Posts

Showing posts from December, 2022

Listen Up, Neanderthals!

Image
Some mighty interesting discoveries about Neanderthals are becoming more frequent. (Indeed, it seems like when I write up a post on them, another is waiting in my reading list for attention.) I spread out the posts. Some Darwinist holdouts want Neanderthals to remain as primitive brutes, but their humanity has been fully established . Although this Intelligent Design article supports conventional evolutionary years, it also discusses how they were sophisticated, and skilled at cooking . Another from the same source suggests use of eagle talons and feathers for ornamentation show they had symbolic expression  thought processes. Le Moustier Neanderthals, AMNH / Charles R. Knight , 1920 Researchers can determine some surprising things from fossilized bones ( e.g.,  the amazing eyes of trilobites ), and similar technology has been applied to Neanderthals. The result is that they could hear just fine. Frankly (mind if I call you Frank?), it seems that secularists would say that good hearing

Another Cambrian Fossil Frustrates Evolutionists

Image
The  Cambrian explosion  has been a persistent problem for evolution since the time that Darwin roamed the earth. A passel of fossils are found from major phyla in the Cambrian, but no sign of transitional forms. Darwin's acolytes try to evosplain it away, but the problem remains insurmountable. Fossils of some tube-like thingies were previously found that were the subject of speculation. Finally, paleontologists have an idea of what the builders looked like. They got more than they bargained for. Gangtoucunia life restoration, WikiComm / Guangxu Zhang, Luke A. Parry, Jakob Vinther and Xiaoya Ma ( CC BY 4.0 ) As we have seen several times before, so it happens again: When faced with evidence that doesn't fit their schemes, evolutionists ballyhoo a sort of victory or evolutionary insight. Their knowledge of evolution has advanced. No, it hasn't, Hoss. Fossilized, well-preserved soft tissues were discovered. Also, the Cambrian explosion is strong evidence for the global Gen

Sleep is a Gift of the Creator

Image
As I write this, I am recovering from the Rona. If I previously had a fever over 100, it is not in my memory. Doing the standard things: keep hydrated, fever reducers, stay cool but avoid getting a chill, eat if possible — and get plenty of sleep. This may be off the wall, but I have heard it said that if people push themselves too hard, their systems will lay them low. You will  get rest. That includes getting real sleep, sometimes quite a bit (like I have been doing the past couple of days). The Master Engineer designed sleep for several purposes. Sleeping baby, RGBStock / Adrian van Leen A couple more personal views before we move on. Some folks have dreams, then grab a book that supposedly tells them what it means. Some make sense (crossing a bridge while preparing to travel), others are ridiculous. Actually, dreams are usually the subconscious is trying to work things out. We sleep in different stages in our lives. Infants need a great deal of it, but not all at once. Later, we sl

Biblical Creation and the Ceratioid Anglerfish

Image
Anglerfish are denizens of the deep, dark, cold sea. They have, as Tim the Enchanter would say, "Nasty big pointy teeth!" Anglerfish have a bioluminescent lure that dangles in front of them to attract prey. Bioluminescence is when a creature chemically generates its own light; fireflies are actually bioluminescent beetles. They live so far down, the pressure is immense. Scientists find it difficult to keep them alive for research. One type of Anglerfish, the Ceratioid, is a bit of a difficulty for biblical creation: If everything was created very good , why does this happen? Cryptopsaras couesii , Wikimedia Commons / Masaki Miya, et al  ( CC BY 2.0 ) Interesting how what happens to C. couesii is wrongly used as "evidence" for Darwinism. You'll read about that in the link below. This is where it becomes part science and part theology. Yes, everything was very good in the beginning with no death and suffering, but something happened. When Adam sinned (the Fall of

Copying Fruit Fly Eye Jitters

Image
When the results of a research project is announced, do you ever wonder why they did it in the first place? Some things seem obvious, but others...not so much. Scientists took a notion to study the retinas of fruit flies. Since the eyes of insects do not move, fruit flies can continually track motion because their retinas have fast jitters. Humans also track moving objects, so homage was paid to the Bearded Buddha by invoking the secular miracle of convergent evolution . Fruit fly liking a coffee fruit, USDA-ARS /  Scott Bauer  (Usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) Tiny things, tiny brains, short lives (probably due to global warming), but with so few photoreceptors, they see rather well. While I still wonder why they bothered with this research, there is a practical benefit in biomimetics. That is, copying the movements of their retinas to help the resolution of cameras. Of course, engineers will not give credit to the Master Engineer and evidence is actually guesswork.

Enceladus Stupid Astrobiology Trick

Image
Every once in a while, this child gets curious how folks who are edjamakated and have science jobs can be disconnected from logic. Such is the case with NASA, where scientists are still trying to imagine life on Enceladus, a moon of Saturn.  Short form: Mayhaps hydrothermal vents on Enceladus are sources of microbial life, and there may finally be something for astrobiology people to study. I wonder if the publicists were being coached by Russell Watchtower and the hands at the Darwin Ranch's propaganda department, it is so outlandish. Hydrothermal vent, Niua volcano, USGS / PD The word inhabited  was used. It was probably used in reference to microbes, but the connotation is that intelligent life may be found. Maybe it's selling enchiladas on Enceladus. Earth has hydrothermal vents deep in the ocean where hot, nasty stuff comes out but microbes and other life forms are happy to live there. Perhaps the same conditions exist on that moon. Let's get us a passel of grotzits t

He Arrived with Humility

Image
Study on it a while. Jesus is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. God is perfect in holiness and majesty, and everything in creation belongs to him. Jesus is the Creator (John 1:1-3, Heb. 1:2-3, Col. 1:16). He was born in the jerkwater town of Bethlehem, and lived in Nazareth — which was not exactly the Gangnam District of Seoul, savvy? We have all sinned against God, and are deserving of death (Rom. 3:23, 6:23). This began with Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:1-7). God could have simply made the world go away. The Adoration of the Shepherds   /   Giorgione, 1505-1510 (they all look very white, though) The gap between creation and Creator is unfathomable, so why would he want to come to Earth? Out of love (Rom. 5:8), he emptied  himself , giving up his glory and took human form (Phil. 2:5-8). He was born of a virgin in humble circumstances. He was never regal in his earthly life. One reason for that is that Jesus was acceptable to the common man, not someone only catering to the rich

Science is Scrooged by Evolutionism

Image
That beloved story by Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol , is superficially a story about the conversion of Ebenezer Scrooge from selfishness to kindness and altruism. According to fundamental evolutionism, Darwin intended his theory to be selfish and purposeless in its operation. Because evolution is made of squishy pliable stuff, Darwin's disciples appeal to teleology and design (using Natural Selection and Evolution as entities) and get away with it. This Scrooge of science cannot account for altruism in birds or in animals . Not just niceness out of convenience, but taking risks as well. If you study on it, evolution cannot account for altruism in humans, either. Scrooge looking at his dressing gown, A Christmas Carol  illustration by Arthur Rackham , 1915 Secularists try to evosplain kindness and altruism as something that animals do so they can have better "fitness" and increase their survivability, so animal behavior is a virtue. (Except when it's not. They

Amazing Everglades

Image
What comes to mind when someone mentions the Everglades down Florida way? Heat, wetlands, alligators, airboats, birds, sock a little poke sallet to me... Sure, those are some obvious traits, but there is a great deal more to this very large subtropical wilderness and national park . Everglades National Park is an amazing ecosystem, but not just one uniform piece of real estate. There are several systems called sub-biomes . Different critters have been equipped by the Master Engineer to survive, adapt, and thrive there. The geological origin is also quite interesting. Everglades, National Park Service / G. Gardner (usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) Some of the photographs I've shared on my weblogs included flowers that I later learned were "invasive." They are called that because they're not native to an area and get obnoxious by taking over. They're built to survive. The stories of alligators in New York City sewers are mostly myth. Unfortunatel

Some Evolutionary Censorship Tactics

Image
On Fakebook, I saw an exchange with an angry misotheist who is also an evolutionist and an anti-Christian bigot. It was about " Lizards Foul Up Evolutionary Timeline ," and the misotheist said, "...you never see anything like this in legitimate scientific literature." (Note the genetic fallacy with the word "legitimate".) A supporter showed the references from that featured post including Science , Live Science , and others. This showed that the attacker did not even look at the material, and I reckon self-humiliation is unimportant as long as he expresses hatred. It's who they are and what they do. But what of professional evolutionists? Atlantic white shark, National Park Service / Bill Fisher (usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) We have seen that secularists have money and power, so they make the rules. Creationists come along with evidence that is contrary to the faith, and they circle the wagons to fire back or simply exclude unple

Abrupt Climate Changes, Global Warming, and the Genesis Flood

Image
Why biblical creationists are interested in claims about global climate change may not be readily apparent, but this is made clear when worldviews are taken into account. There are several interrelated factors involved. Sciences like climate change and evolution depend on an old earth, and an a priori refusal to admit that God is the Creator and makes the rules. The world will end according to his timetable, not human activity. In addition, secular science is openly supportive of leftist causes. Now, about those abrupt climate changes... Glacier, FreeImages /  ainhi People who have been frightened by doomsday prophecies by secularists should ride up on the hill and get the big picture. Not only do they reject the Creator who sustains his creation, but their track record on predictions is dismal . Secularists "see" evidence for their presuppositions where none exists, omit inconvenient information, or draw conclusions without considering all relevant facts. They fuel panic, s

Mount Hermon and the Genesis Flood

Image
Unlike Mt. Sinai , the location of Mt. Hermon seems to be undisputed. (Certain things about its ownership are contested by nations, but never mind about that now.) As it is with other mountainous areas, it is difficult to identify  that one ; Mt. Hermon has three distinct peaks. It is significant in the Bible for several reasons , such as a border marker and probably the place of Jesus' transfiguration. It has also been sacred to other people for a mighty long time. Perhaps there is something to the idea that it was home to the Nephilim? Mount Hermon, Library of Congress , 1905 People have long been interested in end-times prophecy, and it seems to be increasing because of the state of the world today. Mt. Hermon is a focal point for some views. This child is mostly convinced about the identity of the Nephilim, but people have differing views from their own reasons. I have no interest in presenting my beliefs here. Instead, there are things to consider when people who erroneously

Deception in Eye Evolution Story

Image
The Bearded Buddha admitted that the gradual evolution of the eye seemed absurd. Presupposing his conjectures and refusing to consider any other explanation for the origin of the eye, he believed by blind faith that evidence supporting his ideas would be found. Disciples of Darwin have been trying to meet his challenge for years. There are sidewinders who simply avoid the challenge by saying that the human eye was poorly designed, but such a religious claim is based on opinion, not science. Cat eyes, Pixabay / Christel Sagniez It is not just the human eye, though. There have to be gradual stages of development and organisms had to benefit each step of the way.  National Geographic  attempted to support Charlie in 2016, but that effort was shot down by Dr. Elizabeth Mitchell. A more recent contender arose in something called Visual Capitalist , but this deceptive Just-So Story also fails. Indeed, there is dissent in the ranks about not only the evolution of the eye, but how particles-to

Pre-Neanderthal Hominin Footprints Fake Science News

Image
As indicated here numerous times, when it comes to origins science, secularists prioritize the narrative above logic and evidence. As we recently saw, Darwinoids have no problem with rearranging 35 million years in conventional dating for their purposes. Now we have human footprints that do not fit evolutionary schemes, so the age is conveniently redated. In addition, they use dubious reasoning and even the complex scientific principle of Making Things Up™. Unfortunately, people who are committed to their faith in evolution will accept such nonsense because it appears to support their views. What in the world is a "pre-Neanderthal," anyway? There was also reference to the failed Heidelberg Man story. The well-preserved  footprints were given a drastic increase in their assigned age, and all this stuff raises a number of questions that evolution's true believers are loathe to ask. It is clearly evident that human nature involves investigation, creativity, and making life

Missing the Evolution of Mammals

Image
Decker Halls is working with the Darwin Ranch over yonder by Deception Pass, and we spoke for a spell about mammal evolution. I asked him what evidence they had for it, and he replied with the usual boilerplate rhetoric. I asked for specifics, and after nervously adjusting the bough of holly on his lapel, Dekker admitted there was not anything definitive. Sometimes his fellow believers in particles-to-paleontologist evolution can be ornery cusses when trying to sort out their numerous disagreements. Seal, Pexels / Daniel Lee Interesting that people claim that evolution is a fact, but there is quite a bit of serious disagreement in many areas. A study of skulls was undertaken to try to settle things down about mammal evolution. The usual " convergence " was stated, which is a way of saying, "We have no evidence for a certain critter evolving, so we say evolution happened in many, so it must be true" (or something like that). The study did not do well, and earliest an

Baby was Born to Learn

Image
In some ways the belief that babies are born as blank slates may be true, but related ideas have been shown false . One example is the claim that children are born atheist; it's the default position. That is simply an opinion with no empirical data to support it. In fact, the opposite is true , and is one reason that evolutionary indoctrination in schools is accelerated ! Further, it has been shown that young'uns are born with a proclivity for reading . Although amazing, it may be less surprising that children are born ready to learn . Baby with Book, Unsplash / Lavi Perchik , modified at PhotoFunia Learning probably never stops for many people. For that matter, I have learned a great deal about the blogging and social(ist) media processes as well as some rudimentary HTML, and learning science and theology has been an ongoing pleasure for me. But I tried learning a couple of languages and fell flat. Parents have been pleased to see their newborns responding to their voices, whi

Lizard fouls up Evolutionary Timeline

Image
Squamates. Sounds like something on sale at the supermarket along with kumquats and squash, but it refers to card-carrying members of squamata. That is the largest order of snakes and lizards. There are many fossils in storage at museums, many of which are not available for public viewing except on special occasions or privilege. Some have been tucked away for a mighty long time, and when they are finally examined (or reexamined), things get interesting in Darwinland. So, they had this lizard fossil in a cupboard... Tuatara, Flickr / Bernard Spragg. NZ (for Public Domain) Evolutionary paleontologists seem to have no qualms about playing fast 'n' loose with time. In this case, modern lizards originated thirty-five million Darwin years sooner than they thought. This child finds it interesting that although it is claimed that there are numerous transitional and other fossils supporting evolution, just one can derail the entire train. These things that cause disruptions in evoluti

Arctic Fox Displays Amazing Design

Image
When hearing about organisms that live in extreme conditions, hydrothermal vents may come to mind. There are less severe conditions that would kill humans and most critters, but some call them home, e.g. , " Three Well-Adapted Desert Animals ." It also happens in the harsh Arctic environment. Sometimes a person sees a critter that is so cute, he wants to pet it and hug it and squeeze it and call it George. Wild animals are not wont for that sort of thing. Red foxes are cute, so are Arctic foxes. Each is designed to adapt to its own ecological niche. Arctic Fox, Flickr / Eric Kilby ( CC BY-SA 2.0 ) These puppies (heh!) don't look like they would do well in winter, let alone the Arctic. They're very thin in summer, do not have a white coat, and they're on the small side. That's in summer. When winter's a-coming, they change. Up at the top of the world are winds that make the cold air temperature seem worse, plus darkness, snowblindness, and more. The Maste

Dismissing Creation Science with Fake Definitions

Image
by Cowboy Bob Sorensen When I confronted Rusty Swingset, foreman at the Darwin Ranch near Deception Pass, about why they refuse to consider evidence from biblical creation science, he had a simple reply: "It is not science". I was amazed, and argued that those scientists did not get their degrees from Billy Joe's Bible Church Academy and Bait Shop. In addition, many of them work or previously worked in science professions. To dismiss them out of hand is ridiculous and even cowardly. How can they justify this attitude? Through arbitrary definitions in defense of the General Theory of Evolution. Ashokan Reservoir from Glendord Dike, Unsplash / Cowboy Bob Sorensen (modified with FotoSketcher) Some years ago, I wrote about a new "Golden Rule" where whoever controls the definitions in a debate or discussion makes the rules . People can "define" science in any way that suits their agenda. Many internet atheists I have encountered try to slap leather with cr

Back to the Dry, Young Moon?

Image
NASA chose to name their new lunar project after Artemis, goddess of the moon — and a number of other things. The spacecraft it is carrying is named after Orion the hunter. It has been fifty years since Gene Cernan of Apollo 17 left the last footprints on the moon. The goal of the Artemis program is to eventually setting up a lunar base. Quite a few science fiction stories have been written and filmed about those, but there are several serious problems involved that the writers gloss over. Artemis/Orion launch, NASA / Bill Ingalls (usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) The Apollo astronauts were up there for days, and NASA wants a permanent station. The moon is outside the protection of Earth's magnetic field, so if the sun got ornery and shot off a flare, the solar wind could be fatal very quickly. There are also temperature extremes, which the Apollo missions minimalized. Light and dark cycles are very long. Another problem remains, and it's a biggie. Water. Coo

Brain-Computer Interfaces Raise Serious Questions

Image
Since the beginning, humans have been using implements to improve their existence. Adam probably fashioned a rake and a hoe to tend the garden. Jump forward to advanced technology with computers and artificial intelligence, and there are some startling things going on. The quest for making self-aware artificial intelligence continues, merging humanity and machines in transhumanism , and even the possibility of mind cloning . Man tries to displace God in creation with evolution as well as with technology. The idea of brain-computer interfaces is both exciting and alarming. Network, Pixabay / Gerd Altmann The exciting part is medical, providing people with handicaps or damage to connect with the outside world. Such applications are no more along the lines of playing God as a physician treating an injury or illness. Science fiction writers have provided speculative and even cautionary stories that involve computers, androids, robots, and so on getting control of our minds through hardware

Dragons of the Air Enigmatic to Evolutionists

Image
Flying reptiles of the past have long been a source of amazement to many people, and there is a great deal of mystery surrounding them. As expected, they appear in movies and such. There are about 150 species defined from fossils, and apparently  Pterodactylus was the first kind discovered. A 2005 movie titled Pterodactyl  has some of the critters living in modern times with wing edges like guillotines. Those are also about three times the size of  Pterodactylus from the fossil record. If the movie makers had done a little homework, they should have called it Pteranodon . Better yet, name the flick after the bigger grouping, pterosaurs. I only watched a few minutes of the movie and suggest you skip it. Pterosaur replica, Pixabay / Efraimstochter (mosaic effect added) They are classified as reptiles, but do not have some reptilian traits. There is speculation that they were warm-blooded. One scholar said they have a mosaic of features. Because of an abundance of fossils (some are well

When an Ancient Human Loves Another Ancient Human Very Much...

Image
"To answer your question, I like walking on the beach, making jewelry, painting on cave walls — " "So, it looks like you can't bring your paintings over to my place, then." "Nope. Wanna come over and see my cave?" As discussed here several times,  it has been conclusively established that Neanderthals were fully human. Perhaps we are hardwired to want to reproduce and spread around our DNA. After all, God did  command at the beginning to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28). Do not be surprised if you get a DNA test and find Neanderthals in your ancestry. Family, Unsplash / Josue Michel , modified with FotoSketcher Some secularists are resistant to the fact that Neanderthals were simply another people group, but they appear to have disappeared. They, too, were descendants of Adam and Eve with distinct physical variations well within human limits. After the Flood, they were part of the dispersion at Babel. Some Darwinists want to deny reality and kee

The Magnetic Field and Biblical Archaeology

Image
Before we get to the main subject, there is some interesting news about the magnetic field of Earth. This shield surrounds our blue marble and protects us from harmful solar radiation, plasma, and such. It was recently discovered that when plasma strikes the magnetosphere, it vibrates and ripples like a drum membrane . The impact is spread out and dissipated to a large extent. The way buildings are designed to move in high winds or in earthquakes (resilience movement) comes to mind. To this child, is is an aspect of the magnetic field which is yet another example of the Master Engineer's design capabilities. Analysis by biblical creationists should be interesting. Earth's magnetic field, NASA / Walt Feimer (usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) Radiocarbon dating is useful for determining an approximate age of certain things, but its reliability is lessened when the object under scrutiny is very old. The magnetic field can help. It has signatures  where the age an