Animals Archives

October 26, 2026October 25, 2026

Questions Science Will Never Be Able to Answer

Scientific American magazine addressed an old argument between science and faith. The article asks whether there are questions science will never be able to answer. This will irritate atheists and skeptics who claim that religion was invented by humans to explain what they didn’t understand. That claim has been true in some past cases. When people didn’t understand volcanoes, they invented Pele or Vulcan to explain them. People invented Neptune to explain things in the ocean. Minerva explained rain, and Thor explained lightning.

When science could explain these things, people ridiculed the gods of the past, though in some cases people abandoned belief in them slowly. While I was in Hawaii, I picked up volcanic rocks to bring home. A local man chastised me for it and warned that taking the rocks would bring me bad luck and misfortune. He showed me a letter and a rock from a lady in Ohio who had taken a rock home and had disastrous fortune until she sent it back. I have brought back a dozen rocks from Hawaii over several visits to the islands, and my life has been blessed with good health and happiness.

Are there questions science will never be able to answer? Sarah Scoles, writing in that Scientific American article, addresses some possible ones. They include: “What came before the Big Bang? What causes consciousness? Why are we here? What happens when we die? How did life begin?” It is important to understand that scientists have opinions about these questions, but they are faith statements, not science. In our quarterly publication, we have a column called “Scientists and God” that quotes prominent scientists who have expressed their belief in God. We have literally hundreds of testimonies to choose from.

Romans 1:20 says that we can know there is a God by the things He has made, and 1 Peter 3:15 tells Christians to “be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope you have.” Our “Dandy Designs” columns, plus our booklets and Facebook page, provide strong evidence that intelligence is the cause of what we see.

References: “Impossible Questions” in the October 2026 issue of Scientific American, pages 28-37, and our Facebook page. You can see current and back issues of our printed publication on doesgodexist.org.

October 23, 2026October 22, 2026

Molecules Exist as Mirror Images

Whether you are right-handed or left-handed, your body uses left-handed amino acids to build proteins and right-handed sugars in DNA. What does that mean? This molecular “handedness,” known as chirality, means molecules exist as mirror images—left- and right-handed versions of the same molecule. Practically all of life’s amino acids are left-handed, and its sugars are right-handed. Why? Scientists don’t know. No natural process explains this bias because in nature the mixture is generally 50:50.

This chirality matters for drugs. One chiral form may treat disease while the other may be inert or even toxic. Historically, drugmakers produced racemic (50:50) mixtures, sometimes causing unwanted side effects. Thalidomide is an example, with one handedness (enantiomer) causing birth defects. However, even if this drug is homochiral (single-handed), it can become racemic in the body.

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry honored Henri Kagan (Paris-Sud University) and Kenso Soai (Tokyo University of Science) for developing “asymmetric catalysis,” enabling the selective synthesis of homochiral (single-handed) molecules. Kagan pioneered chiral catalysis in the 1960s, and Soai refined it in 2003. Their work enabled the pharmaceutical industry to produce homochiral drugs. For example, Eli Lilly produced a left-handed cough suppressant, Novrad, and a right-handed version called Darvon, an opioid painkiller. The molecules (and their names) are mirror images of each other.

The work of Kagan and Soai solved “how” to make single-handed drugs—not “why” life itself is homochiral. That remains unexplained. In nature, molecules exist as mirror images in roughly equal numbers. That means the formation of life from non-living matter (abiogenesis) faces a paradox. Random chemistry yields equal left- and right-handed forms, yet life requires near-perfect homochirality to fold functional proteins and replicate DNA. No known natural mechanism can do that. Is it reasonable to suggest that an external influence, an intelligent agent, was involved? We think this is another indicator that life is not an accident but God’s creation.

Reference: smithsonianmag.com

October 22, 2026October 21, 2026

Bird Migration System

Yesterday we looked at bird migration, particularly why birds migrate, and noted several reasons. The facts indicate a bird migration system that defies a chance explanation.

According to the All About Birds website, “On a single autumn night with favorable winds, there can be more than one billion birds in the air over the United States alone.” That is more birds than people in the U.S. There are more than 300 species of birds in North America that migrate long distances, which has a major effect on life on this planet.

To prepare for a long-distance flight, a bird must bulk up. The bird must be in top physical condition for flying, with energy stored for a grueling flight with infrequent or no stops. The timing also must be right. That means the bird must assess the weather and know when it’s right. Many other factors are involved in the bird migration system.

An interesting fact about bird migration is that they can travel thousands of miles, often along the same route, and arrive in the same place year after year. Even young birds migrate on their own just a couple of months after they hatch. So how can they find their winter home even though they’ve never been there before? Birds use many navigation methods, including the magnetic field, the sun, the moon, and stars. They also use familiar landmarks like ridges, rivers, and other features. They even use their sense of smell. With all that in mind, they must avoid predators and handle storms, strong winds, and sometimes human-made threats such as artificial light, communication towers, wind turbines, and tall buildings.

To learn more about what’s happening in bird migration today, check out the BirdCast website. There, you can see how many birds are moving across the lower forty-eight United States. The more we examine it, the more we see that the bird migration system defies a chance explanation. It’s another evidence of God’s design.

— Roland Earnst

Reference: allaboutbirds.org

October 21, 2026October 20, 2026

Why Birds Migrate

Each spring and fall, billions of birds migrate. In autumn, they head south from North America. Most birds travel at night because the winds are calmer and there are fewer predators. Raptors migrate during the day, giving songbirds and others a chance to stay safe at night. Have you ever thought about why birds migrate?

Birds migrate for several reasons, but some benefit ecosystems more than the birds themselves. One reason for migration is food. In North America, during spring and summer, there can be plenty of food from insects and the seeds and fruits of plants. When fall comes, it gets colder, most insects disappear, and plants stop growing, so the birds head south to find more food.

In the spring, birds migrate northward to breed. Northern forests and areas of open land in North America are less crowded than tropical forests. So, birds can more easily find suitable nesting sites to raise their young. A factor that we often overlook is the amount of daylight. During the breeding season, birds need plenty of daylight to care for their young, feed them, and teach them to fly. At the equator, daylight lasts around 12 hours year-round. But farther north, especially in Arctic areas, summer daylight lasts much longer. This benefits nesting birds. Longer days and more sunshine also mean that plants grow and produce seeds, and insects are abundant for the birds to eat.

Avoiding cold temperatures is another factor in why birds migrate, but it is not as important as you might think. In fact, some birds migrate not to areas closer to the equator, but farther south, where there’s more daylight. When the Northern Hemisphere is in winter, the Southern Hemisphere is enjoying summer. So, some birds—such as Arctic terns and bar-tailed godwits—travel from one extreme of the Northern Hemisphere far down into the Southern Hemisphere.

There is another factor in why birds migrate. In some cases, migration benefits the ecosystem more than the birds. As birds migrate, they benefit other plants and animals along the way. That doesn’t fit the “survival of the fittest” concept of evolution. Migrating birds can also help other animals by serving as prey and help plants by scattering seeds.

The bottom line is that birds migrate for several reasons. Migrations benefit birds directly, but they also benefit other plants and animals along their migration route and in the areas where they stop. Looking at the whole picture, we see a designed system. It is a system that provides for the birds and nourishes the ecosystems of planet Earth. There is more to bird migration that indicates system design, and we’ll look at other factors tomorrow.

October 20, 2026October 19, 2026

Engineers Look to Nature for Solutions

We have noted before that many times engineers look to nature for solutions to design problems. This biomimicry helps us create new or more efficient devices. We imitated birds to achieve flight. Now aeronautical engineers are imitating a particular bird to create drones and aircraft that can maneuver in difficult situations.

A small Australian falcon called the nankeen kestrel (Falco cenchroides) can perform aerial maneuvers that outpace even advanced aircraft. It is among the world’s most stable flyers, able to make fine adjustments in flight when wind conditions try to blow it off course. Drones, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), have limited maneuverability because of weight, cost, or mechanical limitations. An international team of researchers has been experimenting with robot replicas of the nankeen kestrels to create more versatile UAVs.

Matt Penn is a co-author of the study and an engineer at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). He explained, “Birds don’t rely on a single response to wind gusts. They constantly adjust their wings and tails to stay balanced, while the natural flexibility of their feathers and joints helps absorb sudden changes in airflow.” The goal is to create UAVs that can mimic these subtle adjustments in flight.

Giving a robotic flying device the ability to emulate all the fine movements of the nankeen kestrel will be a design and engineering challenge. It seems to me that such a UAV would also need artificial intelligence to make subtle adjustments in real time while in the air. Think about the intelligence needed to design such a UAV. Then consider the intelligence needed to design the kestrel. It is not just a machine, but a living creature with everything it needs to sustain life while flying. This bird is no accident of natural selection, but an intelligently designed engineering marvel.

Another co-author of the research report, RMIT engineer Abdulghani Mohamed, said, “This research shows what’s possible when engineers look to nature for solutions.” I suggest it shows what is possible when we look at the handiwork of the Designer of life.

Reference: popsci.com

You can find previous articles about biomimicry HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE

September 29, 2026September 28, 2026

The Size of Animals in the Fossil Record

One question better answered by creation by God than by other explanations is why animals were so big in the past and so small today. In Smithsonian Magazine for September/October 2026, Dr. Floyd Shockley, the collections manager of entomology at the National Museum of Natural History, gives the traditional explanation for the size of animals in the fossil record.

The data on this issue involves two things. One is the fact that the level of oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere was higher in the past than it is today (35% in the past as opposed to 21% today). The other is the fact that all major groups of animal life have become smaller today. We are all familiar with the fossil remains of huge dinosaurs. Less publicized is the fact that insects were also huge compared to their relatives today. Is an animal’s size related to how much oxygen it breathes? If so, animals living at higher elevations should be smaller than those at lower elevations. That is simply not the case.

Size is more directly related to diet than to a 14% difference in oxygen levels. The ecology of various environments is also a factor. Habitat design involves interactions between plant and animal life. Scientists have conducted interesting experiments in which they tried to design a closed habitat that would last for many years. Without external interference from the scientists, those habitats have collapsed.

The size of animals in the fossil record shows great intelligence in how animal and plant sizes interact. God was preparing the planet for humans and the resources we would need. No single factor accounts for how life was created, and no chance process can explain the facts we see. It reminds us of Romans 1:20, which tells us that “…since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”

September 28, 2026September 27, 2026

Rock Hyraxes Are Wise

These mammals are mentioned four times in the Bible and are widespread throughout central and southern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Although rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis) look like a larger guinea pig, they are not rodents. Surprisingly, it is more closely related to elephants.

Rock hyraxes average 20 inches (50 cm) long and weigh around 8.8 pounds (4 kg). They resemble rabbits, with short, rounded ears and no tail. They have four toes on each front foot and three on each back foot. Their toes have long, claw-like nails used for grooming and scratching. The bottoms of their feet have a rubbery texture that helps them climb steep rock surfaces and trees. Their sandy, tan color helps them blend into their desert environment.

Although rock hyraxes do not burrow, they inhabit abandoned aardvark and meerkat burrows. They live in colonies of about fifty in the natural crevices of boulders. The colony maintains a high level of hygiene, designating areas of the shelter as “latrines” for waste disposal. They are very active during the daytime, communicating with family members using many vocalizations.

Rock hyraxes forage for food as a group, using a sentry strategy. Members of the foraging party eat in a circle facing away from the group, giving them a clear view of their surroundings for any threats or predators. They play an ecosystem role as a food source for many predators and as seed dispersers. The rock hyrax could not perform its role as a seed disperser without its three-chambered stomach, which contains symbiotic bacteria that break down plant matter.

The Bible mentions rock hyraxes four times (translated as “coneys” in the King James Version). Leviticus and Deuteronomy list them as unclean animals that should not be eaten. Psalms 104:18 and Proverbs 30:26 say that they make their homes in the rocky cliffs. They find protection there, and for that, Proverbs 30:24 commends them for being wise.

September 23, 2026September 22, 2026

Sockeye Salmon Make an Incredible Journey

This salmon species is known for its bright red skin during the spawning season. Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) are native to the northern Pacific Ocean and the rivers that flow into it.

In the ocean, sockeye salmon don’t look like they do in spawning mode. Instead, they are a pale turquoise to deep blue, with silvery hues on the belly. They don’t begin to change color until the migration season. The change begins when they swim into the freshwater rivers and streams where they hatched. Eventually, the salmon’s body becomes bright red, with a green head.

The life cycle of sockeye salmon is hard to explain by natural selection. Juvenile sockeye are hatched in freshwater, where they remain for up to three years. Eventually, the fish decides it’s time to journey to the sea, where it will grow larger. It will follow the river downstream up to 1,000 miles (1,600 km) to reach the ocean. We don’t know how the fish know when the time is right or why they feel the urge to relocate, but they are programmed to carry out this incredible journey.

The sockeye stays in the ocean for one to four years, growing rapidly and feeding mainly on zooplankton. After some time, something triggers the fish’s brain, telling it to leave the ocean and swim upstream to the place of its origin. As the journey begins, the fish will stop eating. If it completes the journey, it spawns and dies there. Many do not make it because, along the way, they become food for predators such as bears, or even humans. Although sockeye salmon are among the smaller of the seven Pacific salmon species, humans prize their meat.

Sockeye salmon are endangered in some areas, while plentiful in others. In the regions where these salmon are abundant, they significantly influence their ecosystem. Salmon runs bring vast amounts of marine nutrients from the ocean to rivers, sustaining a healthy ecosystem. As evidence of how God has given living creatures the ability to adapt, some salmon do not migrate. Instead, they spend their entire lives in freshwater lakes, where they are known as kokanee salmon.

If evolution is directed by survival of the fittest, why would sockeye salmon make the journey to the ocean and back to their place of origin? Their return journey benefits the ecosystem and their predators, but not the salmon themselves. They die whether they serve as food for bears or complete the journey. Who programmed into these fish the ability to find the place where they hatched? These beautiful fish play a critical role in their habitat and demonstrate a designed system that requires a Designer.

Click HERE for information on Atlantic salmon.

September 21, 2026September 20, 2026

Sea Turtle Migrations

Leatherback sea turtles are the world’s largest reptiles, weighing up to 1,500 pounds. They are one of only seven sea turtle species alive today, and all seven are endangered. More species existed in the past, but humans are their greatest enemy. Humans threaten them through habitat destruction, poaching for meat and eggs, accidental capture in fishing gear, and plastic pollution. Why do sea turtles migrate, and why do we need sea turtle migrations?

Most people know that sea turtles migrate thousands of miles but don’t understand why. According to Darwinian evolutionary theory, natural selection preserves the creatures that survive best. It’s survival of the fittest without regard for other species. However, migrating thousands of miles does not benefit sea turtles as much as it does other creatures and plants in the ocean environment. That indicates a designed system. Why would sea turtles expend the energy to travel thousands of miles when they could survive in a limited area?

Sea turtle migrations help keep ocean environments healthy. Their migrations move nutrients and sustain food webs across vast areas. As they consume resources and recycle nutrients, sea turtles benefit many species of fish, plus crabs, shrimp, and mollusks. Their grazing on seagrass prevents it from becoming overgrown, benefiting the invertebrates that thrive in healthy seagrass. That, in turn, benefits the fish that feed on the invertebrates, which, in turn, benefits herons, egrets, terns, and gulls that feed on the fish.

Coastal vegetation and dune ecosystems benefit from the nutrients sea turtle migrations leave on widely scattered beaches. Migration between regions transfers nutrients over long distances, supporting plankton and small fish that whales depend on. Sea turtle migrations show a designed system, not evolutionary chance. Furthermore, fossil evidence suggests that sea turtles did not evolve from other creatures. Sea turtles have always been sea turtles, and we can thank the Creator for giving us these keystone creatures that deserve our protection.

References: scienceandculture.com and iere.org

September 11, 2026September 10, 2026

Insects Are God’s Tools

One of my neighbors is a mechanical genius – he can fix anything. The secret to his success is that he has a tool for every situation. It is one thing to have a tool, and another to know how to find it. When he needs a screw with a special design, width, and length, he can go to a drawer full of screws and a tool rack full of screwdrivers and have exactly what he needs to do the job. Insects are God’s tools.

Recent studies have shown that scientists have vastly undercounted insect species. Entomologist Laura Melissa Guzman of Cornell University, writing in Science News, says that previous insect species counts of six million are way too low and that the actual count is at least 14 million species and may be as high as 20 million.

The question is why so many species exist, and the reason is that insects are God’s tools to sustain life on planet Earth. Insects serve in many ways. For example, flowers must be pollinated to produce seeds that will grow into new flowers. To pollinate flowers of various sizes and shapes, insects of various sizes and shapes are God’s tools for that purpose. While some insects have particular jobs, others help control insect populations. Scientists have identified over 2,400 species of parasitoid wasps that do this.

Like my neighbor, who has the right tool for every situation, insects are God’s tools for every situation. Guzman writes, “It’s humbling how much we don’t know and how much we have left to know.” Everywhere we look in the world, we see a wonder-working hand has gone before. Insects are another of the things God has created to enable life to exist on our planet.

Reference: Science News, September 2026, page 26