HOW TO ENGINEER A BETTER TURTLE
Genesis 1:21
And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Leatherback turtles make use of far more of the sea than most creatures. They can dive to depths of over 4,000 feet. They prefer cold, open ocean waters but lay their eggs on tropical beaches. Not only are they found all over the world, but the same individual may be found all over the world. In 1970, a turtle that was tagged off the South American coast also turned up just off the West African coast, almost 4,000 miles away.
Leatherbacks are uniquely designed, inside and out, to travel the world’s seas. Their bodies are teardrop shaped. This gives them nearly ideal efficiency traveling through water. In addition, they have seven ridges along the length of their upper shell, further increasing the efficiency of water flow around them. Their bodies, including the shell, are covered with a very smooth, leathery skin. Studies of leatherback hatchlings show that they use 20 percent less energy to swim through the water than any other turtle hatchling.
Leatherbacks live their entire lives in the open sea, except for a trip to shore to lay eggs every few years. They almost never stop moving. Scientists who attached radio monitors to leatherbacks were astonished to find that they swim and dive day and night, never stopping to sleep. Their front flippers are more than half the length of the entire body. They are driven by powerful pectoral muscles that can make up as much as 30 percent of the turtle’s weight.
The leatherback turtle is a marvelously designed creature whose very existence glorifies our Creator.
Lord, I thank You for the excellence You put into everything that You have made. Help my every effort that it might be my best and most excellent offering to You in thanksgiving for Your goodness to me. Amen.
Eckert, ScottA. 1992. “Bound for deep water.” Natural History, Mar., p. 29. Photo: Female leatherback. (PD)
Genesis 1:21
And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Leatherback turtles make use of far more of the sea than most creatures. They can dive to depths of over 4,000 feet. They prefer cold, open ocean waters but lay their eggs on tropical beaches. Not only are they found all over the world, but the same individual may be found all over the world. In 1970, a turtle that was tagged off the South American coast also turned up just off the West African coast, almost 4,000 miles away.
Leatherbacks are uniquely designed, inside and out, to travel the world’s seas. Their bodies are teardrop shaped. This gives them nearly ideal efficiency traveling through water. In addition, they have seven ridges along the length of their upper shell, further increasing the efficiency of water flow around them. Their bodies, including the shell, are covered with a very smooth, leathery skin. Studies of leatherback hatchlings show that they use 20 percent less energy to swim through the water than any other turtle hatchling.
Leatherbacks live their entire lives in the open sea, except for a trip to shore to lay eggs every few years. They almost never stop moving. Scientists who attached radio monitors to leatherbacks were astonished to find that they swim and dive day and night, never stopping to sleep. Their front flippers are more than half the length of the entire body. They are driven by powerful pectoral muscles that can make up as much as 30 percent of the turtle’s weight.
The leatherback turtle is a marvelously designed creature whose very existence glorifies our Creator.
Lord, I thank You for the excellence You put into everything that You have made. Help my every effort that it might be my best and most excellent offering to You in thanksgiving for Your goodness to me. Amen.
Eckert, ScottA. 1992. “Bound for deep water.” Natural History, Mar., p. 29. Photo: Female leatherback. (PD)
MUSIC GRASS
Genesis 4:21
And his brother�s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.
Reed instruments like the oboe and clarinet trace their ancestry back to instruments made by the Egyptians more than 4,000 years ago. An Egyptian relief dated to about 2700 B.C. shows a clarinet- type instrument.
This means that humans have been dealing with the problem of making reeds work in reed instruments for thousands of years. Natural reeds can crack, break and make awful honking noises as they age and wear out. Today, many musicians use plastic reeds. Still, professional musicians reject the sound of plastic reeds as inferior for public performance. As one professional musician put it, �They sound kind of like a duck with laryngitis.�
Reeds are fashioned from the giant reed plant. This large grass grows to a height of seven or eight feet. Reeds are made from the sections between the nodes. However, a seven-foot stalk may have only 25 sections that are the right dimensions for an oboe reed. After harvesting and curing, a process that takes nine months, sections are selected on the basis of size and color. One plant may produce only one oboe reed. The goal is to obtain a reed that has a crisp tone over a wide range of notes. Out of a box of 100 reeds, which can cost $150, the professional musician may find two that he considers excellent.
Making music is one of the earliest human activities described in the Bible. The mention of music early in Genesis shows us that the earliest people were just as human as people today.
I thank You, dear heavenly Father, for the gift of music. Help us to use music to praise You and rejoice in Your generous goodness to us. In Jesus� Name. Amen.
Schmidt, Karen F. 1991. �Good vibrations: musician-scientists probe the woodwind reed.� Science News, Vol. 140, Dec. 14, p. 392. Photo: Alto and tenor saxophone reeds. (PD)
Genesis 4:21
And his brother�s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.
Reed instruments like the oboe and clarinet trace their ancestry back to instruments made by the Egyptians more than 4,000 years ago. An Egyptian relief dated to about 2700 B.C. shows a clarinet- type instrument.
This means that humans have been dealing with the problem of making reeds work in reed instruments for thousands of years. Natural reeds can crack, break and make awful honking noises as they age and wear out. Today, many musicians use plastic reeds. Still, professional musicians reject the sound of plastic reeds as inferior for public performance. As one professional musician put it, �They sound kind of like a duck with laryngitis.�
Reeds are fashioned from the giant reed plant. This large grass grows to a height of seven or eight feet. Reeds are made from the sections between the nodes. However, a seven-foot stalk may have only 25 sections that are the right dimensions for an oboe reed. After harvesting and curing, a process that takes nine months, sections are selected on the basis of size and color. One plant may produce only one oboe reed. The goal is to obtain a reed that has a crisp tone over a wide range of notes. Out of a box of 100 reeds, which can cost $150, the professional musician may find two that he considers excellent.
Making music is one of the earliest human activities described in the Bible. The mention of music early in Genesis shows us that the earliest people were just as human as people today.
I thank You, dear heavenly Father, for the gift of music. Help us to use music to praise You and rejoice in Your generous goodness to us. In Jesus� Name. Amen.
Schmidt, Karen F. 1991. �Good vibrations: musician-scientists probe the woodwind reed.� Science News, Vol. 140, Dec. 14, p. 392. Photo: Alto and tenor saxophone reeds. (PD)
MASTERS OF MIMICRY
Isaiah 40:28
Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
Though they are only insects, stick insects seem to have an amazing knowledge of their surroundings. They are geniuses at using their predators� weakness for their own protection.
Stick insects are leaf eaters. Many of them look like little twigs. The longest insect in the world is a walking stick from Borneo that reaches a length of 13 inches. A tropical stick is as thick as a finger and the same color as the bamboo on which it is often found. It also has swollen ridges that make it look even more like bamboo. Other types have leafy flaps that match the leaves of the plants they frequent. Some stick insects go even further. They lay eggs that look exactly like the seeds of the plant on which they feed. A stick that�s found in New Mexico glues its eggs to grass stems. The position and shape of the long pointed eggs exactly mimic the seeds of that species of grass.
While they don�t fly, some sticks have brightly colored wings that they can rapidly unfurl. They use this ability to startle away nervous birds who might want to investigate them for lunch. Sticks will often sway with the breeze to make their illusion more effective. Some sticks will sit motionless for hours. Some birds understand this and will closely examine non-moving twigs. Sticks will often refuse to move even when being carried away by a bird. This tactic has fooled many birds into thinking it really was a twig and releasing it.
Stick insects are clearly not the result of mindless chance. Their intelligence was created by the Creator of the universe.
Dear Lord, I can never thank You enough that You are the Creator and in charge of the universe. Many in our world do not know this and live in hopelessness. Help us to reach them in their hopelessness with Your good news. Amen.
Sivinski, John. 1992. �When is a stick not a stick?� Natural History, June, p. 30. Photo: The stick insect Ctenomorpha chronus. (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Isaiah 40:28
Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
Though they are only insects, stick insects seem to have an amazing knowledge of their surroundings. They are geniuses at using their predators� weakness for their own protection.
Stick insects are leaf eaters. Many of them look like little twigs. The longest insect in the world is a walking stick from Borneo that reaches a length of 13 inches. A tropical stick is as thick as a finger and the same color as the bamboo on which it is often found. It also has swollen ridges that make it look even more like bamboo. Other types have leafy flaps that match the leaves of the plants they frequent. Some stick insects go even further. They lay eggs that look exactly like the seeds of the plant on which they feed. A stick that�s found in New Mexico glues its eggs to grass stems. The position and shape of the long pointed eggs exactly mimic the seeds of that species of grass.
While they don�t fly, some sticks have brightly colored wings that they can rapidly unfurl. They use this ability to startle away nervous birds who might want to investigate them for lunch. Sticks will often sway with the breeze to make their illusion more effective. Some sticks will sit motionless for hours. Some birds understand this and will closely examine non-moving twigs. Sticks will often refuse to move even when being carried away by a bird. This tactic has fooled many birds into thinking it really was a twig and releasing it.
Stick insects are clearly not the result of mindless chance. Their intelligence was created by the Creator of the universe.
Dear Lord, I can never thank You enough that You are the Creator and in charge of the universe. Many in our world do not know this and live in hopelessness. Help us to reach them in their hopelessness with Your good news. Amen.
Sivinski, John. 1992. �When is a stick not a stick?� Natural History, June, p. 30. Photo: The stick insect Ctenomorpha chronus. (CC BY-SA 3.0)
NATURAL MUSICAL ABILITIES
Ephesians 5:19-20
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
We have previously reported on research that shows that human beings are born with a natural language ability. We are not only born with a hunger to learn language, we are also born with certain expectations about what language is. This fact can only serve as a witness to the Creator and His genius.
Now research into how infants respond to music has shown that we are also born with a readiness to learn the basics of what music should sound like. Western major and minor scales follow a certain mathematical pattern. However, the Javanese pelog scale is based on much more complex mathematical relationships. Those who have grown up with Western musical patterns find that music written in the pelog system sounds weird to their ears. When does this sense that tells us that certain mathematical patterns of notes don�t fit together develop?
To find out, researchers tested adults and six-month-olds. Adults can easily identify notes that don�t seem to fit in a string. The infants had been trained to look at a speaker when a note was not in tune. When they were right, they were rewarded by watching the actions of an animated toy. Infants that had been trained in both Western and pelog scales did better at identifying mistuned pelog notes than untrained adults.
Music is a gift of God. We find music used and referred to from early in Genesis to the end of the book of Revelation. The greatest use we can make of music is in praise of our Creator.
I thank You, Lord, for the gift of music. It makes our hearts glad and gives us yet another way to worship You. Help Your people always make use of music. Amen.
�Infants tune in to the sounds of music.� Science News, Vol. 138, p. 46. Photo: Courtesy of Pixabay. (PD)
Ephesians 5:19-20
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
We have previously reported on research that shows that human beings are born with a natural language ability. We are not only born with a hunger to learn language, we are also born with certain expectations about what language is. This fact can only serve as a witness to the Creator and His genius.
Now research into how infants respond to music has shown that we are also born with a readiness to learn the basics of what music should sound like. Western major and minor scales follow a certain mathematical pattern. However, the Javanese pelog scale is based on much more complex mathematical relationships. Those who have grown up with Western musical patterns find that music written in the pelog system sounds weird to their ears. When does this sense that tells us that certain mathematical patterns of notes don�t fit together develop?
To find out, researchers tested adults and six-month-olds. Adults can easily identify notes that don�t seem to fit in a string. The infants had been trained to look at a speaker when a note was not in tune. When they were right, they were rewarded by watching the actions of an animated toy. Infants that had been trained in both Western and pelog scales did better at identifying mistuned pelog notes than untrained adults.
Music is a gift of God. We find music used and referred to from early in Genesis to the end of the book of Revelation. The greatest use we can make of music is in praise of our Creator.
I thank You, Lord, for the gift of music. It makes our hearts glad and gives us yet another way to worship You. Help Your people always make use of music. Amen.
�Infants tune in to the sounds of music.� Science News, Vol. 138, p. 46. Photo: Courtesy of Pixabay. (PD)
REPTILIAN HOUSING DEVELOPMENT EXPERT
Psalm 40:5
Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
He looks slow and unimportant. He spends 90 percent of his time underground. But the gopher tortoise constructs a housing development that is home to over 360 species. In addition, his tunnels provide emergency shelter to many other creatures during forest fires.
Gopher tortoise burrows are often 30 feet long and may extend to a depth of 15 feet. The record length of a tunnel is nearly 50 feet. One tortoise may dig or enlarge many tunnels over its 60-year lifetime. Obviously, the tortoise is well-designed for digging, with spade-like front legs. The tortoise is a vegetarian. It is found in temperate climates, so its burrow serves to protect it from winter temperatures that are dangerous to reptiles. In addition, the tortoise has a large urinary bladder touching the back of its shell that acts as a hot-water bottle. The tortoise heats the water by aiming its back at the sun.
Because the tortoise can weigh over 10 pounds, its tunnels are large enough to accommodate many creatures. The Florida mouse will dig several tunnels off the main tunnel that it calls home. Insects, lizards, snakes, alligators, bobcats, and even wild turkeys, burrowing owls, wrens and robins use the burrow for shelter or to look for food. Abandoned burrows may be used by foxes, skunks and other mammals for dens.
The gopher tortoise, now endangered, has been designed by the Creator to make the forest community richer and more diverse.
Father in heaven, I ask that you would move those who can do something for the gopher tortoise to take reasonable steps to preserve this wonderful creature in forested areas. In Jesus� Name. Amen.
Burke, Russell L. 1992. �Multiple Occupancy.� Natural History, June, p. 9. Photo: Gopher tortoise hatchling. Courtesy of Steve Beger. (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Psalm 40:5
Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
He looks slow and unimportant. He spends 90 percent of his time underground. But the gopher tortoise constructs a housing development that is home to over 360 species. In addition, his tunnels provide emergency shelter to many other creatures during forest fires.
Gopher tortoise burrows are often 30 feet long and may extend to a depth of 15 feet. The record length of a tunnel is nearly 50 feet. One tortoise may dig or enlarge many tunnels over its 60-year lifetime. Obviously, the tortoise is well-designed for digging, with spade-like front legs. The tortoise is a vegetarian. It is found in temperate climates, so its burrow serves to protect it from winter temperatures that are dangerous to reptiles. In addition, the tortoise has a large urinary bladder touching the back of its shell that acts as a hot-water bottle. The tortoise heats the water by aiming its back at the sun.
Because the tortoise can weigh over 10 pounds, its tunnels are large enough to accommodate many creatures. The Florida mouse will dig several tunnels off the main tunnel that it calls home. Insects, lizards, snakes, alligators, bobcats, and even wild turkeys, burrowing owls, wrens and robins use the burrow for shelter or to look for food. Abandoned burrows may be used by foxes, skunks and other mammals for dens.
The gopher tortoise, now endangered, has been designed by the Creator to make the forest community richer and more diverse.
Father in heaven, I ask that you would move those who can do something for the gopher tortoise to take reasonable steps to preserve this wonderful creature in forested areas. In Jesus� Name. Amen.
Burke, Russell L. 1992. �Multiple Occupancy.� Natural History, June, p. 9. Photo: Gopher tortoise hatchling. Courtesy of Steve Beger. (CC BY-SA 2.0)
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