creation Archives

November 20, 2025November 18, 2025

Subsea Desalination to Address Water Shortages

One of today’s major challenges, which will only intensify as the world’s population grows, is ensuring there is enough water for humans and animals to survive. God has provided ways to obtain the water needed for crop growth, maintaining healthy animals, and even for space travel. Our space probes have detected vast amounts of water on other planets in our solar system, and even on the Moon. While these discoveries are promising for the distant future, when humans live elsewhere, the more immediate challenge is securing sufficient water on Earth. A potential new solution is subsea desalination.

The 1798 poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge describes a sailor stranded at sea who laments, “Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink.” Today, various desalination methods are used to remove salt from seawater and produce drinking water. These include boiling seawater and condensing the vapor, flash distillation utilizing temperature and pressure, and reverse osmosis with extremely tiny membranes that allow only water molecules to pass through. These methods often require a lot of energy and specialized materials. Subsea desalination requires far less energy from fossil fuels and can be deployed anywhere with an ocean depth of at least 1,600 feet (500 meters).

Subsea desalination uses the immense pressure found deep in the ocean to generate the necessary energy. At a depth of 1600 feet, the pressure reaches approximately 102,400 pounds per square foot, enough to push water through membranes, leaving the salt behind. The clean water can then be piped to shore. This water will contain very few bacteria and other microorganisms and will be free of algae, river runoff, and the effects of storms and seasonal temperature changes. Very little chemical addition would be needed, and coastal cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco could benefit most from subsea desalination.

Everywhere we look, we see that God has provided Earth and our solar system with abundant resources to meet our most basic needs. And He has created humans in His image with the creativity and intelligence to find those resources.

Reference: Scientific American for October 2025, pages 10-12, and scientificamerican.com

November 17, 2025November 16, 2025

Bamboo Alarm Clock

Although bamboo grows in forests and can look like trees, it is actually the largest type of grass. Bamboos are also the fastest-growing plants in the world, with some growing 3 feet (91 cm) in just 24 hours! The most fascinating thing about this unique grass is the bamboo alarm clock.

Bamboo is an important building material in many parts of Asia because it has a higher compressive strength than wood, brick, or concrete, and a tensile strength that rivals steel. But perhaps the most interesting aspect of bamboo is its reproductive method, often called mass, gregarious, or synchronized flowering—the bamboo alarm clock.

Bamboo doesn’t flower or produce seeds every year. Depending on the species, it may take 20, 35, 65, or even 120 years to flower. Then, the entire forest blooms, produces seeds, and dies all at once. Even more amazing is that if you take one plant from the forest and move it halfway around the world to a different climate, it will still flower at the same time. Even if you transplant it just a few weeks before its normal bloom time, it will still flower, produce seeds, and die at the same time as its original neighbors.

This raises two questions: “Why?” and “How?” Survival needs may explain the “why.” Synchronized flowering ensures effective pollination. They flood the air with pollen, so even isolated plants have a high chance of pollination, as the pollen cloud can travel hundreds of miles. Additionally, synchronized pollination and fruiting prevent predators from consuming all the fruit, securing the species’ survival.

Scientists are still trying to understand the “how” behind the bamboo alarm clock. Various theories have been proposed and dismissed. What we do know for sure is that bamboo has an internal clock that signals when it is time to reproduce. Only the Creator fully understands how this mechanism works. All we can do is marvel at this system’s design, as it seems impossible to be purely the result of chance.

Reference: wikipedia.org

November 14, 2025November 11, 2025

Electric Rays in the Ocean

The oceans are home to many ray species. Some are more familiar than others. Stingrays are found almost anywhere in shallow beach waters, and manta rays can grow to enormous sizes. Most rays have a stinger, which they use to defend against predators or attackers. Steve Irwin, the Australian conservationist, was killed while swimming next to a large manta ray. Rays are generally slow swimmers, so their stingers serve as their main defense. A lesser-known group of rays that don’t use stingers is the electric rays, also called torpedo fish.

Larger electric rays can generate an electric shock of up to 220 volts. That’s enough to electrocute their prey or stun an adult human. Researchers have observed a large white shark approach an electric ray and turn away when it came too close. Electric rays primarily use their electric power to capture prey while hiding beneath the ocean floor, waiting for prey to swim by.

God has equipped all living things with survival and defense mechanisms. Some can run at high speeds, others use camouflage, and some have venom or toxins. Electric rays are among the few that use high-voltage electricity. The variety of designs in living things shows evidence of a Designer.

Reference: Ocean Conservancy for winter 2025, page 3, and wikipedia.org

November 12, 2025November 11, 2025

Paranthropus boisei – The Media’s Man

A Reuters article by Will Dunham claims that bones linked to an extinct human relative have been discovered in Kenya. Soon after this article was published, we received emails asking if this supposedly disproves the biblical account of Adam and Eve. Paranthropus boisei is another example of the media seizing an opportunity to undermine the Bible. Let’s examine the evidence:

1) The fossils have been assigned to the species Paranthropus boisei. The first discovery of this species was made in 1959 by Mary and Louis Leakey, who described the specimen as “gorilla-like.” The brain volume is 450 to 550 cubic centimeters, which is chimp-sized. By comparison, the average human brain is 1,300 to 1,400 cc. In 1959, the media nicknamed Paranthropus boisei “Nutcracker man” because of its large teeth and powerful chewing muscles.

2) Hand bones of the specimen indicate it could make and use stone tools. Today, we know that tool use does not necessarily demonstrate a direct connection to humans. Even birds use tools to extract insects from holes, and monkeys break open coconuts with large rocks.

3) The fossils show that Paranthropus boisei could walk upright on two legs. Many animals can walk on two legs, including birds, kangaroos, some monkeys, and some dinosaurs. An erect posture has nothing to do with whether a fossil is from a human ancestor.

The biblical definition of a human is a life form created in the image of God. This is a spiritual likeness, not a physical one. In Genesis 2:7, we read, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground.” The Hebrew word translated “formed” is “yatsar,” meaning to shape or mold, as an artist shapes a statue. If God used physical prototypes to house His spiritual creation, that is not a problem.

Paranthropus boisei has no bearing on the biblical account or the human spiritual nature in God’s image. This is simply another desperate attempt by the media to discredit the Bible.

Reference: reuters.com

November 11, 2025November 10, 2025

Apex Scavengers Have a Purpose

People often react with disgust when they see videos of hyenas eating decaying remains of a dead cow or deer. Vultures have long been viewed negatively because people associate them with feeding on the carcasses of dead animals. However, these apex scavengers have a purpose in the natural world. They help control diseases that could otherwise spread uncontrollably.

The list of diseases that apex scavengers help prevent is extensive. Diseases like anthrax, botulism, salmonella, E. coli, and rabies are just some of the illnesses that could be avoided if healthy populations of apex scavengers were maintained. Between 1992 and 2006, the use of a veterinary drug caused India’s vulture populations to crash. This led to an increase in feral dogs consuming carrion, resulting in over 48,000 rabies deaths from dog bites.

Humans generally see apex scavengers as evil and have often destroyed them. The Red List of Threatened Species, published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, states that 36% of apex scavengers are threatened or declining. Without their presence, smaller scavengers like rats thrive and spread zoonotic diseases that apex scavengers could help prevent.

Millions of people die each year from zoonotic diseases, and that number will rise if apex scavengers are eliminated. God created everything for a reason, and apex scavengers have a purpose. Their intentional destruction of scavengers (and predators) is a classic example of how human ignorance has caused human misery. When we look at the problems facing humanity today, many stem from the violation and misuse of the good things God created.

Reference: Discover magazine, November/December 2025, page 10, and discovermagazine.com.

November 10, 2025November 9, 2025

Human Hibernation Research

One of the most fascinating aspects of the natural world is how different animals survive the winter. Hibernation allows various animals to enter a state for weeks or even months in which their body functions slow down, and they return to normal when warm weather arrives. Researchers in medical science are exploring ways to induce human hibernation. Besides enabling long space journeys, it could also be very useful in treating heart attacks and strokes.

Among the animals being studied are Arctic ground squirrels and grizzly bears. Arctic ground squirrels have a body temperature of 99 degrees F (37 °C) from April to October. From October to April, their body temperature drops to 27 degrees F (-3 °C), and their heart rate can drop as low as one beat per minute. A hibernating brown bear doesn’t experience such drastic temperature changes. The bear’s temperature drops to around 90 degrees and stays at that level from November to March, then rises back to summer levels. The bear undergoes a 5-month period of torpor that conserves energy and supports normal functions. For female bears, this includes giving birth and nursing cubs.

The effectiveness of these and other hibernation strategies is clear. Small animals like squirrels can’t store enough body fat to survive the winter, but bears can accumulate enough fat to sustain them for five months. Bears lose this weight so that when they emerge from the den at the end of winter, they are very lean and very hungry.

Medical scientists are investigating how to induce human hibernation because it could extend the window for critical care of stroke and heart attack patients. The research focuses on how humans might benefit from changes in body temperature to fight various diseases. Like everything else, we aim to develop medical treatments by learning from what God has already created.

References: nationalgeographic.com and wikipedia

November 6, 2025November 4, 2025

Hardwired for Moral Behavior

A question that evolutionists and naturalists cannot answer is why even atheists follow a moral code. I have seen this personally in my family. My father was an atheist, a philosophy professor, and a disciple of the philosopher John Dewey. He wrestled with the question of morality throughout his career. The truth is that my father was a very moral man. He never cheated anyone, taught his kids to be honest, never plagiarized or misrepresented a colleague’s or student’s work, never cheated on his taxes, and, as far as I know, was completely faithful to my mother. When I became a Christian, I asked him why he was so moral and honest, and he simply said, “I don’t know.” Is it possible that humans are hardwired for moral behavior?

An article in Scientific American by Elizabeth Svoboda titled “The Neuroscience of Morality” provides substantial evidence that morality is not learned or a product of evolution. Svoboda noted that physical disgust and moral disgust are “uniquely connected.” A key statement in the article is, “When we first become aware of an ethical violation, we’re hardwired to react much as we might to a steaming cow pie” (A cow pie is a pile of manure left by a cow). However, the article suggests there is a slippery slope: once you start acting immorally, such as by lying or cheating, it becomes easier to continue. Conversely, when people act morally in tempting situations, it becomes easier to have moral courage next time.

Titus 1:2 states that God cannot lie. Since we are created in the image of God, we are hardwired for moral behavior, including telling the truth. A child can learn to lie, but as a parent, I could look into my young child’s eyes and tell whether they were being honest. By the time kids become teenagers, they have learned to lie so convincingly that only a polygraph can reveal the truth. When adults are conditioned to lie, they often become unstable and may need psychological help.

The scientific evidence is clear. Humans are unique in many ways, but one key feature is that we are hardwired for moral behavior, which stems from being created in the image of God. Animals, however, do not have a moral code because they are not created in God’s image.

Reference: “The Neuroscience of Morality” by Elizabeth Svoboda in the November issue of Scientific American (pages 32-39

November 5, 2025November 4, 2025

Clarifying the Neanderthal Description

The first Neanderthal fossil was found in 1856. Later discoveries in Germany revealed complete skulls and specimens with a long, flat skull, a rounded brow ridge (supraorbital torus), large eye sockets (orbits), and brain sizes of 1640 cc in males, which is larger than most males today. The most influential specimen was La Chapelle–aux–Saints (the old man), discovered by French paleontologist Marcellin Boule, who described it as a hairy, slouching, ape-like creature. That description of Neanderthals endured for many years, but newer discoveries are clarifying the Neanderthal description.

Today, we know that Neanderthals were a distinct race of humans. An archaeologist named Lutz Kindler, from the MONREPOS Archaeological Research Center in Germany, reports that Neanderthals operated a “Fat Factory.” In what is now eastern Germany, Neanderthals broke and crushed the bones of large mammals to extract valuable bone marrow and fat, which they used as a food source.

Evidence indicates that Neanderthals planned hunts, transported carcasses, and rendered fat, understanding its nutritional value. On the site, researchers found more than 100,000 bone fragments from at least 172 large mammals, including deer and horses. Many of the bones show cut marks and signs of intentional breakage, indicating deliberate butchering rather than just leftovers from a hunt. Researchers also found evidence of tool use and fires in the area.

In the past, Neanderthals were thought to be a missing link in human evolution from monkeys. However, as new discoveries are clarifying the Neanderthal description, we see that they were a race of humans, not related to monkeys or apes. Fossil specimens with “pithicus” in their names form part of the evolutionary tree for monkeys and apes, but humans are separate and distinct.

The Bible describes humans as created in the image of God (Genesis 1: 26- 27), referring to our spiritual nature—our soul. Acts 17: 26 tells us we are all of one blood, and Galatians 3: 28 states that when we are in Christ, we are all one. The evidence contradicts attempts to portray humans as “naked apes.”

References: Science Alert for July 6, 2025 and Wikipedia.

November 3, 2025November 2, 2025

The Unique Design of Hammerhead Sharks

Many forms of life are so unique that no other living or fossil species could have evolved into them. A prime example is the hammerhead shark. Most sharks have a similar body shape with a pointed or bullet-shaped head, but the unique design of hammerhead sharks is a radical departure from this norm.

All sharks share a common feature: the ampullae of Lorenzini. These are jelly-filled sensory pores that detect electric fields generated by ocean creatures. In most sharks, these organs are located in the snout. However, in hammerhead sharks, they are spread across both ends of the head. This gives them greater resolution and helps locate prey more accurately.

The unique design of hammerhead sharks enables them to make quick, sharp turns to ambush prey effectively. The shape also provides a binocular field of vision of 48 degrees, compared to about 15 degrees in normal sharks.

Attempting to find an evolutionary explanation for the hammerhead’s distinctive design is nearly impossible. There is no fossil evidence showing gradual changes in the heads of ancient sharks. This remarkable design is the work of an exceptionally skilled engineer. We believe that engineer is God.

Reference: The 2025 BBC series on unique life forms and the BBC Learning Hub

October 31, 2025October 28, 2025

Earth Needs Jupiter

Jupiter is by far the largest planet in the solar system. Its mass is 2.5 times greater than the combined mass of all other planets in the solar system. It divides the planets of the inner solar system (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) from the outer planets (Saturn, Uranus, Neptune). We have previously mentioned that the gravity created by Jupiter’s mass acts as a shield to protect our planet from comets coming from outside the solar system. Additionally, Jupiter influences Earth’s climate cycle. More than that, Earth needs Jupiter for its very existence.

As the solar system was formed, Jupiter’s massive gravity prevented gas and dust in the inner solar system from being pulled into the Sun. These materials coalesced into the inner planets, including Earth. As the planets formed, Jupiter’s gravity helped stabilize the orbits. A recent study co-led by Andre Izidoro of Rice University in Houston demonstrated that Jupiter shaped the structure of the solar system. Earth needs Jupiter today, just as it needed it at the beginning.

According to Izidoro, “Jupiter didn’t just become the biggest planet—it set the architecture for the whole inner solar system. Without it, we might not have Earth as we know it.” As gas and dust swirled around the newly formed Sun, Jupiter’s massive gravity created ripples that formed rings of material which clumped together by gravity to form the inner planets. Earth needs Jupiter because, without it, the material that formed the planet would have spiraled into the Sun.

Genesis 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth,” but it doesn’t specify the process God used or how long it took. If the Bible included every detail, it would be an enormous book. But the Bible is not a science book, and scientists are still exploring the processes God used in creation. It is fascinating to consider how complex the creation process must have been, yet the first verse of the Bible contains the essential facts. There was a beginning. God did it. The creation of a functioning universe, a solar system, and a planet for human habitation is summarized in five Hebrew words—“reshith elohim bara shamayim erets.”

References: space.com and science.org