John N Clayton Archives

February 24, 2026February 22, 2026

Irresponsible Comments About Dark Matter

We are seeing some irresponsible comments about dark matter in both religious and secular articles. The fact is that dark matter is a designed feature of the cosmos and demonstrates the Creator’s wisdom.

The story of dark matter begins nearly 100 years ago when a Swiss astronomer named Fritz Zwicky observed that the Coma Cluster of galaxies contained galaxies moving so fast that they should have flown apart. About 40 years later, American astronomer Vera Rubin noticed that stars along the edges of spiral galaxies were moving so fast that centrifugal force should have sent them flying into intergalactic space. In recent years, astronomers have observed gravitational lensing—the bending of light by gravity—in regions of space without visible matter. These facts point to the presence of unseen or dark matter.

Despite these irresponsible comments about dark matter, it is not where hell is located. It is not a product of celestial evolution and will not destroy the Earth, at least not in the next 1000 years. It is simply a designed feature that allows us to live on this planet in the solar system within this galaxy.

What would the universe look like if dark matter did not exist? Galaxies would need to be much larger to prevent them from collapsing into their centers due to gravity. If you visit NASA’s daily website apod.nasa.gov, you will see that space is full of galaxies. That would not be possible without dark matter.

Psalms 19:1 finds David looking at the sky, unobstructed by modern lights, and stating, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day, they pour forth speech; night after night, they reveal knowledge.” That was true in the clear skies David could observe, and it remains true today as astronomers use modern telescopes to see God’s wisdom displayed in the heavens.

Reference: Wikipedia.org

February 23, 2026February 22, 2026

Birds’ Eye Design

A group of biologists has finally solved one of the great mysteries of biology. For decades, scientists have wondered how birds can have keen eyesight without blood vessels to supply oxygen to the retina. Blood vessels provide vital oxygen to the retinas of other animals, but the birds’ eye design is different.

Without blood vessels that scatter the light reaching the retina, the birds’ eye design enables sharper vision. How can the retinal cells function without dying from lack of oxygen? The answer, according to researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark, is anaerobic glycolysis. “Anaerobic” means without oxygen, and “glycolysis” refers to the process of breaking down the sugar glucose. Anaerobic glycolysis is less efficient than oxygen-based metabolism, and birds’ eyes need a lot of energy. How can they get enough energy with this less-effective method?

The birds’ eye design features a unique structure that no other species has. A comb-like network of blood vessels called the pecten oculi protrudes from where the optic nerve enters the eye and moves freely within the vitreous humor, the fluid filling the eyeball. The pecten oculi transports glucose into the vitreous humor while removing carbon dioxide and lactic acid that could harm the retina.

This discovery explains how birds like bar-headed geese can fly at elevations over 6000 meters, where oxygen is scarce. The DNA of these birds is coded to overcome specific environmental challenges while maintaining sharp vision. Encoding requires an intelligent programmer who understands what birds need to survive. Bird’s eye design, like every scientific discovery, gives us a window into the creation of life on planet Earth.

Reference: “Briefings” in American Scientist for March/April 2026, page 77.

February 12, 2026February 9, 2026

The Subnivium World

People who live in regions that rarely experience snow are likely unaware of the subnivium world. Scientists call it “subnivium,” from the Latin “sub,” meaning below, and “nivis,” for snow. During winter, the subnivium world becomes active and full of life.

As snow falls, it gradually accumulates in layers that compress, forming a snowpack. When the snowpack reaches about seven inches, the subnivium world appears. This thick snowpack acts like a natural igloo, providing insulation for everything underneath. Regardless of the air temperature outside, the ground beneath the snowpack stays about 1°C above freezing.

The subnivium world isn’t dormant. Bacteria and fungi decompose plant material, consuming oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. This process, called soil respiration, makes the soil rich in carbon. In the spring, plants have the nutrients they need to grow. The soil also hosts springtails, centipedes, rove beetles, and other arthropods that move around, feed, and reproduce. These creatures become food for higher animals like shrews, moles, ground squirrels, pikas, and marmots.

The subnivium world isn’t a result of luck. Just like the environment above the snow, it exists because of careful natural engineering. The laws of thermodynamics tell us that without energy input, systems tend toward disorder, a state called entropy. Recognizing the engineering principles involved in the subnivium world shows the Creator’s intelligence and deliberate design, adding to the evidence for God’s existence.

Reference: Smithsonian Magazine for February 2026, and smithsonianmag.com

February 5, 2026January 31, 2026

Tile Pattern Design in the Natural World

Science News highlighted an intriguing report on tile pattern design found in nature. Biologist John Nyakatura and colleagues at Humboldt University of Berlin examined tile-like patterns in various plants and animals. They aimed to discover ways to incorporate these biological tilings into bioinspired devices. They documented 100 examples in the journal PNAS Nexus.

The skin of an elephant has a tile-like pattern, with cracks and wrinkles that trap water and mud. This arrangement helps dissipate heat and cools the elephant. Butterfly wings use overlapping tiles arranged to display colors while repelling water and reducing drag during flight. The eye of a fly features a tile pattern made of closely packed rods, each transmitting an image to the brain, making it extremely difficult to swat the fly. Instead of bones, the cartilage skeletons of sharks and rays consist of thousands of individual tiles that grow as the animals mature.

Research shows that other living organisms also benefit from tile pattern design. The sunflower’s head consists of a tile-like pattern of tiny flowers called florets. By packing the florets in a tile-like structure, the sunflower becomes more attractive to pollinators. Studies of the HIV-1 virus reveal that it has a tiled protein shell that protects its genome. Armadillos are protected by overlapping tiles that provide stiffness while allowing them to roll into a ball. The earliest forms of life also used tiles, indicating that tiles did not evolve recently by chance. The fossilized shells of ancient cephalopods, known as ammonites, show squiggles along the edges of their shell’s tiles.

Understanding the usefulness of tile designs opens the door to significant new benefits for humanity. The more we study living things, the more we recognize God’s wisdom and planning. The statement in Romans 1:20 that “we can know there is a God through the things He has made” is supported by every scientific discovery.

Reference: Science News for February 2026, Pages 8-9, and PNAS Nexus

February 4, 2026January 31, 2026

Ancestors of Modern Humans

The history of attempts to develop an evolutionary explanation for modern humans is filled with errors and assumptions. Some foot bones found in 2009 in the Afar Region of Ethiopia, along with other bones discovered since then, have led to the naming of a new “species,” Australopithecus deyiremeda. The Afar Region is also where the fossil known as “Lucy” was discovered, and these fossils have been celebrated as ancestors of modern humans.

The first problem with this type of report is that the word “species” is used very loosely. What exactly does “species” mean? When I took biology classes, species was defined as “a form of life that can breed and produce fertile offspring.” A dog and a cat are different species because they cannot breed to produce fertile offspring. Most of us remember the biological fact that a horse and a donkey can breed and produce a mule, but the mule is sterile because horses and donkeys are different species.

Today, we have two ape forms considered to be different species. The evidence includes a few foot bones, fragments of pelvis, skull, jaw, and teeth—not a complete skeleton. Because these bones were found in close proximity, researchers assumed they must belong to the same species, not to Lucy’s species, Australopithecus afarensis. Since these supposedly show a progression among the ancestors of modern humans, how much variation do we see in humans and apes today?

The name Australopithecus literally means “the ape from the south.” These are not humans but apes. None of this has any connection to the biblical account of God’s creation of humans. The statement in Genesis 1:26, “Let us make man in our image…” does not refer to God’s physical image. God is a spirit (John 4:24). Genesis 2:7 describes man’s physical creation from “the dust of the earth.” The Bible does not tell us what that man looked like, how he was made, or how long it took.

Biblical critics and believers alike should not be concerned about the latest discovery by anthropologists claiming to be the ancestors of modern humans. Like all human endeavors, anthropology is fraught with errors and assumptions. Humans are unique as the only beings created in God’s image, a fact that anthropology does not address.

Reference: Science News February 2026, page 13

January 23, 2026January 17, 2026

Marriage and Contentment

It has been said that people need three things to be content: someone to love, something to do, and something to look forward to. The biblical institution of marriage dates back to God’s statement in Genesis 2:18: “It is not good for the man to be alone.” A study conducted by Dr. Brad Wilcox, professor of sociology and director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, has confirmed that statement. There is a strong link between marriage and contentment.

The number of people living alone is increasing quickly, and the study finds that this is a major reason for the decline in national happiness. One possible cause for this trend is that some people see marriage as linked to religious belief, yet over 40% of Americans claim no religious affiliation. Additionally, there has been a rise in the number of divorced individuals.

The survey indicates that happiness is closely tied to marriage and family. Married men between 18 and 55 report being about twice as happy as their unmarried counterparts, whereas unmarried fathers are the least happy. Married women with children report the highest happiness levels, while single mothers are the least happy. The research shows a 30-percentage-point gap in happiness levels between married and unmarried Americans. According to the study, marital status has a greater impact on happiness than income, education, race, or location. It also notes that those who cohabited before marriage have a significantly higher divorce rate. Marriage was defined as a legal contract between a man and a woman.

In Matthew 19:4-6, Jesus responded to a question from the Pharisees about marriage and divorce. He said that God created humans male and female and that marriage involves the two becoming one flesh. This description is not sexual but pertains to God’s plan for contentment and happiness. The studies by Wilcox and others have confirmed the validity of God’s plan and demonstrate the connection between marriage and contentment.

Reference: “Who Is Happiest?” Institute for Family Studies

January 21, 2026January 17, 2026

Insects Use Static Electricity

One interesting fact about the insect world is that there is no common thread connecting how each insect gets its food. You might think that if all bugs had a common origin, they would show strong similarities, with some bugs being superior because they are more highly evolved. Diversity maintains balance in the insect world, preventing any one insect from dominating. Recent studies have shown that insects use static electricity in various ways.

Some parasitic nematodes, tiny worms about the size of a pinpoint, use static electricity to jump 25 times their body length to land on a flying insect. We’ve all seen insects being blown by the wind, but what most of us haven’t noticed is the role of static electricity. A little physics helps explain why static electricity can influence nematode aerial movements. Coulomb’s Law includes a constant that describes the strength of static electricity. The gravitational constant is 6.67 x 10^-11, while the Coulomb constant is 9 x 10⁹, making the static electrical force 10²⁰ times stronger than gravity.

When a flying insect flaps its wings, it generates a positive charge. The nematodes can use this charge to leap through the air and attach to the insect, where they lay their eggs. The faster the insect beats its wings, the stronger the positive charge, and the easier it is for the nematodes to attach.

Static electricity helps many insects in various ways. Bees can sense electric fields around flowers and use them to guide their foraging. Spider webs deform toward positively charged flying insects, trapping them. Ticks are attracted by the static electricity in the fur coats of animals. Researcher Sam England expects to find that electrostatic effects “play countless roles throughout the natural world.”

The complexity of Earth’s biosystem is immense and hard to explain as a product of blind chance. God’s creative genius is evident in the very large, but is especially clear when we study the very small.

Reference: “Static Launch” in the January 2026 issue of Scientific American (pages 18-19) and scientificamerican.com

January 19, 2026January 17, 2026

The Curse of Minimalism

OK, you may not find “minimalism” in your dictionary, and Alexa didn’t like it. However, it is a problem in today’s world and an issue that Jesus Christ addressed. In Matthew 22:37, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:5: “Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, soul, and mind.” In today’s world, that kind of statement is frowned upon by many people. We hear things like: “Do I have to go to church to be saved?” “How much do I have to give when the collection plate passes?” “Am I going to hell if I drink a beer?” etc. Questions like these show a very poor understanding of what Christianity is all about and a great ignorance of what the Bible teaches. That is what I mean by the curse of minimalism.

Minimalism can also be destructive in other areas of our lives. How many of us would think or say, “What is the least I can do to have a happy marriage?” What would be the result if a parent does the minimum required in parenting? What happens in the workplace when employees do only what’s necessary to get by? Every manager or business owner knows how harmful attitudes like that can be.

The biblical teaching is very clear about the importance of avoiding minimalism. In ancient Israel, everyone was expected to set aside one day each week for prayer, study, and worship. The Sabbath was not a day of sleep, but a day away from the demands of everyday life. Imagine the impact of a person spending one-seventh of their time in service to others. We all have 168 hours each week, and one-seventh of that is 24 hours, or nearly 4 hours each day dedicated to serving others. The remaining 20 hours could be used for work, sleep, eating, and doing things we enjoy.

Most of us don’t really know what we do with our time. Try budgeting your time for a week. Set aside time to serve God and others, and make sure you get enough sleep, eat well, work, do chores, and enjoy your hobbies. You will find great rewards in escaping the curse of minimalism and in appreciating the gift of time that God has given us.

January 16, 2026January 14, 2026

The Ignorance of Modern Churchgoers

Postmodern America is searching for answers in all the wrong places, and this is evident both in churches and in the secular world. The Family Research Council (FRC) and the Cultural Research Center (CRC) surveyed 1,000 churchgoers, adults who attend Christian church services at least once a month. The survey found that the ignorance of modern churchgoers is significant.

Only 54% of churchgoers said they believe that the Bible is the true, inspired, and error-free Word of God. Only 61% can say that they believe in the God described in the Bible. Only 51% said the Bible speaks clearly on abortion, and only 47% said it is clear on homosexuality. When asked whether they prefer capitalism or socialism, 32% of churchgoers favored socialism.

Although 30% of those surveyed claimed to have a biblical worldview, the survey shows that only 11% actually do. CRC research director George Barna remarked, “This generation of churchgoers is increasingly unsure of what they believe—or why.” The challenge for church leaders is how to modify their education programs to confront this ignorance. Currently, the tendency is either to deny the problem or to offer a simplified, outdated explanation that doesn’t meet the needs of today’s young people.

The FRC findings indicate that there is “widespread confusion about the most basic truths of the Christian faith—about who God is, what sin is, and how someone is saved.” I would add to this list confusion over WHAT God is. The ignorance of modern churchgoers is troubling, and clearing up this confusion is what this ministry is about.

References: frc.org and arizonachristian.edu