creation Archives

November 7, 2024November 4, 2024

Blind Cave Fish Find Food

How is bat guano controlled in caves, and how do blind cave fish find food? Like all natural balances, there is a relationship between these two questions.

With vast numbers of bats in caves, over many years, their droppings could fill the caves if there were no natural ways to reduce the volume. Dr. Josh Gross at the University of Cincinnati has discovered that blind cave fish actually eat bat guano. It provides food for the fish, which would otherwise have nothing to eat.

What the fish get from the guano depends on what kind of bats live in the cave. Fruit bats will have some sugar in their guano, and bats that eat insects will have some protein in theirs. The next question is, how do the fish find the guano that will nourish them? The answer is that the fish have taste buds under their chin and on top of their heads.

The fish avoid destructive bacteria that might be in the guano because some of the taste buds can detect lactones in the bacteria that would taste bitter. These taste buds are called tuft cells, and in addition to harmful bacteria, they can detect dust mites and mold.

Everywhere we look in the natural world, even in the darkest caves, we see God’s design and handiwork, even in how blind cave fish find food. Romans 1:20, “We can know there is a God through the things He has made,” has special meaning when we see examples like this.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
References: “A Matter of Taste” in Scientific American for November 2024, page 16 and Nature Communications Biology

November 5, 2024November 4, 2024

The Design of Cacti

There are 1,500 known species of cacti on our planet, and many live in places so dry and hot that it is hard to imagine any life surviving. Cacti can branch out as massive trees or be small enough to fit on a penny. Scientists are studying the design of cacti to find ways to apply their ability to survive heat and conserve water.

The saguaro cactus, which grows in the Sonoran desert of Arizona, California, and Mexico, can retain hundreds of gallons of water. These plants have pleats that expand to hold the water when rain comes. Saguaro cactus flowers bloom from mid-April to mid-June. They boom only once at night and close the next day, protecting them from the Sun’s intense heat. The flower buds are on the crown of the cactus and bloom in a counterclockwise migrating pattern from the east to the north, giving them more shade as the season becomes hotter.

Saguaros have a unique way of photosynthesis. Most plants lose water as they open their pores to absorb carbon dioxide. Saguaros do not open their pores until after sundown. Then, they absorb carbon dioxide and convert it into malic acid, which they store in their cells for the next day. The design of cacti shows great wisdom and efficiency in the use of resources.

Copiapoa cacti thrive in the Atacama desert of northern Chile, the driest nonpolar desert on Earth. Most copiapoa cacti are 5 to 6 inches in diameter and covered with spines. Every morning, as fog sweeps in from the sea, water condenses on the spines and skin of these plants. The spines have a series of tiny grooves that broaden at the base, enabling the cactus to channel moisture into itself. Scientists are looking at the possible use of this design for dew-collecting in areas with water shortages.

As scientists study cacti, they look for ways to use their hot and dry climate adaptations to solve some of the problems agriculture faces with extreme heat. Biomimicry is a process in which we study the plants and animals God created and use what we learn to improve our lives. Proverbs 6:6 says, “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.” The principle is clear. We can learn by studying the design God built into all living things, including the design of cacti.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: National Geographic November 2024, pages 88-99.

November 4, 2024November 3, 2024

When Neutron Stars Collide

The periodic table has 94 elements that occur naturally and 24 others that exist only in particle accelerators, nuclear reactors, and atomic explosions. The natural elements include one group known as “rapid neutron capture process” or r-process elements. Most of those elements are created when neutron stars collide, giving off gamma rays.

In the periodic table above, you can see the r-process elements in lavender. Without those elements, life would be very different, if not impossible. Two of the r-process metals are thorium and uranium. Earth’s strong magnetic field that protects us from deadly solar and cosmic radiation exists because of radioactive thorium and uranium inside our planet. Those elements are also the reason for plate tectonics, which transformed the planet from a water world (Genesis 1:2) into a world with oceans and continents (Job 38:8-11).

Other valuable metals in the r-process group include silver, gold, platinum, palladium, and osmium. Those metals are essential for electronic components and catalysts that make our high technology possible. They are also involved in medical treatments, including chemotherapy.

The precisely fine-tuned properties of neutrinos and the weak nuclear force make the rapid nuclear capture process possible. When neutron stars collide, we are also blessed by the fact that they are far away from our planet, so the gamma rays pose no risk to our survival. The closest detected collision was in a galaxy 130 million light-years from Earth. We see evidence of God’s creative wisdom in all of these things and many more.

Reference: salvomag.com

October 30, 2024October 28, 2024

Termites Building Heuweltjies

The more we learn about insects, the more we see design and purpose in their creation and survival methods. Researchers recently studied termites building heuweltjies (“little hills”) in South Africa and Nambia. These termite mounds cover labyrinthine tunnels and chambers that extend 11 feet underground. In addition to their size, they are impressive for their age, with various dating methods showing they are up to 34,000 years old.

These termite colonies have survived for a long time because they are covered with a hard layer of calcite that their main enemy, Aardvarks, cannot penetrate. Termite soldiers and workers go into emergency mode to repair any damage caused by the researchers studying them. The same defensive action would be activated to quickly reseal any break in the calcite layer caused by an aardvark predator. The soldiers guard the tunnels while the workers repair the breach.

In the natural world, termites perform essential services. Termites building heuweltjies break down plant material, producing topsoil, sequestering carbon, and reducing erosion. In some parts of the world, such as Australia, it is virtually impossible to use wood in construction because of termites’ actions. However, termites play an essential role in areas where human structures are not involved.

We sometimes struggle over conflicts with insects, but they remain successful because God designed them with functions and protections to survive. The termites building heuweltjies in South Africa and Namibia are a classic example.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: “Termite city from Neanderthal era” in The Week for 10/25/24, page 21

October 29, 2024October 28, 2024

What Nothing Is

It may seem strange that we would have an article about “nothing,” but this is a serious topic. The dictionary defines nothing as “not any material or immaterial thing” (Oxford English Dictionary). Cosmologists like Stephen Hawking won’t accept that definition. Do we really know what nothing is?

Hawking argues that “nothing” can result from cyclic processes – quantum fluctuations in the very early universe. Cosmologist Lawrence Krauss explained his understanding of what nothing is this way: “For surely “nothing” is every bit as physical as “something,” especially if it is to be defined as “the absence of something.” The cosmologists’ speculative attempts to redefine nothing is an attempt to eliminate God from the process of creation.

If I have a bill for $10.00 and $10.00 in my pocket, is my net worth “nothing”? If matter and antimatter combine, they destroy each other. Does that produce “nothing”? The answer is clear. They produce energy, which is not nothing. This is not a scientific discussion because you can’t observe “nothing,” and you can’t devise an experiment to test “nothing.” Hawking and Krauss are scientists, not philosophers, but they are attempting a philosophical argument to eliminate God from the creation process.

There is strong evidence of a beginning to time, space, and matter/energy. It was not eternal and was not created by “nothing.” We can talk about dimensions beyond the ones we live in and the ones scientists can do their experiments in, but ultimately, God comes to the creation process from a dimension beyond the three we know. String theory suggests eleven spatial dimensions, but that is not good science; it is only speculative guesses about the nature of reality.

“In the beginning, God created the heaven (space, time, and matter/energy) and the earth.” That statement in Genesis 1:1 gives purpose, direction, and realism to all of us. Let us not argue about what nothing is.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Quotes and data from John C. Lennox’s book God and Stephen Hawking – Whose Design Is It Anyway? pages 30-33.

October 28, 2024October 27, 2024

Leaves Must Die to Save the Tree

As I write this, we are at the peak of the beautiful fall colors. This week’s forecast calls for strong winds and rain, which will probably take down most of the leaves. I hate to see the beauty fade, leaving the naked branches pointing to the sky all winter, but I know it’s God’s design that the leaves must die to save the tree.

Deciduous trees shed their leaves in autumn. “Deciduous” refers to something falling away after it completes its purpose. In our area of southwestern Michigan, some of the most colorful trees are maples and oaks that get their nourishment from the photosynthesis taking place in the green leaves. The trees supply the leaves with moisture and minerals from the ground. The leaves need moisture, in the form of sap, to carry on the complex photosynthesis process, which nourishes the tree for growth.

The sap is mostly water, so it can freeze when the temperature drops below 32 degrees F (0 degrees C). Because water expands when it freezes, it could burst the tree’s cell walls, causing it to die. So, to save the tree, the sap travels down into the roots for the winter, where the ground insulates it from the cold. Without the sap to nourish the leaves, they die and fall to the ground.

It’s God’s design that the leaves must die to save the tree. Jesus told His disciples multiple times that He would have to die, but they could not understand it and even chose to ignore what He was saying. When the time came for it to happen, the disciples were shocked and fled in despair and fear. They could not see that it was God’s plan. It was God’s design to save the world.

The leaves must die to save the tree, even though we may not fully understand it. Jesus’ disciples did not understand why He had to die, but it was to save them and all who would choose to accept His sacrifice on their behalf. As the leaves die, we have the promise of new leaves and new life in the spring. Today, we have the offer of new life in this world and eternal life hereafter. Fortunately, we don’t have to fully understand it, deserve it, or earn it. We merely have to accept it as a free gift.

October 25, 2024October 21, 2024

Eagle Eyes and Design

Eagles are some of the most amazing creatures in today’s world. We are familiar with bald eagles and golden eagles, but there are eagles everywhere on Earth, and they have similar designs. Eagle eyes are incredible examples of design that is not easily explained by any chance hypothesis.

The human eye has two kinds of receptors in the retina – rods and cones. Rods are more sensitive and give vision in dim light. Cones provide us with color vision. We don’t see color in dim light because only the rods are sensitive enough to function. Cones are concentrated in the center of our retina in an area called the macula to help us see fine details.

A typical section of the human eye has roughly 200,000 cones, while eagle eyes have over 400,000. That means an eagle can see fine details that the human eye cannot detect. The reason for this design is obvious. Eagles are carnivores, and to see their prey while in flight, they must have incredibly sensitive vision. Experiments with pet eagles have shown they can see a rabbit in a field while flying 1000 feet above the ground.

The problem with this sensitivity is how to keep direct sunlight from damaging the cones. To solve this problem, eagle eyes are protected by an eyebrow ridge that shades the cones. All eagles have this feature and use it in hunting their prey, including small mammals and fish, which are a mainstay of the diet of most eagles.

Eagles are designed to be apex predators. They are the perfect carnivores with talons to grasp prey, wing feathers that allow amazing flight abilities, and powerful wings to lift heavy prey. Eagles keep a balance in nature and are essential in the stability of life forms worldwide.

October 24, 2024October 21, 2024

Superstar Lucy and Anthropology

American Scientist magazine called Lucy “Paleoanthropology’s Superstar.” Lucy (Australopithecus afarensis) is a hominid fossil found in 1974. Paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson named it Lucy because the Beatles song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” was being played on the radio that year. Lucy had a brain size of 450 cc. A modern human’s brain is between 950 cc and 1800 cc, depending on sex and location. What is special about superstar Lucy?

Lucy stood about three feet seven inches tall, weighed around 60 pounds, and had a pelvis similar to a chimpanzee. Lucy’s limbs were close to the ratio of a monkey, with the femur and humerus being about the same size. In humans, there is a 2:1 ratio between these two bones. The opening into the skull through which the spinal column sends its messages to the brain is called the foramen magnum. In a human, that opening is centered in the middle of the skull, allowing a normal vertical position. In a monkey, the foramen magnum is in the back of the skull, so vertical standing is difficult. In the case of Lucy, the foramen magnum is not in the center of the skull and not in the very back of the skull. Vertical motion and standing would have been possible, but walking long distances would be difficult.

Graduate students and anthropologists have used superstar Lucy for fundraising, with many getting support for field research. In the 50 years since Lucy’s discovery, researchers have found many other hominid fossils in better condition than Lucy. The theory of human evolution 50 years ago was a tree with something like Lucy at the base. The newer models are that hominoid history is more of a bush than a tree.

So, where do Adam and Eve fit into all of this? The Bible says that man was formed “from the dust of the Earth … and man became a living being”. The Hebrew used here is “nephesh,” which the Hebrew lexicon says means “animal soul.” The passage does not say how long God took to do that or what process He used. We can understand some of what God did by looking at the fossils. What separates the first human is not his body. Our body chemistry is the same as other forms of life. What sets us apart is our creation in God’s image.

Genesis 1:26-27 describes the unique creation of man – not his physical body. “Let US create man in OUR image” refers to the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.” In other words, the image of God refers to our spiritual makeup. It isn’t our brains or our bodies that make us unique and special. All humans are created in God’s image with a spiritual aspect that can last eternally. The physical body will return to the dust from which it came (Genesis 3:19), but our spiritual body (soul) is not subject to the physical laws that govern all other life on Earth.

As anthropologists focus on superstar Lucy, The big question is, “When will we recognize the unique beauty of all humans and stop killing each other?”

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: “Paleoanthropology’s Superstar” in the November/December issue of American Scientist magazine (pages 326 -327).

October 23, 2024October 21, 2024

Making Assumptions About the Biblical Account

Bible Skeptics claim that Cain would have had to marry a sister since no other women were around. This is a classic demonstration of making assumptions about the biblical account that are incorrect both scientifically and biblically.

Even if Cain married a sister (which the Bible does not say), it would not be incest. The genome of humans at the early stage of human creation would have been perfect. Incest is when two people with DNA from the same imperfect parents produce a child. We all have mutations in our DNA from the thousands of generations of humans on Earth. Any brother having a child with his sister today would be dooming the child to genetic issues.

People making assumptions about the biblical account are only guessing and may contradict other biblical passages. How many children were born in the “Garden of Eden?” In Genesis 1:28, God told Adam and Eve, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the Earth …” Some have suggested that this is the only command God ever gave that humans have completely obeyed. The point is that they either had children or they disobeyed God. The skeptic’s only alternative is to assume their time in the Garden was too short to bear children.

Genesis 4:16-17 says, “Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.” The Bible does not say that Cain took his wife to Nod, so he must have married a woman living in Nod. This would be a distant relative from the population that left the Garden of Eden. Genesis 5 lists the genealogy from Adam to Noah, leaving out Cain’s descendants. Genesis 6:1-5 records the increase in human population using the word “Nephilim,” meaning fallen ones. It does not mean aliens or monsters, as some have suggested, but those who rejected God.

Making assumptions about the biblical account is dangerous because the Bible does not tell us many things about early humans. Neither does the geologic fossil record give us the details we want to know. But what is actually recorded in the Bible is not at odds with the geological evidence. As in all such questions, you can intelligently and reasonably believe both the scientific evidence and the biblical record. They are symbiotic.

October 21, 2024October 27, 2024

Sea Robin Design

Small fish in the subfamily Prionotinae are among the most interesting ocean creatures. They are known as sea robins because they have large pectoral fins resembling bird wings. The sea robin design makes them distinctive, and some say, “bizarre.”

Sea robins live off the coasts of the Americas in the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific oceans. In addition to having fins that resemble bird wings, they have limbs like a crab. These legs are covered with tiny protrusions, which are like taste buds that can detect mollusks buried under the sand, allowing them to find food on the ocean floor.

When a northern sea robin (Prionotus carolinus) hatches, it has webbed fins for swimming. As the fish grows, the first three rays of the pectoral fins separate into three individual appendages on each side that can serve as legs for “walking” along the ocean floor. These appendages in northern sea robins can detect chemicals released by prey hidden under the sand. Each of these six “legs” has a large nerve that branches from the massive spinal ganglia to carry information to and from the brain.

The unique sea robin design includes fins to soar like a bird underwater, “legs” to walk on the sea floor and “taste” hidden predators, armor plating, and specialized muscles to generate croaking sounds by drumming on their swim bladder. This is another example of complexity in a life form that is too complex for a chance explanation. Evolutionary theories can explain one of the unique characteristics of the sea robin design, but all of these unique features have to come together to survive.

Controlling the populations of benthic sea creatures and keeping the ocean floor clean of debris requires a unique form of life, and the sea robin design remarkably fills the need. God’s creatures offer an understanding of God’s design wisdom, care, and engineering. Romans 1:19-20 tells us that things like this fish are an apologetic for the existence of God.