Piltdown Superman

Biomimetics is an interesting field where scientists attempt to duplicate what is seen in nature, and sometimes even improve on it. It begins through observation. The fact that biomimetics (or biomimicry) is using engineering principles illustrates how many scientists are looking at biology from an engineering perspective. Robots have been designed to do many important things. Some people are afraid that they will take over the world, but that is the realm of science fiction. Despite great inventions, robots and biomimetics have serious limitations. Robotic bee art, DeviantArt / SanShow ( CC BY 3.0 ) Centuries ago, a friend and I saw a bird caught in some string in a small tree. We got him free, but he lost part of a leg. We checked on him later and saw him standing on the other leg. He was designed to survive. If a two-legged robot had one fall off, it would probably lay in place until it was repaired — unless is was a cumbersome apparatus that carried spare parts and it had extensiv

It seems that people all around the world are fond of hot springs, so they often turn areas into spas and such. Down Arkansas way is Hot Springs National Park , which was enjoyed by people for centuries. A unique feature is that the water does not stink of sulfur like in other hot springs. Although it is a comparatively small national park, it covers a large area. Also, there is hiking, camping, and other national park stuff to do. In addition, the park service's educational aspect is saturated with deep time assumptions. Tufa rock at Hot Springs National Park, NPS Photo / Mitch Smith (usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) One glaring inconsistency common among secular geologists is used here. Namely, that the folded rocks took their shapes over millions of years due to plate tectonics. Pick up a slab of flint and try to fold it. In fact, use hydraulic machinery. What happens? It shatters, of course. No folding here, mate. There is also the problem of a small stream i

Humans and critters are designed to live in their own ecological niches, and it usually does not go well to venture beyond them. We know that if we are going to venture into outer space, protection and bringing part of our environment are necessary. The same for being underwater for more than a few minutes. Comparatively few people have experienced it, but many have seen television and movies involving submarines. The environment is brought along. On a smaller scale, people are submerged in a diving bell. When air begins to run out, they must surface. European water spider, iNaturalist / hakkahamushi ( CC BY-NC 4.0 ) Some creatures as well as humans can take a breath of air and hold it, submerge, then come to the surface again and replenish. Consider the diving bell spider. It is unique in many ways, living most of the time underwater but needing to breathe air. It shoves its specially-designed abdomen into the air, which traps a small layer of air called a plastron . Then Diver Don t

Finding extraterrestrial life is exceptionally important to the secular science industry. Readers of creationist sites have seen that lotsa grotzits have been poured into attempts to find ET, but nothing has ever been found. Astrobiology? Nothing to study. They do not want to settle for microbes, it has to be intelligent alien life. One of the biggest arguments makes a bit of sense on the surface: So many stars, there must  be life out there so we can dance with space aliens in the pale moonlight . Cranky Alien image by Why?Outreach There are glimmers of hope for true believers, but it disappears under scrutiny. Like the prank of tying currency on a string, hiding, and yanking it away when someone reaches for it. But secularists keep chasing and hoping, though tere's no observed science involved. Only blind faith. Many maybes and what ifs about extraterrestrial life, such as water on Mimas . Water is necessary for life, and if there are signs of evolution out yonder, mayhaps it hap

First, a look behind the scenes. I did not title this using the singular possessive because of the way titles and certain other things are rendered. In this case, Noah's Ark. When challenging a position someone holds, rational people try to understand the opponent's point of view. The material should be examined to see if it is internally consistent and not chock full o' arbitrary assertions. Scoffers presuppose atheism, naturalism, deep time, evolution, and so on. To them, Noah's Ark and the Genesis Flood are just stories and not historical narratives.  Noah's Ark at Answers in Genesis, Unsplash / Elias Null Misotheists do not honestly examine what biblical creationists say for consistency and plausibility, instead writing it off because they filter what they say through their own worldview. Essentially, a straw man argument. They like to put Christians on the defensive and expect us to defend views we don't hold. We don't have to. You savvy that, Pilgr

It has been strongly established that the secular science industry supports causes of political leftists, and there are several reasons for this. In the formerly United States, the Democrat Party effectively buys votes by promising people what they want — such as generous funding for the secular science industry. There are secular scientists who just want to contribute to science so the world is a better place. Folks in power in academia and science establishments are the ones so left wing, they fly in circles. Working scientists may or may not be agreeing with leftist goals. Goat photo by Cowboy Bob Sorensen, modified at PhotoFunia Study on it a while. Secularists are furthering leftist agendas, including: Man-made (anthropogenic) climate change , which is one of their darlings Gender confusion and homosexuality Sexual immorality They love abortion Using deception to promote their views This child believes (as should most professing Christians) that they serve the wrong spirit. Secu

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  The title is a nod to the movie that inspired this here article, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance . Note the big spoiler alert , so if you were planning on watching that 1962 black-and-white classic, you might want to save the link to this article for later. John Ford was a legendary director, but some reports say he was miserable to work with. Despite this, John Wayne credited Ford for developing his acting skills. A good director brings out the best in actors. (If you study on it, some pictures with great actors are crummy because of poor directing.) Lee Marvin portrayed Liberty Valance as an ornery cuss quite well. An Argument with the Town Marshall / Frederic Remington, 1907 Many of Duke's films had a fun elements, but this picture was grim. Senator Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart) came back to the town of Shinbone and told his story to reporters. I said Liberty Valance was ornery, but that's understatement — he would beat people (including Ransom St

Looking at pictures and spending time in nature, you are likely to see various creatures displaying many colors. Even the dull creatures such as the house sparrow have various shades of brown and white. Many times, we see colors that are not actually present. Wait, what? It could be said that some colors we see are a trick of the light. A prism effect reveals some colors, but they change based on the angle of the observer. We can only guess why the Creator held back on blue, but sometimes when it is present, it is startling. Blue jay with spread wings, Unsplash / Phil Robson Two of my late wife's favorite birds were the northern cardinal and the blue jay. She and I both liked the bright red of the cardinal, and admired the patterns on the blue jays. Like many critters, cardinals exhibit their colors because they have the necessary pigment. Blue jays are not blue. That is, they have no blue pigment (which does exist elsewhere in the animal kingdom), but have that refraction thing go

Just yesterday, I was in town to send a telegram over the singing wires, then stopped in at the eatery. At the next table were several executives of the Darwin Ranch. They were finishing lunch before saddling up and riding back to Deception Pass. I was on the prod after having dealt with the same old "put 'em on the defensive" remarks from atheists. The ranch folks were getting rambunctious. Dewey Lye was going on about new research on feather evolution. I mentioned there has never been conclusive  evidence for dinosaur feathers. Al Buehterawl took a deep breath and evosplained it to me. Pond off Sawkill Road, Kingston, NY, Unsplash / Cowboy Bob Sorensen , modified with FotoSketcher Actually, I learned very little. Researchers were looking in the wrong place at the wrong things on the wrong birds. Eventually, dinosaur scales were compared to those of crocodiles, so the dinosaur was getting ready  to evolve. "Evidence" was obtained by citing a paper from several

People know the story that young Charles Darwin was on the Beagle  from 1831 to 1836, appointed to be the ship's naturalist. He discovered evolution by means of natural selection  and thereby revolutionized science. Nice story, but he reworked the already existing concept of natural selection, and never provided evidence for his speculations . One of the most famous stops was at the Galápagos islands off the coast of Ecuador. He studied finches (not knowing what type of bird they were at the time), and they became icons of evolution. But that is false. Galapagos ground finch, Flickr /  Judy Gallagher  ( CC BY 2.0 ) Poster effect at  PhotoFunia  and cropped Charlie thought that all of the finch variations today came from an original pair. These birds have been the subject of many studies over the years. Creationists have pointed out for a long time that they do not show evolution. Studies that get into the genetics show that what is seen is natural — and planned by the Master Engine