Piltdown Superman

There is an interest in looking at living things from an engineering perspective, which places evolutionary ideas of time, chance, mutations, and luck closer and closer to the rubbish bin. We have discussed how engineering concepts relate to creation several times. Parametric design  is used in several ways, using parameters  (see what they did there?) in algorithms (sets of instructions). This method has been helpful in architecture. It also fits quite well with intelligent design and works quite well with engineering considerations in creation. Spinal column, Pixabay / Clker-Free-Vector-Images Creation itself shows design. Not only design, but advance planning where living things grow and develop, often adapting to changes. There are many things in biology that show growth where things have to be in place so the critter can survive. Consider the human spinal column: Vertebrae and such need to grow from simpler cells, all the way to adulthood. No, evolution has no place here. The Mast

Many times, I have encouraged people to ride up to the top of the hill and get the big picture. This time, however, the view is from out in space. The subject is our blue marble. Consider how there are many things operate to make Earth supportive of life. Our planet is situated in a quiet galactic neighborhood with a good-natured sun , unlike some of those other stars that emit gamma rays that would eradicate life on their worlds (if it existed in the first place). Since the sun has its own activity, Earth has deflector shields . Earth in hand, Pixabay / Okan Caliskan We also have the right gasses in the atmosphere at the right balance (oxygen explodes, you know). The distance from the sun, our orbit around it, the moon — indeed, the other planets in the solar system are needed to keep things in balance . When humans want to design a complex system, engineers are needed. They design things and keep them running. Several factors must be taken into account so their designs can work well

Frequently, discussions about protein folding launch straight into the subject. Sure, it is important, but what does it mean? Do proteins actually fold? That is the best way to describe what is happening. Consider a weak analogy with origami . (Although this paper folding art is associated with Japan, other cultures seem to have developed it independently.) Paper of the correct dimensions is needed to fold into a recognizable shape, and the folding must be done correctly or the result is a wasted piece of paper. Origami tsuru (crane), RGBStock / Manoel Silva In biology, proteins are complex molecules that are working within cells. The cells fold them into complex shapes so they can do their assigned jobs . This folding is essential for life, and is extremely complex — it must be exactly right. A quantum computer simulated the folding of a small protein, but proteins are far bigger than this one was. Cells fold (and unfold when needed) proteins extremely fast. Evolutionists cannot expl

Request of Christians: It has been six months today since my wife died. Things are tough, and I ask for your prayers. Although one may think of huge critters when the word dinosaur  is mentioned, there was an extreme range of sizes. Some were about the size of turkeys. The large ones were very large indeed, and it seems that scientists naming them are running out of ways to say, "Even bigger yet." Aquatic lizards like plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs also had differing sizes. When they went huge, they did it in a big way. Big animals swimming coerces the question, "Did their size cause drag in the water and make locomotion difficult?" Modified ichthyosaur postage stamp of Yemen, 1990 Through tendentious dating methods, believers in universal common descent evolution and deep time assert that the largest of these appeared (code word for "evolved" even though there is no evidence for their evolution ) first, then came the smaller ones. Using flow simulations, st

Although atheists and other anti-creationists try to avoid inconvenient truths, some of us still try to present them. First, many insist that creationists lack the intellectual prowess to be scientists. We show them that many great scientists of the past were Christians , even biblical creationists. Then they may whine that we are discussing dead people, so we tell them about modern scientists that are biblical creationists . No, they are disqualified because the only true  scientists are materialists. Lather, rinse, repeat, they move the goalposts like they were jet propelled. Plesiosaur skeleton, Flickr /  Kim Alaniz  ( CC by 2.0 ) In 1660 London, the Royal Society was formed to encourage the development of natural philosophy (the earlier term for what is now called science). While some sidewinders say that biblical creation science was initiated fairly recently, the Royal Society had members who believed the Bible, including recent creation and the Genesis Flood. One of their member

As creation science develops, conjectures about the past come and go. The Genesis Flood  by Whitcomb and Morris in 1961 put forward some ideas about science while maintaining adherence to biblical truth. Some of its ideas have been discarded, others have had further development. There are some evidences for the young earth that have been offered are still valid today, and believers in deep time as well as universal common descent evolution cannot refute them. One of these evidences is continental erosion. Limestone and mountain, Unsplash / Cowboy Bob Sorensen Signs of erosion are obvious practically everywhere. A mountain has pieces of rock in many sizes because of erosion from wind and water, rivers erode their banks, oceans do their share of erosion. Wind is everywhere, doing its part as well. Uniformitarian beliefs have rates remaining essentially the same today as well as the thrilling days of yesteryear. Using their own material against them, the continents should not even exist a

A question for both biblical creationists and uniformitarian secular scientists is how creatures dispersed to different continents. This is called biogeography . Land bridges during low sea levels probably occurred, but would not provide for large migrations. Then there is rafting (making use of floating islands of vegetation). Those things exist today, but secular scientists admit that there are numerous difficulties involved for carrying living things out across the oceans to other continents. Uniformitarian scientists are assuming things today have been the same in the past. Wrong. Floating Islands, Titicaca Lake, Peru, Flickr / Emmanuel Dyan ( CC BY 2.0 ) When one considers creation science Genesis Flood models, floating islands as a means of travel make much more sense. After the Flood, conditions were changing and the Ice Age was beginning. Meanwhile, fruitful critters were multiplying. The Flood was a violent event, and the floating islands seen today are far different from wh

As many people know, a cornerstone of particles-to-paleontologist evolution is mutations. Fundamentalist evolutionists insist that mutations are entirely random — admittedly, that is plausible on the surface. They also claim that there is no purpose (teleology) in evolution. While there are many random mutations, it has been shown (much to the dismay of the Bearded Buddha and his acolytes) that some mutations are the result of advance planning, not random at all . In addition, DNA repair systems are taking the wind out of Darwin's sails. Thale cress, Rawpixel / NASA (Public Domain) Over Eurasia and Africa way, there's a plant that the locals consider a weed. Scientists love it, though. Using the science of genetics pioneered by creationist Gregor Mendel (peas be upon him), a great deal of the genome of the thale cress has been studied. Then came some surprises. Although they won't admit it, not only is there DNA repair happening, but non-randomness in mutations. This seem

Science fiction encompasses a wide range of topics, some with very little science, others use a great deal. Many stories have been made that were given different locations and times that could easily have been transplanted Westerns and so forth; it is versatile. Partaking in science fiction requires a substantial amount of the suspension of disbelief (accepting unlikely or impossible things so a story can be enjoyed). Some science fiction makes up principles or inventions on the fly, but others try to use real or plausible science in their stories. It is also a format for speculation on morality and ethics. Warp Speed, Pixabay / Samkh Star Trek required suspending disbelief quite a bit, but much of their science fiction was just plausible enough. It was also hardcore atheistic and evolutionary propaganda, as I discussed in " Straw Man Trek ." "Yeah, Cowboy Bob! Why are we talking about science fiction and Star Trek?" Science fiction helps people become more inquisi

The other day, Lisa Myworries, the Winkie Guards supervisor from the Darwin Ranch, stopped by my place to discuss some Darwin doubts that she dared not say at work. At one point, she blurted that there were so many stars, there just had to be other planets with life on them. Then she suddenly asked, "So where are they?" Darwin's disciples are dancing with space aliens in the pale moonlight, it is important to prop up Charlie's Victorian myth. All of alien speculation is based on naturalistic presuppositions and assumptions. Darwin dancing with space alien in pale moonlight, made at Bing AI , edited at cleanup.pictures What Lisa was doing was expressing a common thought: Space is so big, it simply must have intelligent life out yonder. (Many Christians think the Creator did not stop with us, but that idea is theologically unsound.) In addition, she indirectly brought in the Fermi Paradox. One big reason for secularists to want to find extraterrestrials is that they thi

The word apologetics  comes from the Greek word ἀπολογία ( apologia ), which essentially means to make a reasoned defense or argument. (In this regard, an apology does not mean saying one is sorry.) We discuss the Bible internally and also use outside references. There are apologists for many things. Biblical apologists strive to show that the Bible is true. Otherwise, it is simply an item of curiosity for stuffy intellectual types having parlor discussions with brandy and cigars. Our faith would be worthless, Question Evolution Day would have no relevance, we would be worthy of ridicule. Section of P-45 Greek papyrus manuscript of the Gospel of Luke, via Wikimedia Commons That is not the case. The Bible has been shown to be an important historical reference, and it is the Word of God, changing lives and bringing salvation. Interestingly, some of the technology that backfires on evolutionists  has been used to examine extremely delicate biblical manuscripts that could not even be o

 While out riding, I met Rusty Swingset (foreman of the Darwin Ranch near Deception Pass) and his lady friend Jacqueline Hyde heading the other way. We reined in and talked about odds and ends. Suddenly, a bird ran by. Jacqueline giggled and said she always thought roadrunners were funny. This member of the cuckoo family really does like to run, especially since it is not a great flyer. If someone takes a notion to chase after it, they should save their energy because it will outrun them — but not a coyote. The roadrunner has odd traits that suit its appearance. Greater roadrunner, Flickr / Dominic Sherony ( CC BY-SA 2.0 ) This bad boy is clever, waiting to ambush its prey by the watering hole. It is also ruthless. Hey, rattlesnake! Ha, you missed again but now you're mine ! Yep, fast reflexes.  It is not an example of evolution, but shows adaptation and (probably) the result of natural selection within the created kind. The Roadrunners also has x-shaped footprints so one cannot t

After traveling on the racing circuit, Miles Prower decided to return to these parts for a spell. He told me of a solo excursion to the difficult-to-reach Glen Roy in the Scottish Highlands to see the Parallel Roads. Legends have it that they were made by kings, Finegal the Giant, or faeries. Miles was very interested in what are called the Parallel Roads of Glen Roy, and the story secular geologists tell about their formation is slightly more plausible than giants making them. Shorelines of glacial lakes are the usual explanation. Parallel Roads of Glen Roy, Flickr / IrenicRhonda ( CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 ) As seen with the Chicxulub big rock dinosaur extinction story, uniformitarian scientists tend to ignore certain important details that foul up their narratives. In this case, the movement of glaciers doesn't work with the story. Also like Chicxulub (and other geologic features), creation science models for the Ice Age caused by the Genesis Flood fit the observed evidence quite handil

That is one ugly fish! Actually, more than one in this group. The stargazer is built with eyes on the top of its head (hence the name), and a downturned mouth reminiscent of  Grumpy Cat . Stargazers come in a range of sizes, and they have some startling traits. One is that it buries itself in the sand so it can hide or hunt. The bobtail squid does this as well. On land, there are snakes, lizards, spiders, and other things that hide in sand. Like the even uglier anglerfish of the deep sea, it has an appendage to use as a lure for prey. Stargazer, Flickr / Etienne Gosse ( CC BY 2.0 ) These traits and more that are rather startling are challenging to both evolutionists and biblical creationists. To simply assert evolution is not demonstrating it. Creationists need to provide plausible explanations as to what may have happened in the once very good creation to have a predator like this, including how the Creator frontloaded genetic information that was later modified. ‘Monster of the oce

Anole lizards are popular pets, in the wild primarily found in tropical and subtropical areas. There are so many species that they are found in some interesting places and in the southern United States. Studies have been made by Darwin's disciples, and with them, false claims of evolution . When creatures exhale, there is still some oxygen in the discarded carbon dioxide. Anoles have an amazing ability to rebreathe some of that, so they can remain submerged for a rather long time. Indeed, the entire suite of features making that possible is very interesting. Green anole lizard on tree, Unsplash / Richard Stovall The researchers who reported on the submerged lizards think that the ability evolved several times. How they gained the ability to scuba dive is speculation. There is no actual evolution in their game show. Modifications? Mutations? Could be. The deceptive nature of Darwinists is to "see" evolution when it is not there. The word is used loosely and incorrectly. (A

Way out yonder south of Tokyo is an area that is of great interest to geologists. It is where the Ogasawara (or Bonin) Islands are found, which is an archipelago. It is also the area of the island of the Iwo Jima volcano. Its lava flow was sufficient enough to produce a small island in the Pacific. Yes, many islands are the product of volcanic activity. There is no guarantee that it will last very long, but researchers are looking forward to analyzing what develops there. Ogasawara islands , Wikimedia Commons (PD) Volcanic eruptions are often drawn-out events, not just a blast and let the debris settle. This eruption was ongoing as of the date of the short article featured below. A science writer asserted deep time, but that was imagination and pushing the narrative, not empirical science. Also, she apparently she forgot about how rapidly the island of Surtsey formed and was colonized by living things — which fits Genesis Flood models in creation science. Not for the first time, and li

Science is constantly growing and changing, some disciplines more than others. There are models and predictions used to explain data, especially in historical areas such as origins. Many areas are underdeveloped and need work. Creation science also has areas that need to be explored and strengthened. For example, Genesis Flood models have tremendous explanatory abilities, but certain areas need work. Creationists point these out and have calls to action. One area in biology that needs analysis and understanding is symbiotic relationships and interfaces. Artist concept of Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, NASA / MSFC (usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) As stated before, theories and models come and go, but biblical creationists (also called young-earth or young-age creationists) keep the inerrancy of Scripture as a priority. If a model has problems with science or Scripture, it needs to go away. Living things have their niches in ecological environments. Understanding how they

While mummification  may refer to the deliberate act of preserving a dead body, the word is also used to describe a critter that has died, then shriveled and dried up. People find mummified rodents and such in sheds and attics. If those had died in nature, scavengers and bacteria would have made short work of the remains. In yet another instance of something being remarkably well-preserved, some mummified  Edmontosaurus  skin falls into that category — and it is quite mysterious. Modified postage stamp of an Edmontosaurus  head from the author's collection Secular scientists are attempting to explain the process of how it could be mummified and then preserved, and they are on the right track when they refer to burial by a flood. Of course, they reject the global Genesis Flood even though fossil layers extend across continents. People may easily think that the Genesis Flood was lots of rain and that the fountains of the deep were opened up (Gen. 7:11), not knowing that the Flood was

Stevia Dolce, the lead baker at the Darwin Ranch up yonder near Deception Pass, surprised me with a visit. She brought Dekker Halls, who was visiting for the Christmas season. They heard talk about pseudogenes that did not sit right with them and wanted to ask me. After digging into the fabulous croissants that Stevia brought, we commenced to discussing the problem. Evolutionary thinking is bad for medical science, and even science itself. Scientists studied DNA, but expected everything to code for proteins. Big mistake. Directional street sign generator at RedKid Like when someone receives a delivery that isn't interesting, "Just set it over there" and it gets forgotten. These things called pseudogenes  look like genes, but did not work the way Darwinists expected. "Why do you say Darwinists , Cowboy Bob?" Dekker asked. "Nobody really believes classical Darwinism anymore." I replied, "True, but it has a couple of uses. The first one is for simpli

If you saddle up and ride down Bolivia way, mayhaps to finally solve the mystery of the demise of Butch and Sundance , you will notice lots of rainforest. There are satellite images, but the overgrowth is mighty thick. Legends of lost cities of the Amazon have some truth. A few days ago, we discussed sonar . It uses sound waves to detect and examine things unseen. Light detection and ranging — lidar — uses laser to (in this case) obtain images beneath the overgrowth using a helicopter. What was revealed is startling. Cloud forest habitat in Bolivia, Flickr / US Fish & Wildlife Service ( CC BY 2.0 ) (usage does not imply endorsement) Believers in particles-to-pilot evolution consider early humans to be stupid because they have not evolved much in the way of intelligence or cognition. Then they get surprised to see that those people were far more intelligent than the evolution narrative requires, and they are not teaching from empirical evidence. The Bible tells us that mankind was