a human or a cat can instantly recognize a familiar face. Engineers have invented a transistor replacement called a memristor which gives a computer the ability to learn and remember. Even using memristors, it would take a huge supercomputer with its own power supply much longer to recognize faces than we do.

Memory and the ability to learn is a gift of God, the source of all knowledge.

Father, I thank You for giving me the ability to learn and then teaching me Your truth in Your Word. Amen.

http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/plainstory.php?id=763.3, University of Michigan News Service, 4/14/10, "Cat brain: A step toward the electronic equivalent."

 

OUR LOGIC AND GOD'S ARE NOT THE SAME

Genesis 1:21a

"And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly..."
Ask any scientist and he'll tell you that blades designed to operate in fluids, like air or water, are best designed to have smooth edges. It only makes sense that a smooth leading edge is more efficient.

That's why, when a biologist noticed bumps on the front edge of a model of a humpback whale fin, he knew it had to be wrong. With some study, he discovered that the model was indeed accurate. The bumps are called tubercles. Testing has shown that the bumps result in an almost ten percent increase in the lift of a fin or blade. It decreases the drag of a blade or fin by one-third. In fact, one scientist concluded that the design is much better than "what [our] systems can accomplish." Inspired, scientists investigated whether similar tubercles could increase the efficiency of manmade blades such as those used on wind turbines. You may also find tubercles on helicopter blades and fan blades, as well.

While science can discover the excellency and superiority of God's design, it cannot learn of His spiritual wisdom by investigating the creation. That is revealed to us in Holy Scripture which tells us that He designed and created the whales as well as planning and carrying out His plan for our salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Father, I thank You for revealing the wisdom of Your salvation to me through Your Holy Word. Amen.

Answers, 4-6/09, p. 54, A. Peter Galling, "A Whale of a Design."

 

UNKNOWN TREASURES STILL BEING DISCOVERED

Proverbs 31:22

"She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple."
Many types of insects make silk. Among them, they make many types of silk. But many of the multitude of species of the caddisfly make a very unique silk even among silk-makers.

Many species of caddisfly larvae live underwater, which is where they spin their special silk. They spin silk to surround all but their head and four legs. Then they stick underwater debris like sand and bits of leaf to the silk. This helps camouflage them as they grow. It works so well that until recently scientists didn't realize that the caddisfly's protective cocoon was actually formed around silk. Perhaps you have already figured out what makes this silk unique. It is not only the only silk spun underwater, but it stays sticky despite the wet environment. Scientists are studying the chemistry of the silk to learn its secrets. What they learn could help them design a surgical tape for use in the body.

That we can learn so much from the creation bespeaks a Designer. If such designs were just the result of nature mindlessly stumbling upon these solutions, chances are that mankind would also have stumbled upon them by now, too. That we can learn such knowledge and apply it to problems we face is also among the treasures our Creator has placed in the creation for us.

Father, I thank You that You have filled Your creation with so many treasures for us, including the treasure of knowledge. Amen.

http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/news-fly-glue-creates-bioadhesive-030110.aspx
xmlmenuid=5, 3/1/10 "Fly Glue Creates Bioadhesive."