creation Archives - Page 23 of 70 - DOES GOD EXIST? TODAY

August 26, 2022August 25, 2022

Synthetic Embryo and Synthetic Organs

Synthetic Embryo - Real Mouse Embryo — Real Mouse Embryo at 11 Days

Can a baby be produced in a laboratory without sperm and an egg? The answer for mice, at least, is a partial “yes.” Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Sciences in Israel produced a “lab-created womb” in which they placed mouse stem cells producing a mouse embryo. The synthetic embryo “lived” for eight days.

Researchers could coax stem cells into a placenta or yolk sac by treating stem cells with chemicals. Then other stem cells developed into organs and tissues without intervention by the researchers. Some turned into beating heart tissue or a rudimentary nervous system. However, 99.5% of the stem cells failed.

This kind of research has a practical purpose beyond producing a synthetic embryo. For example, scientists hope to eventually grow human organs in a synthetic womb to replace diseased organs for which no donor is available. Scientists have already used this system to produce rudimentary artificial kidneys and hearts, but they are not yet suitable for medical use. Researchers are also hoping to find a way to nurture premature babies outside of the mother’s womb.

It is not true that all human stem cells come from aborted babies. Stem cells can be derived from various cells in the human body and can even be secured, under the right conditions, from a person who has just died. These stem cells are called “induced pluripotent stem cells.”

Like many efforts to produce life, researchers are copying natural processes to create a synthetic embryo of a mouse. Scientists and engineers have copied God’s creation for many practical uses. We have frequently shown how engineers have copied what they see in nature to produce everything from Velcro to jet engines. The debate among philosophers and ethics professionals concerns philosophical and ethical problems with this type of medical research.

Over and over, the biblical writers challenge us to learn from the natural world. In Job chapters 38 to 41, we see God challenging Job to deal with the creation in which he was living. Proverbs 6:6 says, “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise.” In Proverbs 8:22-31, Wisdom challenges us to think about the design and planning of God’s creation.

The struggle to duplicate the design of reproduction that God built into living things shows us how impossible it is to believe that the original creation was the product of blind chance. As Paul wrote to the Romans, “We can know there is a God through the things He has made (Romans 1:20).

Reference: Global Research

August 25, 2022August 24, 2022

Wildfire Aftermath and Recovery

If you are like me, you have watched with pain the terrible wildfires in the western United States. We tend to focus on the folks who have lost homes or barely got out with the clothing on their backs. However, the long-term effects of wildfires are not as bad as the human tragedy often caused by human mismanagement. Several research studies funded by the National Science Foundation have dealt with wildfire aftermath and recovery.

One study of charcoal from Wales and Poland tells the story of plants consumed by fire millions of years ago. Botanists say that instead of the grasses, trees, and flowers we see today, previous ancient land plants were under an inch tall. Some waist-high or knee-high plants existed, but much of the landscape was covered with tiny plants. At that time, the big plants were fungi that towered over all other plants. A well-preserved prototaxite fossil fungus shows that they stood 30 feet tall.

Earth’s atmosphere at that time had very little oxygen, unlike the 21% figure we see today. Fires would not occur because of the lack of oxygen. Modern studies show that a fire of any size isn’t likely below 16% atmospheric oxygen. Once the level exceeded 16%, fires occurred, and wildfire aftermath and recovery paved the way for the large plants we know today. Modern plants can generate large amounts of oxygen to sustain animal life.

In today’s wildfire aftermath and recovery, there are always “green islands” where a tree cluster avoids being burned because of the topography or nearness to water. A high percentage of seeds from these patches of unburned trees remain to germinate and grow. The creatures that would ordinarily eat the small trees are no longer there, so the plants survive to rapidly reforest the area. That means areas with “green islands” do not need human tree planting. Most human effort and resources can go to places with no “green islands.”

These studies help us understand God’s methods of preparing Earth for humans and the animals we need. Genesis 1:11-12 gives the same picture that the scientists are finding. It says that the first form of plant life was the grasses – “deshe” in Hebrew means tender grass. The second group of plants is “eseb,” meaning “naked seed,” – gymnosperms. That is followed by the tree bearing fruit containing its seed – angiosperms. The Bible tells us the order of progression from early forms of plants to the ones we depend on today. The Bible does not tell us how God did it or how long it took, but scientific research today gives us that information.

Reference: National Science Foundation “Research News”

August 23, 2022August 22, 2022

Placebo Treatment for Medical Problems

My wife is participating in a study of a new medical treatment. She is getting regular blood tests and various other medical tests to see if the treatment is effective. At the start of the study, the doctor told her that only half of the participants would get the actual treatment. The other half will receive a placebo, which is a pill with nothing but an inert filler. Placebo treatment is an accepted scientific way to measure a new medicine’s effectiveness.

One complicating factor of placebo treatment is that the human body is designed to cure itself, even with a placebo or nothing at all. In addition, a person’s mental outlook can affect the results of a drug or procedure. For example, reader’s Digest recently published an article by Lia Grainger titled “The Placebo Cure.” That article tells about a man diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He became part of a study to see if a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes could also help treat Parkinson’s.

When the study began, the patient immediately started feeling better. His joints ached less, he could move more easily, and he was able to start taking walks around the neighborhood. He said his memory was more robust, and he was convinced he was daily receiving the new drug. It turned out that he had been given a placebo.

The article defines the “placebo effect” as when the brain convinces the body that the fake treatment is authentic. Doctors have been using placebos for a very long time. One study showed that 89% of physicians used placebo treatment at least once a month. The scientific community only poorly understands this effect, but it is genuine and not questioned by medical researchers.

The design of the human body is one of God’s finest creations. Our minds have incredible power over the physical needs of our bodies, and it seems to be unique to humans and not a product of evolution or a chance process. This is true of our sexual relationships as well as our physical wellness. Our drug-saturated culture tends to throw a chemical at every problem. God has built into us an incredible number of ways in which our bodies fight disease and physical impairments.

We need to quickly emphasize that we are not saying there is no need for antibiotics, vaccines, or medical treatments. But, at the same time, we need to understand that we “are fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalms 139:14). One part of that is how our brains help our bodies maintain a high level of physical well-being.

Reference: “The Placebo Cure” by Lia Grainger in Reader’s Digest September 2022, pages 79 – 84.

August 22, 2022August 20, 2022

Our Planet’s Magnetic Field

There are a vast number of things that make life on planet Earth possible. We are all aware of some, while others escape most people’s knowledge. One thing that allows life to exist on Earth is our planet’s magnetic field.

All stars generate streams of radiation by the nature of their energy-producing systems, and our Sun is no exception. The solar wind is a constant threat to life on the Moon or Mars or in any spaceship traveling through the solar system. Studies show that Mars once had a magnetic field, but that field dissipated, leaving the surface sterile. The question for astronomers is why Earth didn’t suffer the same fate. Much of the answer to our planet’s magnetic field lies in Earth’s geology.

About 1800 miles below our feet, a liquid iron core generates our magnetic field. Recent research shows that there was a time in the distant past when Earth’s magnetic field was dissipating, but just as it reached its lowest point, it regenerated. Using various new wave detection tools, researchers have found evidence of what brought the magnetic field back.

Earth has four layers: (1) the crust where we live, (2) a thick layer called the mantle, (3) a molten outer core, and (4) A solid inner core. In the molten outer core, swirling liquid iron generates electric currents, driving a geodynamo that produces our planet’s magnetic field to protect us from the solar wind.

We can’t go to the Earth’s core to study these layers, but minerals that contain tiny magnetic particles rise to Earth’s surface. By examining the magnetic crystals in anorthosite rocks with a superconducting quantum interference magnetometer, researchers can see a historical record of Earth’s magnetic field. That field began to regenerate as the inner core started to grow, allowing Earth to retain the water so vital to life.

This new research helps scientists understand how Earth became a habitable planet. The implications for life on other planets are clear, and we can see that our planet is extraordinary. When we see the complexity of our planet, it takes more faith to believe that our existence is an accident than to believe it was planned and designed. The tools God used to prepare a place for life to thrive are far more complex and exceptional than anyone can understand when reading, “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.”

Reference: National Science Foundation and Nature.com

August 20, 2022August 16, 2022

Arctic Whales Called Narwhals

When they see an unusual physical characteristic in an animal, evolutionists try to find a sexual explanation for it. If your religious belief is “survival of the fittest” and reproduction is a major part of explaining who is fit and who isn’t, you look for sexual explanations for everything in the animal kingdom. We see an example of why sexual selection is not always the complete answer in Arctic whales called narwhals.

Narwhals can weigh up to 3000 pounds and reach over 15 feet long. Their unusual feature is the world’s longest tooth. The narwhal’s tooth is a spiraling, pointed tusk that can reach nine feet long. Since the tooth appears in male narwhals, evolutionists have said that it’s just another example of sexual selection. Females pick the males with the longest tusk. That explanation is similar to cases like the peacock, where the males have elaborate feathers, which they use to attract females. Another idea is that narwhals use the tusks as weapons in conflicts between males. However, no one has ever seen the tusks used that way, and no dead narwhals have been found with a wound that appears to have come from being stabbed by a tusk.

Researchers at the Smithsonian working with the Harvard School of Dental Medicine have studied the tusks under an electron microscope. They discovered millions of tubules leading from the surface to nerve endings deep inside the tusk. The researchers believe this system allows narwhals to detect changes in water pressure, temperature, and salinity. That information would enable the narwhals to tell when water is starting to freeze, allowing them to avoid getting trapped. It also may help them locate food. Of course, that leaves a question of why females don’t have tusks, but since they travel in groups, it may be that the tusks identify the leader.

We know that the Arctic whales called narwhals have a tusk like no other animal. We know it is a tooth in structure and form, but how it became an integral part of the species is a mystery to evolutionists. We suggest it is another example of God’s design in which every animal has what it needs to survive in a given environment. The Arctic Ocean is a place where narwhals might need special survival equipment.

Reference: The Chronicle Review Volume 52, Issue 37, page B16.

August 19, 2022August 16, 2022

Medical Benefits of Spiders

The entertainment industry has done much to encourage arachnophobia (fear of spiders), and it starts at an early age. Remember, “Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet, eating her curds and whey. Along came a spider and sat down beside her and frightened Miss Muffet away.” It’s true that some spiders have venom that is dangerous to humans. However, we can’t let arachnophobia keep us from finding medical benefits of spiders.

There are many potential benefits of spider venom and secretions in medicine and agriculture. Here are five examples:

1) The venom of a Brazilian wandering spider has an ingredient that has been found helpful in treating erectile dysfunction.
2) The venom of a South American tarantula can calm an irregular heartbeat and may be used to treat atrial fibrillation.
3) Australia’s Blue Mountains funnel-web spider has a venom that attacks the nervous system of insects that eat crops but doesn’t affect humans.
4) Spider silk can be used as synthetic muscles for drug delivery systems or robotic devices.
5) Glue secreted by orbed web spiders gets stronger in the presence of water, possibly making it useful for surgery and underwater engineering.

God built these materials into the life processes of spiders so that they could survive and fulfill their purpose in the natural world. The medical benefits of spiders are not alone in the natural world. There are many plants and animals in the creation with chemicals that can have significant medical and agricultural benefits for humans. Science can recognize God’s chemical design and copy it to solve human problems.

In Proverbs 8:22-33, we find Wisdom personified by speaking and describing some of God’s actions in the creation process. The more we know of the creation, the more we understand God’s nature and wisdom.

Reference: Discover magazine Volume 32 #2, page 80.

August 18, 2022August 16, 2022

Mussel Superglue and Human Problems

Have you ever tried to glue something underwater? I needed to do that in several situations, and I have tried everything on the market. The various commercial glue and epoxy products don’t last very long underwater. That is especially true when subject to vibration or stress. Somehow, barnacles and mussels firmly attach themselves to boats and rocks underwater. How does this mussel superglue work?

A mussel has glands in its slug-like feet that secrete a glue that hardens into a filament that attaches it to a rock or hard surface in less than five minutes. Within a few days, it has a cable of several hundred such threads that will withstand years of pounding surf. Measurements show it can withstand a force of a thousand pounds per square inch and even stick to Teflon.

The U.S. Navy spends millions of dollars each year trying to find ways to stop crustaceans and mollusks from fouling their underwater equipment. Dr. Herbert Waite, a marine biochemist at the University of California studying mussel superglue, discovered that a mussel has two separate compartments to produce its glue. One compartment contains resin-like proteins, and the second produces chemicals that act like hardeners. When the two come in contact, the proteins harden in minutes.

The mussel superglue contains various adhesive proteins with different functions. Some are catalysts, while others act to separate the filaments. Some contain an amino acid called dopa that makes gels that bond filaments together. These gels have gotten significant attention from dentists and surgeons who need materials that will bond in wet environments.

Undoing mussel glue is another issue that scientists are studying. Understanding how mussel superglue works could lead to anti-glues. Dentists could apply them to teeth to prevent the buildup of dental plaque. Doctors could use anti-glues to prevent cardiovascular stents from becoming clogged. Mussel superglue is another case where studying what God has designed can give us answers to human problems.

Reference: Discover magazine for February 2003, pages 22-23.

August 17, 2022August 16, 2022

The Amazing Chickadees

If you have a bird feeder on your property, you are probably familiar with the amazing chickadees found throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The six North American chickadee species do not have large fat reserves like some birds, such as finches. Instead, their trim size gives them more mobility to evade predators such as cats or sharp-shinned hawks. However, it also means chickadees must find enough fuel daily to maintain their metabolism.

One way chickadees survive is by lowering their body temperature at night. A chickadee’s daytime body temperature is 108 degrees Fahrenheit, but it drops to around 86 degrees at night. This controlled hypothermia is a nocturnal semi-hibernation that slows their metabolism by about 25%. The next day, they must find enough food to maintain their daytime metabolism while replacing fat lost the previous night.

Besides the seeds at our bird feeders, chickadees eat caterpillars, insects, spiders, and conifer seeds. Since chickadees don’t migrate south for the winter, they store food for use during the cold months. Their stockpiles exist in various places, such as wedged into pine needle clusters or tree bark or even pounded into the ground. They store food in the lower branches of conifer trees, so it will be available when the upper branches are covered with snow. Chickadees prepare insects for storage by removing the heads of larvae and the wings of moths.

Storing food for later use requires remembering where it is, and studies have shown that chickadees can remember where they stored items for months. The hippocampus is the area of the brain involved in memory and spatial learning. In the fall, when food storage moves into high gear, the chickadee brain grows new neurons in the hippocampus. Their brain stores visual cues such as the spatial relationship between significant landmarks, allowing them to remember their cache locations from fall until the following spring.

Those of us who maintain bird feeders frequented by chickadees notice that they are not as shy around people as most birds are. The complexity of the amazing chickadees is extraordinary. They are another example of God’s design in the natural world, enabling the survival of a small creature we take for granted. This design speaks eloquently of the fact that we “can know there is a God through the things He has made” (Romans 1:20).

Reference: National Wildlife magazine February/March 1998, pages 24 -28.

August 16, 2022August 15, 2022

Moths Are Incredibly Beautiful Creatures

Most of us probably have negative connotations about moths. We know that moths can cause problems in agriculture and can infest clothes left unattended in a closet. Moth balls have been in our history for a very long time. But it isn’t adult moths that eat holes in your clothing. It’s their larvae. In reality, moths are incredibly beautiful creatures, and perhaps you have not seen the most beautiful specimens because they are nocturnal.

One moth species known as Antheraea polyphemus can have a six-inch wingspan. The name comes from Homer’s epic “The Odyssey,” in which a giant called Polyphemus ate people. The giant polyphemus moth does not eat people, and neither does any other moth species. There are over 160,000 species of moths, and many of them produce larvae that eat crops that humans grow. However, adult moths have no mouths because they don’t eat anything in their adult stage.

Moths are incredibly beautiful creatures, and like virtually all living things, they are essential for humans in various ways. The domesticated silkworm in America is the larva of the moth Bombyx mori, and there are different species in different countries. Moths pollinate plants that open at night. For example, in the Himalayan ecosystem, they are primary pollinators essential to plant survival.

Some moths dig into the ground, and their larvae support underground ecosystems. The Mopane worm is a moth larva harvested as an important food source in regions of Africa. In the Congo, people eat moth larvae from thirty different species.

There are far more moth species than butterfly species – 160,000 compared to 17,500. As is true of just about everything in the natural world, we must learn how to manage and protect this resource. Mass pesticide spraying is not a positive way to manage this valuable resource God has given us.

Reference: The Spokesman-Review for 8/4/22.

August 15, 2022August 14, 2022

A Remarkable Tool of Astronomy – The JWST

On July 12, 2022, NASA released the first public images from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), launched on December 25, 2021. JWST is a remarkable tool of astronomy that can see objects in outer space not visible to Earth-bound telescopes. Dr. Scott Acton is a 1984 Abilene Christian University graduate who worked on the JWST for almost 24 years as a wavefront sensing and controls scientist. As a Christian, he said, “Seeing these images will increase your faith.”

In February, Dr. Acton’s team was privileged to download a “throwaway” image from a JWST fine guidance sensor, which brought him to tears. He described his feelings by saying, “I realized that single image contained probably 500 galaxies that had never been seen before.”

As a remarkable tool of astronomy, the JWST enables us to expand our understanding of the incredible size and magnitude of the creation. As the tools of observation improved, astronomers realized that our Milky Way galaxy was just one of many. Thanks to the JWST, we can now see countless galaxies that astronomers have never seen before, and each one contains billions of stars, many of which have planets orbiting them.

These distant galaxies send out all kinds of light – not just visible light. The JWST can see the light invisible to our eyes and see it without the obstruction of our atmosphere. That light can tell us the history of creation and testify to the truthfulness of what the Bible says about creation.

In Job 38:6-7, God says to Job, “Upon what are the foundations of the earth fastened and who do you think laid the cornerstone when the morning stars sang together?” Dr. Acton says that he imagined the galaxies singing: “Not in any kind of language that people could understand, but certainly the emotion we can understand. I would call that emotion joy. It’s almost like the galaxies or the universe was happy that after all this time, we could finally see them.”

The pictures from this remarkable tool of astronomy will give us more evidence that the creation of the cosmos had a beginning in which time and space came into existence. We can see the evidence of design and purpose everywhere in the cosmos and on Earth. If there was a beginning, there had to be a cause, and that cause was “Elohim,” the God of Genesis 1:1.

Reference: The Christian Chronicle for August 2022, pages 18-19.