DARWIN WAS NO GEOLOGIST
Psalm 46:2
"Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea."
Charles Darwin's ignorance of geology, a science he never studied, probably resulted in the biological errors he made in formulating his theory of biological evolution.
As he sailed on the Beagle to the Pacific, Charles Darwin read Charles Lyell's book, Principles of Geology. That book, of course, theorized that the Earth's geology was the result of the slow processes we see today working over millions of years. On the way to the Galapagos, he had a 16-day stopover in Argentina. He spent some of the time exploring the valley of the lower Santa Cruz River. He later wondered in his journal how the small and lazy Santa Cruz River could have carved the 300-foot-deep valley. But he allowed that Lyell's idea of long ages could solve that problem.
Later, at the Galapagos, he tried to explain plant and animal diversity based on those same long ages. Today, geologists believe that melting glaciers at the headwaters of the river formed a huge lake behind a natural dam. When that dam broke, the rushing lake water quickly cut a spillway that became the valley through which the Santa Cruz River gently flows today.
It appears as though Darwin's assumption that Lyell knew what he was talking about when he wrote of long geological ages influenced his biological interpretations.
Lord, when I am intimidated by evolutionary challenges to the truth of Your Word, comfort me with Your promises. Amen.
Acts & Facts, 7/08, pp. 10-12, Steven A. Austin, "Red Rock Pass: Spillway of the Bonneville Flood." Photo: Crossing the River Santa Cruz at Comandante Luis Piedra Buena, Argentina. Courtesy of James Cadwell. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 1.0 Generic license.
Psalm 46:2
"Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea."
Charles Darwin's ignorance of geology, a science he never studied, probably resulted in the biological errors he made in formulating his theory of biological evolution.
As he sailed on the Beagle to the Pacific, Charles Darwin read Charles Lyell's book, Principles of Geology. That book, of course, theorized that the Earth's geology was the result of the slow processes we see today working over millions of years. On the way to the Galapagos, he had a 16-day stopover in Argentina. He spent some of the time exploring the valley of the lower Santa Cruz River. He later wondered in his journal how the small and lazy Santa Cruz River could have carved the 300-foot-deep valley. But he allowed that Lyell's idea of long ages could solve that problem.
Later, at the Galapagos, he tried to explain plant and animal diversity based on those same long ages. Today, geologists believe that melting glaciers at the headwaters of the river formed a huge lake behind a natural dam. When that dam broke, the rushing lake water quickly cut a spillway that became the valley through which the Santa Cruz River gently flows today.
It appears as though Darwin's assumption that Lyell knew what he was talking about when he wrote of long geological ages influenced his biological interpretations.
Lord, when I am intimidated by evolutionary challenges to the truth of Your Word, comfort me with Your promises. Amen.
Acts & Facts, 7/08, pp. 10-12, Steven A. Austin, "Red Rock Pass: Spillway of the Bonneville Flood." Photo: Crossing the River Santa Cruz at Comandante Luis Piedra Buena, Argentina. Courtesy of James Cadwell. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 1.0 Generic license.
HOW THE DINOSAURS DIED
Genesis 7:21
"And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man."
The Bible says that when the flood waters came upon the Earth, all living things that have the breath of life were killed. While many of them drowned, some were encased in mud while still alive, as some fossils show. What they all had in common is that they died from lack of oxygen.
Paleontologists have long noted that many animal fossils are found with their heads thrown back. This is called the "dead bird" position. Some paleontologists assumed that the fossilized creature had fallen into the water when it died where the current pushed its head back. Others suggested that when rigor mortis set in, the head was pulled back. A third suggestion was that as the body decayed, drying tendons in the back of the neck pulled it back.
A little research ruled out rigor mortis as the cause of the "dead bird" position. Experiments using tendons from several different animals ruled out the "drying tendons" explanation. Finally, a credible explanation was found. Nerve damage. Specifically, the kind of nerve damage caused by lack of oxygen. While there are several causes for hypoxia, the most common cause is drowning.
That the "dead bird" position is so common among fossils paints a picture of the death that was a result of God's judgment in the Flood. His mercy to Noah shows us His love.
Father, I thank You for Your Word, which tells me of Your love for me in Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Science News, 6/23/07, p. 390, C. Barry, "Jurassic CSI." For more information about the "dinosaur death pose": http://www.genesispark.com/exhibits/trivia/death-pose/. Photo from the Genesis Park website.
Genesis 7:21
"And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man."
The Bible says that when the flood waters came upon the Earth, all living things that have the breath of life were killed. While many of them drowned, some were encased in mud while still alive, as some fossils show. What they all had in common is that they died from lack of oxygen.
Paleontologists have long noted that many animal fossils are found with their heads thrown back. This is called the "dead bird" position. Some paleontologists assumed that the fossilized creature had fallen into the water when it died where the current pushed its head back. Others suggested that when rigor mortis set in, the head was pulled back. A third suggestion was that as the body decayed, drying tendons in the back of the neck pulled it back.
A little research ruled out rigor mortis as the cause of the "dead bird" position. Experiments using tendons from several different animals ruled out the "drying tendons" explanation. Finally, a credible explanation was found. Nerve damage. Specifically, the kind of nerve damage caused by lack of oxygen. While there are several causes for hypoxia, the most common cause is drowning.
That the "dead bird" position is so common among fossils paints a picture of the death that was a result of God's judgment in the Flood. His mercy to Noah shows us His love.
Father, I thank You for Your Word, which tells me of Your love for me in Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Science News, 6/23/07, p. 390, C. Barry, "Jurassic CSI." For more information about the "dinosaur death pose": http://www.genesispark.com/exhibits/trivia/death-pose/. Photo from the Genesis Park website.
REAL ROOTS
Genesis 13:8
"And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren."
People and animals recognize their siblings and generally treat them differently than unrelated acquaintances. Scientists wanted to know: do plants do the same thing?
Researchers from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, studied the Great Lakes searocket with the hope of finding out. This member of the mustard family grows on the sandy beaches of lakes and the Atlantic coast. First, they collected seeds along a beach. They kept a record of which seeds were collected from the same mother plant. Then they planted the seeds in groups. Some of the groups had unrelated plants, while other groupings were all siblings.
After the plants had grown long enough to develop good, aggressive root systems, researchers carefully removed the root systems from the sand in which they were growing. After rinsing and drying the roots, they weighed each plant's root system. They learned that unrelated plants growing in a group had 15 percent more root system than siblings growing together. In other words, unrelated plants grew a more aggressive root system for gathering water and nutrients. Siblings were less aggressive toward each other. In short, sibling plants seemed to have recognized each other.
Just as godly Abram did not wish to aggressively compete with his nephew, apparently some plants do the same.
Thank You, Lord, for my family. I also thank you for the heavenly family of believers who are united in Christ. Amen.
Science News, 6/16/07, p. 372, S. Milius, "Easy There, Bro." Photo: Coastal searocket. Courtesy: United States Dept. of Agriculture.
Genesis 13:8
"And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren."
People and animals recognize their siblings and generally treat them differently than unrelated acquaintances. Scientists wanted to know: do plants do the same thing?
Researchers from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, studied the Great Lakes searocket with the hope of finding out. This member of the mustard family grows on the sandy beaches of lakes and the Atlantic coast. First, they collected seeds along a beach. They kept a record of which seeds were collected from the same mother plant. Then they planted the seeds in groups. Some of the groups had unrelated plants, while other groupings were all siblings.
After the plants had grown long enough to develop good, aggressive root systems, researchers carefully removed the root systems from the sand in which they were growing. After rinsing and drying the roots, they weighed each plant's root system. They learned that unrelated plants growing in a group had 15 percent more root system than siblings growing together. In other words, unrelated plants grew a more aggressive root system for gathering water and nutrients. Siblings were less aggressive toward each other. In short, sibling plants seemed to have recognized each other.
Just as godly Abram did not wish to aggressively compete with his nephew, apparently some plants do the same.
Thank You, Lord, for my family. I also thank you for the heavenly family of believers who are united in Christ. Amen.
Science News, 6/16/07, p. 372, S. Milius, "Easy There, Bro." Photo: Coastal searocket. Courtesy: United States Dept. of Agriculture.
WHEN A BUG IS NOT AN ENGINEERING PROBLEM
Isaiah 54:11
"O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stone with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires."
Squid and chameleons change colors. So does the golden tortoise beetle. But it does so in a way never before seen.
Squid and chameleons change colors by signaling pigment cells in their skin to shrink or expand. The golden tortoise beetle uses an entirely different method. The beetle is normally a very shiny golden color. But when disturbed, it turns blood red. The secret of its color change lies in the unique structure of its shell. It is made up of transparent chitin. The chitin is arranged in three levels, each with their own layers. In between the layers are microscopic channels, connecting them together. Normally, the beetles' body fluid fills the layers, smoothing them into perfect mirrors. But when disturbed, the body fluid flows out, making the shell transparent and revealing a bright red fourth layer.
Scientists quickly recognized that this design could lead to some important new technology. "Nature never stops surprising us with elegant solutions to everyday problems," said a chemist at GE Global Research Center in Niskayuna, New York.
This design is such an "elegant solution" to some engineering problems that "nature" must be given credit as if it were a being. Why not just recognize that the Designer of this "elegant solution" is the Triune God Who created it and uses color to show His glory to His creation?
Thank you, Lord, for using color so generously to beautify Your creation and show forth Your glory. Amen.
Science News, 8/18/07, p. 99, C. Barry, "Mood Bugs." Photo: Golden tortoise beetle. Courtesy of Ilona Loser. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Isaiah 54:11
"O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stone with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires."
Squid and chameleons change colors. So does the golden tortoise beetle. But it does so in a way never before seen.
Squid and chameleons change colors by signaling pigment cells in their skin to shrink or expand. The golden tortoise beetle uses an entirely different method. The beetle is normally a very shiny golden color. But when disturbed, it turns blood red. The secret of its color change lies in the unique structure of its shell. It is made up of transparent chitin. The chitin is arranged in three levels, each with their own layers. In between the layers are microscopic channels, connecting them together. Normally, the beetles' body fluid fills the layers, smoothing them into perfect mirrors. But when disturbed, the body fluid flows out, making the shell transparent and revealing a bright red fourth layer.
Scientists quickly recognized that this design could lead to some important new technology. "Nature never stops surprising us with elegant solutions to everyday problems," said a chemist at GE Global Research Center in Niskayuna, New York.
This design is such an "elegant solution" to some engineering problems that "nature" must be given credit as if it were a being. Why not just recognize that the Designer of this "elegant solution" is the Triune God Who created it and uses color to show His glory to His creation?
Thank you, Lord, for using color so generously to beautify Your creation and show forth Your glory. Amen.
Science News, 8/18/07, p. 99, C. Barry, "Mood Bugs." Photo: Golden tortoise beetle. Courtesy of Ilona Loser. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD
Genesis 1:16
"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."
Astronomers who believe in evolution tell us that the stars formed when gas in a nebula began to gather due to gravity. Eventually, that gravity became strong enough to collapse the gas into a star.
Astronomers who believe in creation point out that this is unlikely, if not impossible. As we all know, compressed gas wants to expand by moving to areas of lower pressure. A cloud of gas that was large enough to begin compressing under gravity would begin to rotate faster. Magnetic forces would also increase. The increase in pressure, magnetic forces and centrifugal forces would overcome the forces of gravity, preventing the formation of a star.
At the same time, blue stars are common in the arms of the galaxies we can see. These stars are considered young because they burn their fuel so fast that they could only last a few million evolutionary years. On the evolutionary scale, they must have formed long after the Big Bang. The number of blue stars would then indicate to an evolutionist that star formation is common. Yet, as we have seen, the forces at work to form a star in this way make these stars either unlikely or younger than millions of years.
Perhaps God created the blue stars to serve as a clear indicator to scientists that He created the stars fairly recently.
I thank You, Father, for the beauty of the created heavens. The very existence of the stars praises Your Name. Amen.
Answers Magazine, 10-12/07, pp. 78-80, Jason Lisle, "The Stars of Heaven Confirm Biblical Creation." Photo: Alcyon, in Pleiades Star Cluster, a typical blue giant star.
Genesis 1:16
"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."
Astronomers who believe in evolution tell us that the stars formed when gas in a nebula began to gather due to gravity. Eventually, that gravity became strong enough to collapse the gas into a star.
Astronomers who believe in creation point out that this is unlikely, if not impossible. As we all know, compressed gas wants to expand by moving to areas of lower pressure. A cloud of gas that was large enough to begin compressing under gravity would begin to rotate faster. Magnetic forces would also increase. The increase in pressure, magnetic forces and centrifugal forces would overcome the forces of gravity, preventing the formation of a star.
At the same time, blue stars are common in the arms of the galaxies we can see. These stars are considered young because they burn their fuel so fast that they could only last a few million evolutionary years. On the evolutionary scale, they must have formed long after the Big Bang. The number of blue stars would then indicate to an evolutionist that star formation is common. Yet, as we have seen, the forces at work to form a star in this way make these stars either unlikely or younger than millions of years.
Perhaps God created the blue stars to serve as a clear indicator to scientists that He created the stars fairly recently.
I thank You, Father, for the beauty of the created heavens. The very existence of the stars praises Your Name. Amen.
Answers Magazine, 10-12/07, pp. 78-80, Jason Lisle, "The Stars of Heaven Confirm Biblical Creation." Photo: Alcyon, in Pleiades Star Cluster, a typical blue giant star.
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