GOD EXTENDS THE OLIVE LEAF TO US
Genesis 8:11
"And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth."
Many plant species undoubtedly became extinct during the Great Flood at the time of Noah. It has been speculated that many of the plants lost forever during the Flood offered better nutrition or medications than many of the plants we know today. This could be why, after the Flood, God allowed the eating of meat for the first time. Meat could make up for the nutrition no longer available in the now-extinct plants.
Today, we are extracting some powerful medicines from plants from all over the world. The olive is one plant that may hint at some of the extraordinary abilities that God may have built into some of the extinct plants. We've all heard about the healthy effects of olive oil. But it turns out that the olive leaf, too, provides some very healthy extracts.
One extract, oleuropein, found in all parts of the olive plant, has been shown to delay the formation of poisons formed by mold growing in nut meal. It can also stop the growth of one type of staphylococcus. Other studies suggest that this extract may relax the smooth muscles of artery walls, temporarily lowering blood pressure. In addition, it may help the heart function better and inhibit the formation of clogging plaques in the bloodstream. Other extracts from the olive leaf have been shown not only to be antioxidants, but also to slow the production of poisons or even destroy certain bacteria.
I thank You, dear Father, for all the blessings of the earth. Amen.
Optimal Nutrients, Olive Leaf Extract, Foster, CA. Photo: Olives from Jordan. Courtesy of Nickfraser. (CC-BY-SA 3.0)
Genesis 8:11
"And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth."
Many plant species undoubtedly became extinct during the Great Flood at the time of Noah. It has been speculated that many of the plants lost forever during the Flood offered better nutrition or medications than many of the plants we know today. This could be why, after the Flood, God allowed the eating of meat for the first time. Meat could make up for the nutrition no longer available in the now-extinct plants.
Today, we are extracting some powerful medicines from plants from all over the world. The olive is one plant that may hint at some of the extraordinary abilities that God may have built into some of the extinct plants. We've all heard about the healthy effects of olive oil. But it turns out that the olive leaf, too, provides some very healthy extracts.
One extract, oleuropein, found in all parts of the olive plant, has been shown to delay the formation of poisons formed by mold growing in nut meal. It can also stop the growth of one type of staphylococcus. Other studies suggest that this extract may relax the smooth muscles of artery walls, temporarily lowering blood pressure. In addition, it may help the heart function better and inhibit the formation of clogging plaques in the bloodstream. Other extracts from the olive leaf have been shown not only to be antioxidants, but also to slow the production of poisons or even destroy certain bacteria.
I thank You, dear Father, for all the blessings of the earth. Amen.
Optimal Nutrients, Olive Leaf Extract, Foster, CA. Photo: Olives from Jordan. Courtesy of Nickfraser. (CC-BY-SA 3.0)
THERE'S NOT A CHANCE IT'S CHANCE!
Psalm 104:24
"O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches."
As we learn more about the genetic code, it is becoming increasingly difficult to escape the conclusion that all living things - and by implication, all things - have a very wise, personal Creator. At least one researcher in this field has admitted that it is extremely unlikely that the genetic code shared by almost all living things arose by chance.
Researchers have concluded that nearly a billion billion genetic codes are possible. That's a one, followed by 20 zeros! But not all genetic codes are created equal, so to speak. Some are better than others at preventing errors when new genetic material or the proteins made by genetic material is produced. And when genetic errors are made in the production of protein, a better genetic code will seek to minimize the error. The genetic code we have is the best at doing this. More than that, the code we have is the best at minimizing the damage caused by faulty proteins at the very genes where it is most likely to happen! After admitting this code couldn't happen by chance, one researcher then gave the credit to "natural selection."
That the genetic code is an information storage system vastly more complex than anything we have ever built should tell us that it has a wise and powerful Creator. That the genetic system we have is the best one of over one billion billion possibilities should seal the case for God as Creator.
I thank You, Father, that I am Your hand made possession. Amen.
Jonathan Knight, "Top Translator", New Scientist, 4/18/98, p. 15. Photo: The genetic code is far more complex than the IBM Blue Gene/P supercomputer installation at the Argonne Leadership Angela Yang Computing Facility. Courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory. (CC-BY-SA 2.0)
Psalm 104:24
"O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches."
As we learn more about the genetic code, it is becoming increasingly difficult to escape the conclusion that all living things - and by implication, all things - have a very wise, personal Creator. At least one researcher in this field has admitted that it is extremely unlikely that the genetic code shared by almost all living things arose by chance.
Researchers have concluded that nearly a billion billion genetic codes are possible. That's a one, followed by 20 zeros! But not all genetic codes are created equal, so to speak. Some are better than others at preventing errors when new genetic material or the proteins made by genetic material is produced. And when genetic errors are made in the production of protein, a better genetic code will seek to minimize the error. The genetic code we have is the best at doing this. More than that, the code we have is the best at minimizing the damage caused by faulty proteins at the very genes where it is most likely to happen! After admitting this code couldn't happen by chance, one researcher then gave the credit to "natural selection."
That the genetic code is an information storage system vastly more complex than anything we have ever built should tell us that it has a wise and powerful Creator. That the genetic system we have is the best one of over one billion billion possibilities should seal the case for God as Creator.
I thank You, Father, that I am Your hand made possession. Amen.
Jonathan Knight, "Top Translator", New Scientist, 4/18/98, p. 15. Photo: The genetic code is far more complex than the IBM Blue Gene/P supercomputer installation at the Argonne Leadership Angela Yang Computing Facility. Courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory. (CC-BY-SA 2.0)
NOT SUCH BUMBLEBEES
Psalm 98:4
"Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise."
Scientists have long known that honeybees communicate the location of nectar sources to their nest mates. The language that many species use has even been deciphered. At the same time, it was long accepted that bumblebees did not communicate the location of food resources to their nest mates. After all, it is astonishing enough that a supposedly simple creature like the honeybee had mastered the advanced skill of communication, but can even simpler bees communicate?
Research reveals that there are at least several species of bumblebees and other stingless bees that communicate among themselves. As might be expected, the languages differ from species to species. One species of bumblebee reports her find to her nest mates by running zigzag over the combs and bumping into her nest mates. This leads them to check out the quality of the nectar she just returned. If she has brought several good loads in, they join her in bringing in more. Other species lay scent trails to the food source. When a member of another species finds a good source, she communicates to her nest mates through a series of pulsing buzzes. As she communicates the height of the source by the speed of the pulses, she performs a circular dance that communicates the rest of the instructions.
The Bible is accurate when it says that the entire creation can offer God praise. The languages may differ; the form of communication may not even look like communication to us. But now we know that since communication is a gift from God, even so called simple creatures can be given the gift by their Creator.
Father, I, too, praise and thank You for the gift of communication. Amen.
Susan Milus, "Look Who's Dancing", Science News, 4/3/99, v. 155, p. 216. Photo: Bumblebee. Courtesy of Alvesgaspar. (CC-BY-SA 3.0)
Psalm 98:4
"Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise."
Scientists have long known that honeybees communicate the location of nectar sources to their nest mates. The language that many species use has even been deciphered. At the same time, it was long accepted that bumblebees did not communicate the location of food resources to their nest mates. After all, it is astonishing enough that a supposedly simple creature like the honeybee had mastered the advanced skill of communication, but can even simpler bees communicate?
Research reveals that there are at least several species of bumblebees and other stingless bees that communicate among themselves. As might be expected, the languages differ from species to species. One species of bumblebee reports her find to her nest mates by running zigzag over the combs and bumping into her nest mates. This leads them to check out the quality of the nectar she just returned. If she has brought several good loads in, they join her in bringing in more. Other species lay scent trails to the food source. When a member of another species finds a good source, she communicates to her nest mates through a series of pulsing buzzes. As she communicates the height of the source by the speed of the pulses, she performs a circular dance that communicates the rest of the instructions.
The Bible is accurate when it says that the entire creation can offer God praise. The languages may differ; the form of communication may not even look like communication to us. But now we know that since communication is a gift from God, even so called simple creatures can be given the gift by their Creator.
Father, I, too, praise and thank You for the gift of communication. Amen.
Susan Milus, "Look Who's Dancing", Science News, 4/3/99, v. 155, p. 216. Photo: Bumblebee. Courtesy of Alvesgaspar. (CC-BY-SA 3.0)
IS YOUR BRAIN SHRINKING BECAUSE OF STRESS?
Matthew 6:25
"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?"
If stress is an everyday part of your life, or if some past trauma has continued to haunt your thoughts every day, you may be losing part of your brain. Several studies have linked such constant or obsessive stress with a shrinking of the part of your brain called the hippocampus. Studies show that under such conditions this part of the brain can become 25 percent smaller than normal. These findings should get our attention since we use the hippocampus for long term memory and conscious memory. This is the same part of the brain attacked by Alzheimer's disease.
The good news is that once we remove the stress, or deal constructively with past trauma, the hippocampus returns, with time, to normal size. Several theories have been offered by researchers to explain why the hippocampus shrinks under stress; however, other researchers are not convinced that stress causes the shrinkage.
Is it possible for a Christian to avoid the damage that stress produces? Look at all that Paul endured for the sake of the Gospel, and yet all of his writings show no evidence of unusual memory loss, which is common when one is under constant stress. One way to avoid stress damage is to remove the cause of the stress. If that's not possible, another strategy is to learn how to deal with past traumatic events. And what better way to do this than to remind ourselves of the Lord's past faithfulness to us, and, in prayer, commend all our fears and stress into His hands. Science is learning that life is indeed more than food and clothing.
I cast all my cares, fears and worries on You, oh Lord. Amen.
Robert Sapolasky, "Stress and your shrinking Brain", Discover, 3/99. Photo: Auguste Deter. Alois Alzheimer's patient in November 1901, first described patient with Alzheimer's Disease. (PD)
Matthew 6:25
"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?"
If stress is an everyday part of your life, or if some past trauma has continued to haunt your thoughts every day, you may be losing part of your brain. Several studies have linked such constant or obsessive stress with a shrinking of the part of your brain called the hippocampus. Studies show that under such conditions this part of the brain can become 25 percent smaller than normal. These findings should get our attention since we use the hippocampus for long term memory and conscious memory. This is the same part of the brain attacked by Alzheimer's disease.
The good news is that once we remove the stress, or deal constructively with past trauma, the hippocampus returns, with time, to normal size. Several theories have been offered by researchers to explain why the hippocampus shrinks under stress; however, other researchers are not convinced that stress causes the shrinkage.
Is it possible for a Christian to avoid the damage that stress produces? Look at all that Paul endured for the sake of the Gospel, and yet all of his writings show no evidence of unusual memory loss, which is common when one is under constant stress. One way to avoid stress damage is to remove the cause of the stress. If that's not possible, another strategy is to learn how to deal with past traumatic events. And what better way to do this than to remind ourselves of the Lord's past faithfulness to us, and, in prayer, commend all our fears and stress into His hands. Science is learning that life is indeed more than food and clothing.
I cast all my cares, fears and worries on You, oh Lord. Amen.
Robert Sapolasky, "Stress and your shrinking Brain", Discover, 3/99. Photo: Auguste Deter. Alois Alzheimer's patient in November 1901, first described patient with Alzheimer's Disease. (PD)
WHAT DID DINOSAUR SKIN LOOK LIKE?
Job 41:1, 30
"Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down? Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire."
Before the Great Flood of Noah, what did our forefathers see when confronted with a dinosaur? What did dinosaur skin look like? What were their babies like? Biblical history places the creation of the great land living dinosaurs on the same day as man was created. That means that there is little doubt that at least some of the people we read about in the Bible saw dinosaurs. Many modern creationists think that Job's description of leviathan actually describes some sort of dinosaur.
For generations, what we knew, or thought we knew, about dinosaurs was a result of studying their bones. But now, discoveries are offering some surprises about what dinosaurs actually looked like. One discovery is the first ever fossilized impression of the skin of a duckbilled dinosaur known as a hadrosaur. This interesting fossil, found in southwest New Mexico, shows that the hadrosaur had bumps on its skin that averaged a little over half an inch in diameter. Each rose next to each other like little mountains. This means, as one scientist put it, that if you were to pet a hadrosaur, it would feel like running your hand over a mountain bike tire.
In Patagonia, scientists have discovered the first known embryos, complete with skin impressions, of a sauropod, which was a large, four footed dinosaur. These discoveries are giving us a more accurate picture of what these living monuments to God's power and creativity looked like. And one day we can ask Job exactly what leviathan was.
Father, I thank You because Your power and Godhead are evident in the creation around us. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
R. Monastersky, "Getting under a dinosaur's skin", Science News, 1/16/99, v. 155, p. 38. Photo: Mounted skeleton of Parasaurolophus cyrtocristatus, Field Museum of Natural History. Courtesy of Lisa Andres. (CC-BY-SA 2.0 GENERIC)
Job 41:1, 30
"Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down? Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire."
Before the Great Flood of Noah, what did our forefathers see when confronted with a dinosaur? What did dinosaur skin look like? What were their babies like? Biblical history places the creation of the great land living dinosaurs on the same day as man was created. That means that there is little doubt that at least some of the people we read about in the Bible saw dinosaurs. Many modern creationists think that Job's description of leviathan actually describes some sort of dinosaur.
For generations, what we knew, or thought we knew, about dinosaurs was a result of studying their bones. But now, discoveries are offering some surprises about what dinosaurs actually looked like. One discovery is the first ever fossilized impression of the skin of a duckbilled dinosaur known as a hadrosaur. This interesting fossil, found in southwest New Mexico, shows that the hadrosaur had bumps on its skin that averaged a little over half an inch in diameter. Each rose next to each other like little mountains. This means, as one scientist put it, that if you were to pet a hadrosaur, it would feel like running your hand over a mountain bike tire.
In Patagonia, scientists have discovered the first known embryos, complete with skin impressions, of a sauropod, which was a large, four footed dinosaur. These discoveries are giving us a more accurate picture of what these living monuments to God's power and creativity looked like. And one day we can ask Job exactly what leviathan was.
Father, I thank You because Your power and Godhead are evident in the creation around us. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
R. Monastersky, "Getting under a dinosaur's skin", Science News, 1/16/99, v. 155, p. 38. Photo: Mounted skeleton of Parasaurolophus cyrtocristatus, Field Museum of Natural History. Courtesy of Lisa Andres. (CC-BY-SA 2.0 GENERIC)
1,300-YEAR OLD RECORDING DISCOVERED?
Genesis 4:21
"And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ."
If you've ever seen any photographs of Mayan pyramids, you will probably remember that they typically have a large set of stairs going to the top. Now an acoustics expert offers some interesting evidence that these steps may in fact be the world's oldest recording.
If you stand before the stairway of the Pyramid of Kukulkan at Chichen Itza, Mexico, and clap your hands, you will hear a curious, descending echo. If you are familiar with the quetzal, whose feathers the ancient Mayans treasured, the echo will remind you of the call of this bird. The bright green and red quetzal has long tail feathers that can be over two feet long. When sonograms of its call were compared to sonograms of the echo returning off the steps of this pyramid, they were surprisingly close. Both begin at a frequency of about 1,500 hertz and fall at the same rate to less than 1,000 hertz!
Making this even more interesting is the fact that the pyramid itself has a picture of Quetzalcoatl wearing a coat of quetzal feathers. According to legend, Quetzalcoatl was half quetzal. Traditional Mayan scholars don't doubt that the Mayans were clever enough to have purposely built the pyramid to provide this echo, and acoustics experts have found a similar echo at a temple in Uxmal, Mexico.
The Bible tells us that by the eighth generation of human beings musical instruments were in use. This pyramid may be evidence that we were created with the aptitude to understand and use sound, just as the Bible depicts in its opening chapters.
I thank You for the gift of sound and music, dear Father. Let me always be filled with praises for You. Amen.
Peter Weiss, "Singing Stairs", Science News, 1/16/99, v. 155, p. 44. Photo: Pyramid of Kukulkan at Chichen Itza, Mexico. (PD)
Genesis 4:21
"And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ."
If you've ever seen any photographs of Mayan pyramids, you will probably remember that they typically have a large set of stairs going to the top. Now an acoustics expert offers some interesting evidence that these steps may in fact be the world's oldest recording.
If you stand before the stairway of the Pyramid of Kukulkan at Chichen Itza, Mexico, and clap your hands, you will hear a curious, descending echo. If you are familiar with the quetzal, whose feathers the ancient Mayans treasured, the echo will remind you of the call of this bird. The bright green and red quetzal has long tail feathers that can be over two feet long. When sonograms of its call were compared to sonograms of the echo returning off the steps of this pyramid, they were surprisingly close. Both begin at a frequency of about 1,500 hertz and fall at the same rate to less than 1,000 hertz!
Making this even more interesting is the fact that the pyramid itself has a picture of Quetzalcoatl wearing a coat of quetzal feathers. According to legend, Quetzalcoatl was half quetzal. Traditional Mayan scholars don't doubt that the Mayans were clever enough to have purposely built the pyramid to provide this echo, and acoustics experts have found a similar echo at a temple in Uxmal, Mexico.
The Bible tells us that by the eighth generation of human beings musical instruments were in use. This pyramid may be evidence that we were created with the aptitude to understand and use sound, just as the Bible depicts in its opening chapters.
I thank You for the gift of sound and music, dear Father. Let me always be filled with praises for You. Amen.
Peter Weiss, "Singing Stairs", Science News, 1/16/99, v. 155, p. 44. Photo: Pyramid of Kukulkan at Chichen Itza, Mexico. (PD)
EVOLUTION CAN'T DIGEST THIS FLY
Psalm 148:10, 13
"Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl. let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven."
Conifers aren't bothered by too many insect pests. That's because the oils that give them that nice pine scent are poisonous. They would be poisonous to the conifer sawfly larva if it digested them, too. But while it munches the pine needles, its body is busy storing the poisonous oils for future defense. The fact that the sawfly not only eats pine needles, but also uses the poisonous oils for defense, poses a difficult problem for evolution which appears to have no solution.
The sawfly larva's unique ability makes it a serious conifer pest both in North America and Europe. Part of the larva's secret is its digestive system. It separates the poisonous oils in the pine needles from the nutritious pulp. Then it regurgitates the poisonous oils and stores them in two special sacs in its mouth. These sacs are lined with a chitinous material that protects the rest of the mouth from the acidic, poisonous oils. When threatened by a spider or even a bird, the sawfly releases some of this bad-smelling oil in the direction of the threat. This strategy effectively convinces most aggressors to seek a meal somewhere else.
The problem for evolution is that these complicated structures and special abilities could not have developed in a gradual, step by step fashion as evolution demands. If the sawfly once did not originally eat pine needles, then how did it acquire the special ability to eat them and develop this special defense system? So, even this humble fly bears witness to its Creator.
Dear Lord, help me to be a better witness of Your love for me. Amen.
Creation Research Society, May/June 1999, Neodiprion (Sawfly) Mark Stewart. Photo: Sawfly larvae. Used with permission of Entomart.
Psalm 148:10, 13
"Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl. let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven."
Conifers aren't bothered by too many insect pests. That's because the oils that give them that nice pine scent are poisonous. They would be poisonous to the conifer sawfly larva if it digested them, too. But while it munches the pine needles, its body is busy storing the poisonous oils for future defense. The fact that the sawfly not only eats pine needles, but also uses the poisonous oils for defense, poses a difficult problem for evolution which appears to have no solution.
The sawfly larva's unique ability makes it a serious conifer pest both in North America and Europe. Part of the larva's secret is its digestive system. It separates the poisonous oils in the pine needles from the nutritious pulp. Then it regurgitates the poisonous oils and stores them in two special sacs in its mouth. These sacs are lined with a chitinous material that protects the rest of the mouth from the acidic, poisonous oils. When threatened by a spider or even a bird, the sawfly releases some of this bad-smelling oil in the direction of the threat. This strategy effectively convinces most aggressors to seek a meal somewhere else.
The problem for evolution is that these complicated structures and special abilities could not have developed in a gradual, step by step fashion as evolution demands. If the sawfly once did not originally eat pine needles, then how did it acquire the special ability to eat them and develop this special defense system? So, even this humble fly bears witness to its Creator.
Dear Lord, help me to be a better witness of Your love for me. Amen.
Creation Research Society, May/June 1999, Neodiprion (Sawfly) Mark Stewart. Photo: Sawfly larvae. Used with permission of Entomart.
QUOT;WO FE FE QUOT;
Acts 2:6
"Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language."
New research suggests that you might want to be careful about what you say around babies. As every parent knows, young children are sponges that easily absorb knowledge from their surroundings. Now there is research that indicates that by seven months of age, infants have already absorbed the basic rules of language.
In this study, seven month old infants listened to a sequence of syllables in which the third syllable was the same as the first. One that was used was "ga to ga." After listening to different versions of the same pattern, the infants were given a new sequence in which the last two syllables were the same, such as "wo fe fe." Researchers found that babies looked in the direction producing new sequences much longer, showing curiosity and surprise at them. Further study of the infants' responses showed that they were responding to new sounds and not just changes in the pattern of syllables. This study supports the idea that we are born with brain circuits that are, so to speak, prewired to learn and use grammar, say researchers.
The question for those who believe that we are the product of chance evolution is: How did we get prewired for learning and using grammar if we are the result of chance forces? The answer is, of course, that when God created us, He not only gave us the gift of language, but He gave us brains that are eager to learn language from infancy. Then He gave us His Word of salvation in Jesus Christ, so that He would not lose us.
I thank You for the gift of language, dear Father, and the ability to learn it so that I could learn of my Savior. Amen.
MICROBE ARGUES FOR GOD'S UNLIMITED CREATIVITY
Genesis 1:20
"And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven."
Aluminum, the most abundant metal in the Earth's crust, is usually thought to be poisonous to life. When aluminum becomes too concentrated in soil, it will greatly reduce crop yield. No known living creature uses aluminum in its metabolism. That's why many scientists are skeptical of claims by a researcher from the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute in Baltimore that she has discovered a microbe that not only tolerates aluminum, but also needs it to live.
The scientist had been hiking near hot springs in Yellowstone National Park when she noticed what looked like aluminum silicate, and later proved to be just that. It was being carried by the water over a dark green microbial mat on the rocks. She collected a sample of the mat, and she and her fellow scientists later found a microbe whose growth seems to require aluminum. It grows best in water that's about 160 degrees Fahrenheit. While researchers don't know what the microbes use the aluminum for, they have found that the higher the temperature of the water, the more aluminum it seems to need, up to a limit. They think that the aluminum may be used as the organism's source of energy.
If this organism proves to use aluminum, it would be an example of God's creativity. With His unlimited creativity all around us, one doesn't need to go to science fiction to find creatures that work in seemingly impossible ways and ways that could never have come about by chance evolution.
In wonder and awe, I praise You for Your creativity, dear Father. Amen.
J. Travis, "Novel bacteria have a taste for aluminum", Science News, 5/30/98, v. 153, p. 341. Photo: Lower Yellowstone Falls. Courtesy of Scott Catron. (CC-BY SA 3.0)
B.B. "Follow the rules, baby", Science News, 1/16/99, v. 155, p. 42. Diagram: Language areas of the brain. Courtesy of James.mcd.nz. (CC-BY-SA 4.0)
Acts 2:6
"Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language."
New research suggests that you might want to be careful about what you say around babies. As every parent knows, young children are sponges that easily absorb knowledge from their surroundings. Now there is research that indicates that by seven months of age, infants have already absorbed the basic rules of language.
In this study, seven month old infants listened to a sequence of syllables in which the third syllable was the same as the first. One that was used was "ga to ga." After listening to different versions of the same pattern, the infants were given a new sequence in which the last two syllables were the same, such as "wo fe fe." Researchers found that babies looked in the direction producing new sequences much longer, showing curiosity and surprise at them. Further study of the infants' responses showed that they were responding to new sounds and not just changes in the pattern of syllables. This study supports the idea that we are born with brain circuits that are, so to speak, prewired to learn and use grammar, say researchers.
The question for those who believe that we are the product of chance evolution is: How did we get prewired for learning and using grammar if we are the result of chance forces? The answer is, of course, that when God created us, He not only gave us the gift of language, but He gave us brains that are eager to learn language from infancy. Then He gave us His Word of salvation in Jesus Christ, so that He would not lose us.
I thank You for the gift of language, dear Father, and the ability to learn it so that I could learn of my Savior. Amen.
MICROBE ARGUES FOR GOD'S UNLIMITED CREATIVITY
Genesis 1:20
"And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven."
Aluminum, the most abundant metal in the Earth's crust, is usually thought to be poisonous to life. When aluminum becomes too concentrated in soil, it will greatly reduce crop yield. No known living creature uses aluminum in its metabolism. That's why many scientists are skeptical of claims by a researcher from the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute in Baltimore that she has discovered a microbe that not only tolerates aluminum, but also needs it to live.
The scientist had been hiking near hot springs in Yellowstone National Park when she noticed what looked like aluminum silicate, and later proved to be just that. It was being carried by the water over a dark green microbial mat on the rocks. She collected a sample of the mat, and she and her fellow scientists later found a microbe whose growth seems to require aluminum. It grows best in water that's about 160 degrees Fahrenheit. While researchers don't know what the microbes use the aluminum for, they have found that the higher the temperature of the water, the more aluminum it seems to need, up to a limit. They think that the aluminum may be used as the organism's source of energy.
If this organism proves to use aluminum, it would be an example of God's creativity. With His unlimited creativity all around us, one doesn't need to go to science fiction to find creatures that work in seemingly impossible ways and ways that could never have come about by chance evolution.
In wonder and awe, I praise You for Your creativity, dear Father. Amen.
J. Travis, "Novel bacteria have a taste for aluminum", Science News, 5/30/98, v. 153, p. 341. Photo: Lower Yellowstone Falls. Courtesy of Scott Catron. (CC-BY SA 3.0)
B.B. "Follow the rules, baby", Science News, 1/16/99, v. 155, p. 42. Diagram: Language areas of the brain. Courtesy of James.mcd.nz. (CC-BY-SA 4.0)
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