“Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.”
There is a strong link between physics and music. Usually, the best way to understand sound is to see how musical instruments work. Consider, for example, how stringed instruments make music by vibration.A guitar has six strings, all of which are the same length. However, a number of factors affect the sound. The pitch of the sound can be affected in a number of ways. If more tension is put into the string, by tightening the machine head, then the pitch goes up. The strings are usually different thicknesses. If all six strings are tightened to the same tension, then the one with the greater thickness will have the lowest pitch.The pitch can be defined in terms of the frequency of the string vibrations. Frequency means how many times the string vibrates in a second. The greater the frequency, the higher the pitch.How loud the sound is is related to the “height” of the sound wave – called the amplitude. A greater amplitude indicates a louder sound.So there is a great deal of Math and Physics involved in the study of music. But no amount of scientific research can explain why, for example, Beethoven chose to put the various notes, of different pitch and timbre, together in a work like his Symphony. That creativity is possible only because humans are made in the image of God, and we reflect His creativity when we exercise ours.
Craters
“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?”
Even a small telescope will show you that the surface of the Moon is covered with craters. On the Earth, most craters are the remnants of volcanic activity. However, there are a small number of craters formed by the impact of meteoroids – a general term, covering the type of objects likely to form impact craters. Studies of the Moon’s surface suggest that the majority of Lunar craters are impact craters.
The rate of impact by meteoroids is pretty small today, so, if that rate were constant, then the cratered surface of the Moon could have taken millions of years to get like it is. However, studies of the possible lava flows in the Moon’s maria areas suggest that the impacts must have been much greater in the past. And the Moon is not the only object in the Solar System with craters. Space exploration has shown that most solid objects in the Solar System have a lot of craters on them. Photographs of Mercury are often mistaken for pictures of the Moon, so covered in craters is the planet’s surface.Creationists suggest that there was a massive cratering event at some point in the past. There are two competing models, both of which seem to work biblically. Some suggest that craters are part of the planet forming events on Day Four of the Creation Week. Others suggest that cratering occurred at the onset of the Flood, and could have been the mechanism used by God to trigger the Flood.
Even a small telescope will show you that the surface of the Moon is covered with craters. On the Earth, most craters are the remnants of volcanic activity. However, there are a small number of craters formed by the impact of meteoroids – a general term, covering the type of objects likely to form impact craters. Studies of the Moon’s surface suggest that the majority of Lunar craters are impact craters.
The rate of impact by meteoroids is pretty small today, so, if that rate were constant, then the cratered surface of the Moon could have taken millions of years to get like it is. However, studies of the possible lava flows in the Moon’s maria areas suggest that the impacts must have been much greater in the past. And the Moon is not the only object in the Solar System with craters. Space exploration has shown that most solid objects in the Solar System have a lot of craters on them. Photographs of Mercury are often mistaken for pictures of the Moon, so covered in craters is the planet’s surface.Creationists suggest that there was a massive cratering event at some point in the past. There are two competing models, both of which seem to work biblically. Some suggest that craters are part of the planet forming events on Day Four of the Creation Week. Others suggest that cratering occurred at the onset of the Flood, and could have been the mechanism used by God to trigger the Flood.
Seas on the Earth
“And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.”
Did you know that the Earth doesn’t have any water on it? Yup. It’s bone-dry. Or at least it should be, according to the nebular hypothesis (the standard secular model for the origin of our Solar System).
This nebula hypothesis suggests that all planets condensed out of a cloud of dust and gas orbiting the Sun about 4.6 billion years ago. Lighter, more volatile materials would only be able to condense into planets further away from the Sun; hence, the formation of the gas giants.So, water, being a highly volatile substance, could not have formed on the surface of the Earth. Yet here it is! Water covers 70% of the Earth’s surface.So, other evolutionary astronomers have suggested that water arrived on the Earth after its formation, possibly by the impact of comets.Now, it is true that comets often contain a lot of water. A water molecule has the chemical formula H2O. However, hydrogen atoms exist in more than one isotope. The two most common are called hydrogen and deuterium. So some water molecules contain a deuterium atom in place of one of the hydrogens. Comet ice contains a lot more deuterium than the Earth’s water, so Earth’s water could not have come from comets.The Bible’s explanation, that the water was here at the beginning, is much more consistent with the observations.
This nebula hypothesis suggests that all planets condensed out of a cloud of dust and gas orbiting the Sun about 4.6 billion years ago. Lighter, more volatile materials would only be able to condense into planets further away from the Sun; hence, the formation of the gas giants.So, water, being a highly volatile substance, could not have formed on the surface of the Earth. Yet here it is! Water covers 70% of the Earth’s surface.So, other evolutionary astronomers have suggested that water arrived on the Earth after its formation, possibly by the impact of comets.Now, it is true that comets often contain a lot of water. A water molecule has the chemical formula H2O. However, hydrogen atoms exist in more than one isotope. The two most common are called hydrogen and deuterium. So some water molecules contain a deuterium atom in place of one of the hydrogens. Comet ice contains a lot more deuterium than the Earth’s water, so Earth’s water could not have come from comets.The Bible’s explanation, that the water was here at the beginning, is much more consistent with the observations.
Seas on the Moon
“He holdeth back the face of his throne, and spreadeth his cloud upon it.”
The Moon is the only object in the night sky whose surface features can be studied from the Earth without the need for a telescope. One might think that a Full Moon would be the best time to observe, but, in fact, the brightness and glare make it difficult to make out all the features. Crescents and half-moons are better, and many images of the lunar surface seen in books and on the internet are actually composites of two half-moons, rather than a full moon shot.
The most obvious feature of the Moon’s earthward-facing side are the large gray areas known as maria. This is the Latin word for seas, and at one time, it was thought that these could actually be water-filled seas. We now know that they are gray plains which scatter less incident sunlight than the mountains and craters, and, hence, appear darker. They appear to be volcanic in origin, having been formed by basaltic flows. Evolutionary astronomers believe that these lava flows happened hundreds of millions of years after a period of intense bombardment; yet, that bombardment caused the lava flows. Their problem is the existence of ghost craters – craters filled in by mare formation, but still visible in outline. Yet, they believe this cratering took place over a long period of time.In short, the formation of the Moon’s maria is much more consistent with the biblical account of the Moon’s creation on the Fourth Day.
The most obvious feature of the Moon’s earthward-facing side are the large gray areas known as maria. This is the Latin word for seas, and at one time, it was thought that these could actually be water-filled seas. We now know that they are gray plains which scatter less incident sunlight than the mountains and craters, and, hence, appear darker. They appear to be volcanic in origin, having been formed by basaltic flows. Evolutionary astronomers believe that these lava flows happened hundreds of millions of years after a period of intense bombardment; yet, that bombardment caused the lava flows. Their problem is the existence of ghost craters – craters filled in by mare formation, but still visible in outline. Yet, they believe this cratering took place over a long period of time.In short, the formation of the Moon’s maria is much more consistent with the biblical account of the Moon’s creation on the Fourth Day.
Earth and Moon
“His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.”
Strictly speaking, the Moon does not orbit the Earth. Let me explain. The Moon is actually a large body compared to the Earth. It is the fifth largest natural satellite in the Solar System. Only three moons of Jupiter (Ganymede, Callisto and Io) and one moon of Saturn (Titan) are larger. In fact, it is the 14 largest object in the Solar System. Its volume is 2% that of the Earth, and its mass 1%. So it is a very significant size compared to the Earth. That means that the Moon doesn’t really orbit the Earth. Both Earth and Moon orbit a common center of gravity. However, that center of gravity is within the surface of the Earth.This large size for the Moon, compared to its host planet, means that Earth and Moon affect each other greatly. The Earth’s gravitational pull on the Moon is such that it maintains a synchronous orbit, where its rotation on its axis occurs at the same rate as its orbital period. The practical result of this is that one side of the Moon is constantly facing the Earth, while the other constantly faces away.The Moon’s gravity affects the Earth by pulling somewhat on the oceans, causing a bulge, which is what gives us our tides. These tidal forces also operate on the land but are not so noticeable.God made the Moon special and caused it to be the faithful witness in the sky, “dying” for three days, then rising again.
The Lesser Light
“And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.”
One of the most significant differences between the true account of creation in Genesis and the various myths of the Ancient Near East is that those myths give great prominence to the Sun and the Moon. In many cases, these are supposed to be god-consorts; the Sun being the male god and the Moon his wife, though in some legends, it is the other way around. The Bible’s actual history, however, emphasizes that the Sun and Moon were both created objects, and that God did not even create them until the Fourth Day. If that was not enough humiliation for these pretender gods, Genesis does not even refer to them by name! It simply calls them the Greater Light (to rule the day) and the Lesser Light (to rule the night).
It is clear why the Greater Light is set to rule the day. The daytime is defined by the Sun, even though we know, of course, that God caused the first three days to happen without the Sun being in existence. But it is intriguing to think of the Moon ruling the night. For a start, some might object that the Moon is sometimes seen during the day. Not only that, but its phases mean that the amount of light during the hours of darkness varies a great deal.
It turns out that many nocturnal animals need this variation, and, in particular, need the limited light provided by the Moon. God created everything just right for life on Earth.
It is clear why the Greater Light is set to rule the day. The daytime is defined by the Sun, even though we know, of course, that God caused the first three days to happen without the Sun being in existence. But it is intriguing to think of the Moon ruling the night. For a start, some might object that the Moon is sometimes seen during the day. Not only that, but its phases mean that the amount of light during the hours of darkness varies a great deal.
It turns out that many nocturnal animals need this variation, and, in particular, need the limited light provided by the Moon. God created everything just right for life on Earth.
Do Baby Planets Exist?
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.”
We have discussed in previous Creation Moments how those who believe in the Big Bang Theory (let’s call them Big Bang Believers) have a sophisticated model of star formation into which they plug a number of interesting observations which could easily be interpreted in another way. For example, they would claim that certain gas molecule clouds, such as the Eagle Nebula, which contain small, bright stars, are, in fact, nurseries where stars are born. They then make the claim that they have observational evidence for the birth of stars, but this is, logically, a circular argument. The observed nebula is interpreted as the birth of stars only because it is interpreted according to their Big Bang Belief. The nebula cannot then be offered up as evidential proof for the very theory which is used to interpret it.In a similar manner, Big Bang Believers have a theory of planetary formation. In most cases, they assume that a cloud of gas and dust orbits the newly formed star and that, following a disturbance by something such as another star passing by, clumps of rock begin to aggregate under gravity until planet-sized lumps are formed.One cloud of gas was recently reported as emanating from an observed star 685 light years away. The star has an evolutionary age of 2 million years. But what was actually observed is a large stellar flare. A Big Bang interpretation does not constitute proof and cannot undermine the Scriptural position that God made such objects on Day Four.
Do Baby Stars Exist?
"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.”
Big Bang Believers have an entire story about the life cycle of stars. It is a sophisticated story, as it has to encompass stars of many different types and lots of observed phenomena. However, its sophistication does not authenticate every element of it.One of the consequences of this belief is the observation of so-called star nurseries. This leads to the claim that we can see stars forming in clouds of molecules or nebulae. After all, the model for star formation that Big Bang Believers use is that something disturbs the constituent parts of a molecular cloud so that molecules stick together in clumps. These clumps are said to act on each other by gravity, growing bigger and bigger, while the center gets hotter and hotter, until hydrogen atoms at the center begin to undergo nuclear fusion, and the star switches on! It must be emphasized over and over again that this has not been observed to happen. Again, this has not been observed to happen. What is actually observed is the molecular cloud with small stars inside it, so the observation is assumed to be part of the story. One website suggested that the necessary disturbance could be caused by a comet passing through the nebula. But such a passage by a comet has not been observed. God has certainly made an active universe in which there are changes that can be observed or inferred. But these things declare His glory, not random, deep-time chance.