Piltdown Superman

It is indeed unfortunate that many people have a reflexive fear of harmless spiders, but a bit of education and identification can help. So can respect. Unfortunately, these critters tend to wander into our living quarters. Except perhaps golden orb-weavers that make impressive webs. Kevlar is used for body armor, composite materials for boat hulls, airplane panels, and more. When compared equally, it is five times stronger than steel. Spider silk is still stronger than that. Amazingly, spider silk can be used for nerve repair. Golden orb-web spider ( Nephila pilipes ), Flickr / Lip Kee ( CC BY-SA 2.0 ) When people study what is found in nature and apply concepts and principles to our lives, that is biomimetics. There is quite a bit happening in this truly fascinating field. Some scientists want to use golden orb-weaver spider silk for tissue and nerve repair because it supports many natural functions and does not hinder them. Perhaps this time they will have to admit that the silk wa

Here in Upstate New York (a dismissive name because The City is the center of the universe, so the rest of the state is Upstate), we like our feathered visitors. A few kinds of woodpeckers and their kin show up in our area. We see the Downy much more than the Hairy , and my wife has a special fondness for the Red-bellied . Although in the area,  Pileated Woodpeckers are rare for us to see. Creationists point out that woodpeckers are excellent examples of the Creator's handiwork and refute Darwinism. They are also involved in biomimetics. Red-bellied Woodpecker, Pexels / Hal Moran For some reason, people like sports where others hit, slam, run into, and do other harmful things to each other. This messes with the participants' heads — literally. All of those impacts bounce the brain around and causes serious damage when done repeatedly. (Sometimes a serious enough jolt can do irreparable damage.) The best way to stop brain injury due to boxing is simply not to do it, but what a

As most people probably know, biomimetics is taking what is observed in nature and mimicking it for human uses. Then they ignore the Creator or praise the puny gods of evolutionism. God has designed many things in nature for which we can obtain benefits through study and technology. This may not be directly  an example of biomimetics, but I expect to have knee surgery about six weeks from now. The effectiveness of elastic therapeutic tape (kinesiology tape) is disputed, but I have had less pain and more stability while using it. In some ways, this elastic cotton stuff mimics human skin. Just thought I would put this bit here. Medical bandages, Pixabay / Hans One way in which medical science has progressed is keeping repairs in place. Stitches are used to close up the skin but many times they do not need to be removed on a subsequent visit. They dissolve. How about replacing staples? Medical practitioners and patients alike would be glad of this. Some ingenious uses of biomimetics are p

There have been many instances on just this site alone where some interesting research was conducted, but the scientists ruined it because they threw in the Darwin imprimatur. That is just an assumption, but the secular science industry wants such references despite their irrelevance. Extremely interesting research was conducted on ammonite fossils, and also using information from their nearest living relatives. Models were made using 3D printing, which were loaded with electronics and made to swim in water. The results were quite interesting. Asteroceras obtusum (ammonite), Wikimedia Commons / Nobumichi Tamura ( CC BY 3.0 ) The work conducted by the scientists was the result of extremely careful planning and engineering . As in those other instances, they gave themselves praise for their work (despite assumptions that were made and many limitations), but they threw around glory to evolution. (No word if they contacted the Darwin Ranch near Deception Pass to have prayer candles of C.

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.

Beetles. Lots of beetles, big ones, small ones, multi-colored ones — a passel of species. One of these makes it home in the southwestern United States, but it is not much to look at. However, it has a tough hide which caught the attention of researchers. This fellow is the diabolical ironclad beetle , so named because it cheats at cards. Okay, I could find no reason for such a dramatic name, but compared to other beetles, it seems ironclad. It is puzzling because its exoskeleton does not have minerals, but it was learned that the toughness was from its structure. Then we have biomimetics. Diabolical Ironclad Beetle, Flickr / Trish Gussler ( CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 ) A support can be stiff, but will crack or break under stress. It needs to give a bit under pressure. That is what happens with our little friend. Researchers mimicked the beetle's design in constructing aircraft joints. As is the case in other cases where designs in nature are copied, praise was given to evolution. In fact, th

It is puzzling that some people are annoyed by moths, but that may be from the common little nuisance "bugs" that flit around lightbulbs at night. They may get on someone's. There are also people who do not like insects in the first place, so the Atlas moth could be a mite startling. Moths are puzzling to Darwinists, since butterflies and moths do not have any evolutionary history. They were created what they are, and remained so to this day. Here are two instances of additional problems moths pose for evolution. Chinese silk moth, Wikimedia Commons / Ivo Antušek (Public domain, thanks, Ivo) Although the phrase "blind as a bat" is as dead as a doornail regarding accuracy, bats rely a great deal on sending out sonar waves for navigation and hunting. They do like to chow down on moths, you betcha! Bats have a wide range of sonar sounds that get reflected back to them. Except for the Chinese silk moth. The Master Engineer designed the scales on its wings so that

The word drone  has many meanings, but is clarified by context. People drone on about boring subjects, a drone can be a mindless person, bagpipes and other instruments have single-note drone pipes, and more. Our focus today uses what is arguably the most common defintion today, that of unmanned vehicles controlled remotely or by computers. (This child has embedded videos by drones (often called quadcopters) on this site several times.) Modern drones are impressive, but some researchers want to improve their performance. Swift, Wikimedia Commons /  Dr. Raju Kasambe ( CC BY-SA 4.0 ) People may recall grainy silent videos of early attempts at flight, some including vehicles that had flapping motions. These may be considered biomimetics , which is drawing inspiration from creation for human applications. Those were on the right track, but the flapping of wings is far more intricate than people can see with the unaided eye. Researchers developed drones that are not flying with propellers.

Despite the assertions of believers in particles-to-paleontologist evolution, their historical science is riddled with problems. Sometimes, they evosplain things away. Other problems are too difficult to easily dismiss. A couple of days ago, I accompanied my prospector friend Stormie Waters and her pal Ruby Slippers down Texas way. We picked up their supplies and went to the Brittle Star, a restaurant saloon. We talked and watched some folks playing faro. When what to our wondering eyes should appear but Cliff Swallows, the assistant foreman from the Darwin Ranch, and a lady that was new to us. Trilobite, RGBStock / Martyn E. Jones Cliff introduced her as Stevia Dolce, a new baker at the ranch. Conversation drifted to how the saloon shared a name with the brittle star, a relative of the starfish. I mentioned that they show no signs of evolution, but also how they were designed to "see" with their skin . Stevia smiled sweetly and changed the subject to trilobites. It did not g

Anti-creationists are known for pseudo-intellectual posturing with dysteleology (claiming something was poorly design, so there is no God), but they use false comparisons. Clinton Richard Dawkins and others railed (out of his area of expertise) that the human eye as badly designed, and no amount of science and reason refuting such claims  will be considered by their disciples. They even compare our eyes to those of critters and criticize the Master Engineer. Because atheism. Our eyes were designed for our environment, other eyes were designed for other environments. You savvy that, pilgrim? Whiteleg shrimp image credit: NIH NLM (usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) The design of shrimp eyes is extremely intricate and irreducibly complex. The eye reflectors are comprised of nanospheres, and those are optimal for reflecting light so these critters can see in low-light conditions. Humans want to indulge in biomimetics to imitate this, but it would be a huge project requirin

Biomimetics, also called biomimicry, is when people are inspired by what is observed in nature and attempt to duplicate processes for our needs. We have presented several interesting examples on this site, and they show how our Creator works from an engineering approach. One claim to fame for fleas is that they can catapult themselves over tremendous distance. Well, tremendous according to their size. In the leaf beetle family are flea beetles, often invited to family events to provide entertainment because they also excel at jumping long distances. Eight-spotted Flea Beetle, Flickr / Hugo A. Quintero G. ( CC BY 2.0 ) That's a great defense mechanism. A predator gets too close, the beetle says, "I know you wanna eat me, but it's kinda hard because I'm..." ( sproing ) "...over here now!" I'll allow that some folks are rooting for the predators, since leaf beetles much on crops and such. Even so, this jumping ability is impressive. That mechanism tha

Yes, I know this is an unusual title as well as combination of subjects. Stay with me. In " Engineering and Migratory Birds ", it was shown that birds are designed and equipped for their long journeys. Now we will look at the dynamics of that V formation. "Because it is cheep, Cowboy Bob?" That's cute. Actually, the formation is cheaper than going it alone when it comes to the expenditure of energy. There is also physics involved that they do not have to consider — but researchers do. Pelicans in formation (cropped), Flickr / Peter Kaminski ( CC BY 2.0 ) When airplanes are flying in a tight formation, not only do they have to keep from touching each other and possibly losing control, but the movement of the air affects them. (I wonder if this is an example of aerodynamic biomimetics, where humans draw inspiration from what they observe in nature?) Obviously, birds are using their own power and not jet engines or propellers. In a surprisingly similar way, bicycl

Know the joke that says walking into a spider web instantly makes you a karate expert? Rather amusing. Anyway, we have two articles that illustrate how our Creator has given spiders web-building skills. That is marvelous in and of itself, but we will focus on studies of two spider types. Spider webs are surprisingly intricate, even down to their strength and how they can change when needed. Humans are studying them for our own purposes (biomimetics), but giving credit to evolution. RGBStock / Gesine Kuhlmann An  algorithm  has nothing to do with Bill Clinton's Vice President playing bongo drums. Rather, it is essentially a method of doing repeated tasks efficiently. They are essential in computer programming.   (The concept makes me think of macros  in some word-processing programs.) A tiny spider called the hackled orb weaver spins its web at night, working by touch. Scrutinizing six of them, researchers saw what can be called an algorithm in each of them to uniformly produce the

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen This article is going to be mighty different from our usual fare. If you or someone you know is a lighthouse aficionado, the first part may prove interesting.  Warning beacons are ancient, ranging from open fires to building more permanent structures when possible. The most famous lighthouses of old include the Pharos of Alexandria, Egypt and the Tower of Hercules (which still exists, albeit with reconstructions and such). Rebuilding happened frequently throughout history, and many restorations are done even now. Smeaton Lighthouse at Eddystone The word "lighthouse" is often used generically because although they were lights, not every one had living quarters. Some were visited by the keepers. Also, that word has connotations of the famous big towers, but there were other kinds. Let's look at a few on the Hudson River. The "spark plug" tower at Tarrytown had living quarters. Look at the  Saugerties Lighthouse , it strongly resembles a ho

It is amazing to hear some tinhorns say that living things only appear  to be designed, but are really the products of random processes — then they draw inspiration from creatures to use in human applications. This is biomimetics  or biomimicry. One source of several inspirations is the honeybee. It is impressive when people will observe a critter and essentially ask, "How does it do that? Why is this beneficial?", then work on practical applications. It is even more impressive when they succeed. Credit: Pixnio / Jarno Have you ever studied a honeybee, or seen videos? Notice how the abdomen does a great deal of flexing. Seems like the friction there would make it wear out. Scientists are studying the bee to design moving parts that last longer. The evidence is clear, so when someone utters an unscientific, opinion-based statement about living things only appearing to be designed, they are disingenuous. The Designer is God, who is described in the Bible. Scientists have uncove

There is something I say frequently because it is worth emphasizing: It is the often-observed fact that the more we learn about nature, the less "simple" it becomes. People in the thrilling days of yesteryear thought that cells were simple, but advancements in technology and scientific understanding left that notion behind. This happens frequently. Despite the bleating of atheists and other anti-creationists, evidence that the Master Engineer designed living things (as well as space, the laws of physics, logic, and so on) is increasingly abundant. It is galactically foolish to claim that living things  appear  designed, but are actually not. Glass sponge  Euplectella aspergillum image credit: NOAA (Usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) A "simple" glass sponge called Venus' flower basket is obviously not designed, but it is the product of time, chance, mutations, random processes, luck, and so on. That's why scientists are drawing inspiration fr

Various forms of flight technology have made impressive advances. Hot air balloons are not sufficiently controlled, but fixed- and swing-wing can be quite impressive in their maneuverability. Fixed rotors on helicopters and drones can have precise control. However, the assorted aircraft with jet engines or propellers are actually less efficient than flapping flight. This is where biomimetics comes into play. Readers of this site recognize that word ( biomimicry  is also used), describing how people look to nature and try to imitate them for our use. Ironically, flapping flight was too difficult to grasp. You may have seen videos of primitive attempts at human flight that imitated flapping, but the intricacies were not appreciated until much more recently with the advent of precision photography. Credit: Freeimages /  evfab4 Some people just want greater challenges. This is the case in making insect-sized flapping drones. Many factors come into play, including durability, efficiency,

While naturalists have their systems and rate various living things are primitive or advanced, many other recognize that our Creator has designed organisms for ecological niches. Sure, why not? Human societies have seemingly less important people to make society function, God has placed social amoebas and the like in the biosphere. Physarum polycephalum image credit: Flickr / Bernard Spragg It may seem funny or "alpha male" to eat moldy bread, but that is potentially dangerous; some molds can be scraped off and the food is still safe, others must be discarded . Mold has a function, even if people find it disgusting at times. There is another kind of mold that many have seen but may not be able to identify. One of its names is "social amoeba" because it is actually a colony comprised of single-celled amoebas. Another name is rather unpleasant: slime mold. The Latin name Physarum polycephalum is cumbersome. It is often found in wooded areas. In a surprising bit of b

Robots have fascinated people for decades. Science fiction stories have frequently made them as humanity's enemies. Similar stories have been written about nanobots , but that technology is only in its early stages. Scientists are hoping they can be used in space exploration and medical technology. Made at PhotoFunia We can guess about the "bot" part of the word, but what is a nano? It's not someone hired to care for the children. A nanometer is very, very small , and nanobots (or nanomachines) are robots that may work on the molecular level, but that is still under development. Sometimes games can be used to stimulate creativity, and there were nanosoccer competitions several years ago — microscopic games, what a concept! There was a movie in 1966 called Fantastic Voyage  that involved a submarine and crew miniaturized, injected into a patient, destroying a blood clot, then escaping. Imaginative stuff, but if nanobots are successfully developed, they may be useful f

Biomimetics (or biomimicry) is the scientific applications of using what has been found in nature and making them available for our use. We use the minds that our Creator gave us to make use of various things, but deny rightful credit (" it evolved "). Has biomimetics gone to the dogs? Credits: Original from Freeimages / Lidija Macej , modified at PhotoFunia Or more accurately, some of biomimetics is  coming from the dogs. The right person was paying attention to burrs in a dog's fur, and eventually, Velcro was developed . Another invention inspired by observing a dog — "A dog walked into a saloon with one arm in a sling. He tipped back his cowboy hat and announced to the bartender and everyone else, "'I'm lookin' for the man that shot my paw!'" Many thanks for that humorous non-contribution.  So anyway, why was the cocker spaniel getting along so well on the ice, but his pet human was having all sorts of troubles? This observant man had hi