John N Clayton Archives

May 17, 2024May 16, 2024

Hummingbird Engineering Design

The popularity of our “Dandy Designs” columns exceeds anything else we produce. As we read science literature, new examples of design in nature come across my desk every day. Many living things demonstrate design, but the hummingbird engineering design is one of the most astounding examples.

The first hummingbird of the year arrived at my feeder here in Michigan on the first of May. I am told that the first hummingbird is a “scout,” paving the way for other hummingbirds to come to the feeder and get the sugar nectar they need for energy. How do they know where to go to get their desired sugar? The “scout” that just arrived was here last year at about this time. I know that because he has a scar on his head that seems to be a healed wound from an encounter with a predator.

We have many questions about how these tiny birds do what they do. Since we are still having chilly nights, the hummingbird’s metabolic system allows it to go into a state where its energy needs are reduced at night while remaining aware of any threats.

How do hummingbirds fly thousands of miles to arrive in Michigan in the spring and return to subtropical areas for the winter? Some have proposed that they hitchhike on geese, but that creative explanation is not supported by the evidence. We observe that the hummingbird engineering design allows them to follow the weather systems that bring warmth in the spring, and they return to warmer areas south of us in the fall.

The engineering behind the hummingbird’s flying ability challenges the best human engineering minds. The hummingbird can fly forward with enough speed to avoid predators, but it can also fly backward, sideways, or hover. The male hummingbirds in our area have a splash of red on their throats, but there is no red pigment in their feathers. Researchers only recently discovered the color dynamics that allow certain colors to be visible, and using it instead of pigment is a new technology.

The hummingbird engineering design conveys an excellent argument for the existence of God as their creator. They are part of our world’s beauty, complexity, and design that defies chance evolution.

May 15, 2024May 14, 2024

Medicalized Child Abuse?

One of the most inflammatory issues of our day is the question of children who decide they want to change their gender. A team led by Dr. Hilary Cass, a renowned British pediatrician, recently produced a 388-page report based on four years of research into trans care in Britain. The UK’s Sunday Times reported that “Trans activists have bullied politicians and doctors into embracing ‘medicalized child abuse’ and cowed dissenters into silence.” That is a challenge to the same groups in America, but some public school counselors should be added to the group of abusers.

The number of British children referred for transgender drug and surgery treatments rose from 250, mostly boys, in 2012 to 5,000, mostly girls, in 2022. The concerns of medical experts like Dr. Cass are not because they are transphobic but because they are starting to see the consequences of medical sex-change procedures. The treatments for “gender dysphoria” have lifetime effects, including a loss of bone health and fertility, making the subjects lifelong patients for medical treatment.

The Times newspaper points out that the problem is likely more serious than anyone realizes because 6 out of 7 gender treatment centers refused to give data to researchers. Although this report is from Britain, we suspect the situation is worse in the United States. We have been personally involved in a case where a school counselor led a 14-year-old child to have puberty blockers and surgery. The cases we have had contact with involve children who needed psychological help in dealing with relationships.

Attempting to change God’s creation and design of the human reproductive system will cause children a great deal of pain and uncertainty. We suggest that medicalized child abuse is not the way to help disturbed children find their identity and live meaningful lives. We will see an increase in evidence for the destructive nature of medical gender-changing treatments for young people. God’s design works, but in today’s world, many reject God’s plan.

References: cass.independent-review and The Week for May 3, 2024, page 14.

May 14, 2024May 13, 2024

A Balanced System of Ocean Life

Kelp safeguards the ocean’s ecology by providing a home for many sea creatures, preventing coastal erosion, and sequestering vast amounts of carbon dioxide. The last century has seen a massive decrease in kelp growing along the California coast because of an increase in sea urchins that eat kelp. Sea otters feed on sea urchins, and as people killed sea otters for their fur, the urchin population increased, reducing the underwater kelp forests. It is easy to see that God has given us a balanced system of ocean life, but humans sometimes upset the balance.

Sea otters have a fast metabolism, requiring them to eat a fourth of their body weight daily, and sea urchins are their favorite food. Because of the fur trade, sea otters disappeared from Northern and Southern California, with a small population remaining in the central part of the state. In 1913, California made sea otters protected mammals, but 1977’s Endangered Species Act gave them more protection. Since then, central California has seen a 58% increase in kelp while kelp in the northern and southern coasts has declined. Research has shown that sea otters are the reason for the ecological improvement in Central California.

Any time humans disturb the balanced system of ocean life or any ecosystem, negative consequences result. The biological design of our planet does not just consist of separate independent organisms, but all of life on Earth is interconnected. An analogy might be the workings of an airplane. Multiple systems operate within an aircraft, including the landing gear, engines, electrical system, hydraulics, wings, rudder, etc. For it to fly, all of those systems must work together. Engineers must design a plan that integrates those systems. The aircraft doesn’t happen by accident but by the design of intelligent engineers.

All of life on Earth is interrelated and not a product of chance. There is design in all of life and in the planet itself that allows us to exist. In Proverbs 8, “Wisdom” encourages us to see God’s wise design on this planet. In verses 22-31, we see specific wisdom shown in various applications involved in preparing planet Earth for life. Verses 35-36, we see the alternative to understanding God’s use of wisdom in creating the world in which we live. Verse 35 tells us that those who find wisdom find life, and those who do not find wisdom harm themselves and prefer death. We all see all around us the interaction of living things and what happens when humans destroy one of them.

Let us learn from the balanced system of ocean life that includes kelp, sea otters, and urchins. Caring for all life is a challenge God has given us in Genesis 2:15. The need to do this is more clear today than ever before.

Reference: Smithsonian magazine and The Week of April 26, 2024, page 21.

May 9, 2024May 7, 2024

Bar-tailed Godwit Migration

In October 2022, a small bird set a new world record for long-distance flying as it flew nonstop from its hatching ground in Alaska to its wintering ground in Tasmania. This bird did not land, eat, or drink for 250 hours (eleven days) as it flew at an average ground speed of 30 miles per hour, traveling from one end of the Earth to the other. The only human-made machine that can do that is a Boeing 777 with a 213-foot wingspan and powerful jet engines. The bird was a bar-tailed godwit.

Bar-tailed godwits, as scientists have discovered, are well-equipped for their long-distance journeys. They possess a high metabolic rate and a physiological tolerance for elevated cortisol levels. However, it is their feather design that truly enables them to undertake these arduous journeys. The feathers of a bar-tailed godwit provide insulation, keeping the bird warm even in cold air masses. They also repel rain, and their shape is conducive to long flight hours, aiding the bird’s forward propulsion.

In recent years, scientific research on feathers has shown that they are perfectly engineered for a wide variety of uses. The feathers of a penguin are different from those of a hummingbird. The reason should be obvious, as these two birds live in very different environments. Fossil remains have shown that many dinosaurs had feathers. They used them to catch insects, keep warm, facilitate swimming or feeding in water, and attract mates. Those of us who believe there is design and purpose in all living things are not surprised by these discoveries. A contractor building a house will use materials that work in all kinds of houses, modifying them to fit the particular building under construction. In the same way, God uses materials to meet the needs of His organisms in various ways we are only beginning to understand.

Skeptics have questioned why God would design organisms to travel such immense distances. Does He have something against bar-tailed godwits? In this case, these birds benefit two environments with minimal resources. Alaska doesn’t have large amounts of topsoil to supply the needs of its plants. Tasmania is an island state of Australia, located 150 miles south of the mainland. Like Alaska, Tasmania has limited natural resources, but the arrival of the bar-tailed godwit brings nutrients that allow life to flourish on this island. The design of feathers makes that possible.

God sustains isolated environments by having lifeforms travel between them or from nutrient-rich areas to areas lacking those nutrients. God sustains the Earth by migrations of everything from insects to sea life to birds to large mammals. Traveling between needy areas sustains those areas and the lifeforms that travel between them.

Reference: Scientific American for May 2024, pages 41-51

May 8, 2024May 6, 2024

Technology Can Negatively Affect Learning

As an educator, I’ve observed a concerning trend. People, particularly students, have become reliant on technology such as computers and smartphones for writing and communication. It’s not uncommon to see them struggle to think and compose thoughts without their electronic devices. This reliance on technology is evident even in our discussions about complex topics like God’s existence or the Bible’s inspiration. When asked about a basic fact, many respond by saying they have to check with Google, Alexa, or Siri. Educational psychologists are warning that this over-reliance on technology can negatively affect learning.

A Scientific American article by Charlotte Hu reports on studies dating back to 2014 showing technology’s negative effect on learning. Hu points out that research has shown that people can type notes with very little brain activity. Many years ago, I worked for David Segal, a leader in the use of learning tests. He once told me, “American education is moving material from a professor’s notes to a student’s test paper with as little interference as possible in between.” We have advanced that one step further by saying it moves from a professor’s laptop to a student’s with no absorption by the human brain in between.

Transcribing in longhand is slower than typing into an electronic device, requiring the writer to pay closer attention. One research study used a head covering with 256 electrodes to detect brain activity when students handwrote and typed words. When students wrote the words, there was widespread brain function, but when the same student typed the words, brain activity was minimal, showing that technology can negatively affect learning.

When I taught physics to high school kids, we would calculate what should happen in a physical situation. Then, the students designed and conducted experiments to test their predictions. I would work through a solution on the blackboard, doing the math in my head. As hand-held calculators became more advanced, students would plug numbers into a program in the calculator to get the same answer. Later, one of the students I had done this with in class was making change for me at a drive-in restaurant. I gave the student a dollar bill to pay for a 67-cent item, but the student couldn’t give me the correct change without using a calculator.

The human brain is designed to process information and record relevant data. Technology can negatively affect learning when an electronic device takes over some of that process, bypassing the brain. Children need to have their brains stimulated and relevant information stored in their heads, including memorizing Bible verses. Perhaps a factor in the loss of belief in God and the Bible today is that technology is taking over our thinking. Those who created the technology are not as capable as the One who created our brains.

Reference: “Hands-on” by Charlotte Hu in the May 2024 issue of Scientific American, page 134

May 7, 2024May 5, 2024

We Need Human Touch

What is the benefit of a hug or a handshake? Researchers in Germany and the Netherlands compiled data from 137 studies involving 13,000 people of all ages. Their research showed significant benefits to those who are regularly touched by others. In other words, we need human touch.

This is not a sexual issue, but touch provides physical and, to a greater extent, mental health benefits. The data shows that the benefits apply to newborns, older people, people with dementia, people struggling with stress, and people who have problems controlling their aggression. Women benefit more than men, and those who are sick or in pain benefit more than those who are healthy.

The New Testament encourages the followers of Jesus to engage in a social practice of that day that involved touching. In Luke 7:45, Jesus pointed out that the host, who was a Pharisee, had not given a warm greeting, but He said a woman in need “has not ceased to kiss my feet.” In Romans 16:16, Paul urges Christians to “greet one another with a sacred kiss.” That instruction is repeated in 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:26, 1 Peter 5:14, Luke 15:20, and Acts 20:37. The hug we give one another in times of pain, loss, or separation has real value.

We need human touch, but the study showed that the regularity of touching is more important than the duration. Consensual hugs, kisses, or massages have many mental and physical health benefits. Babies do better when touched by their parents, and the positive effects are more noticeable in premature babies. Adults struggling with illness showed more significant mental health benefits from touch than healthy people in this study.

A hug is a major way of expressing affection and closeness to someone, but even a handshake does wonders for participants. Those who have been abused may not accept a hug well, but a handshake is free of cultural bias or sexual connotation. Our society has gotten so obsessed with sexual abuse and the perception of personal rights that we have thrown the baby out with the bath. We need human touch, and that is a need the Church can help to meet.

Reference: “A systematic review and multivariate meta-analysis of the physical and mental health benefits of touch interventions” in Nature Human Behaviour, April 8, 2024

May 3, 2024May 2, 2024

Characterizing God as a Vindictive Tyrant

Characterizing God as a vindictive tyrant who wants to send everyone to hell is the exact opposite of what the Bible teaches. God wants everyone to be saved. It would be helpful if writers who condemn Christianity would read and understand the New Testament rather than taking Old Testament passages out of context.

In Matthew 18:12-14, Jesus tells the parable of a shepherd with 100 sheep and one wanders off. The shepherd leaves the 99 and goes after the one that is lost. Christ ends that story by saying, “In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these should be lost.”

In 2 Peter 3:9, Peter writes, “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to a change of mind (repentance).”

Many have read John 3:16 without reading verse 17: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world.”

Skeptics and some religionists who ask why God doesn’t just save everyone automatically are misunderstanding the purpose of our existence. God created us for a reason, and He gave us a purpose. There is a war going on between good and evil. Despite atheist attempts to deny that evil exists, their claim rings hollow with those who live in the real world.

The impact of evil is clear, and Job 1 & 2, Ephesians 6:12 and 3:10 make the purpose of our existence clear. Only sentient beings can make spiritual choices and be part of the struggle between good and evil. God is not a destroyer, a tyrant, or a bully. Forcing people to embrace His will would only indicate His power. The Bible says, “God is love,” and for that reason, He is allowing time to pass before the creation is dissolved. God wants everyone to be saved and to live in a spiritual existence beyond the grave, but He will not force us to accept His will.

Please reject those who are characterizing God as a vindictive tyrant who takes delight in torturing innocent beings. First Corinthians 1:18 says, “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those of us who are being saved, it is the power of God.” In 2 Corinthians 4:4, Paul tells us that “the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers,” so the “light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” cannot shine on them. That explains why they are characterizing God as a vindictive tyrant. Don’t be blinded by the vindictive writing of atheists and skeptics who are agents of destruction of us individually and the United States as a nation.

May 2, 2024May 1, 2024

Fungi Are All Around Us and Even Inside Us

The cover of the April 2024 issue of National Geographic and its first article are dedicated to what the editors call “Fabulous Fungi.” The articles deal with “The Wondrous World of Fungi” with incredible pictures and a narrative that exposes what the authors call “The Hidden Kingdom.” Most of us probably don’t realize that fungi are all around us and even inside us.

Various fungus species have a symbiotic relationship with many plants and animals, including humans. Most plants today depend on mycorrhizal fungi living in their root systems to metabolize sugar from photosynthesis while bringing nutrients and water to the plant.

Fungi are heterotrophs, organisms that take nutrition from other organic sources such as plant or animal matter. They can break down wood and dead plant material by releasing and reabsorbing enzymes. Without fungi, dead plants and animals would pile up on forest floors, and plants would be unable to take in needed nutrients.

Fungi are all around us and even inside us. They work in our digestive system, and scientists are still studying what they do. Cancer research has found that fungi in the colon, breast, and lungs are related to the metastatic spread of cancer and can be used to predict the presence of cancer and perhaps even treat it.

Scientists estimate that there are around five million species of fungi, and they are more diverse than plants or vertebrates. In 2015, our program released a children’s book titled “The Friendly Fungus Among Us,” written by Charlsey Ford and John Clayton. This little 16-page booklet, written for children, points out a few benefits and uses of fungi, including food, medicines, insecticides, and detergents. It also introduces children to the role of yeast and truffles in food.

God’s design is so incredible that science is just scratching the surface of the things that enable human life to exist on Earth. Trying to explain it by undirected evolution is impossible. “We can know there is a God through the things He has made” (Romans 1:20) is true. We see evidence everywhere, even in the fact that fungi are all around us and even inside us, and life would not be possible without them.

Reference: National Geographic, April 2024

The Friendly Fungus Among Us children’s book is available from the Does God Exist? ministry by contacting jncdge@aol.com or in the set of 16 children’s books at powervine.store.

May 1, 2024April 30, 2024

The War Against Christianity

The war against Christianity has grown in the United States. Here are some examples:

*Fowler United Methodist Church in Annapolis, Maryland, suffered $100,000 in damages. Vandals tore down a wooden cross, shredded Bibles, and slashed upholstery.

*Florida passed a bill to allow public and charter schools to have a chaplain to address student mental health. Opponents called it a vehicle for “Christian nationalism,” and the Satanic Temple indicated it plans to send its chaplains.

*The war against Christianity involves Madison, Wisconsin’s Freedom From Religion Foundation. It has taken out ads in various periodicals calling for the rejection of “Christian nationalism.”

*The “Public Religion Research Institute” reports that 26% of Americans identify themselves as religiously unaffiliated, and 67% of those say they have stopped believing the teaching of their old faith.

*The government continues to issue new rules that violate Christian teachings and precipitate problems for Christian families. One example is the rules prohibiting Christian colleges from having dorms limited to only one sex. Other laws require schools to allow both sexes to use any restroom, resulting in cases where female students complain because males are entering their facilities to “gawk” at them.

Jesus made it clear that His gospel was not political. In Matthew 22:15-22, Jesus tells his opponents to “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” In Romans 13:1-7, Paul lays down the relationship between Christians and government. He makes positive comments about the role of government and categorizes government as God’s servant. He tells Christians to pay their taxes and show respect and honor to public leaders.

When the government demands immorality or opposes Christian behavior, it seems like a war against Christianity. However, Christians are not called to strike back militarily. The day may come when churches will not have tax exemption, and the government will take over church property. Even then, God’s people will survive and thrive as they did under the pagan Roman government in the first century. There can’t be a war when one side refuses to fight.

We can find comfort in the fact that Jesus said, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come…. You will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time, many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate one another, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:6-13).

References: USA Today for 4/9/24; The Week for April 12, 2024, page 17; and “Washington Impact Report” from the Family Research Council for April 2024, page 1.

April 30, 2024April 30, 2024

Animals Can Learn From Their Peers

Scientists want to know how much animals can learn from their peers. How much animal behavior is genetic, and how much can they learn by watching other members of their species?

Many years ago, a friend who raised golden labradors showed me how her favorite lab had learned to recognize the design and shape of an inverted can that covered a treat. She used ten similar cans, but only one had a pattern on it. She had taught her favorite dog to turn over that can to get the treat, which was an odorless biscuit to eliminate the dog using its sense of smell.

The dog got the right can ten times out of ten, going straight to the can with the treat every time. She then took a puppy and put it with the adult dog and the ten cans. The puppy followed the adult dog one or two times, and then when it was alone, it ran straight to the can with the treat and turned it over. Clearly, animals can learn from their peers since the puppy had learned by watching the adult dog.

Various experiments show animals learning from others of their species, but what about insects? Researchers at Queen Mary University in London trained bumblebees to do complex behavioral actions. The researchers set up a container with bumblebees and a blue lever that unlocked a door when pushed. There was also a red lever to open another door leading to a container of sugar water. The researchers successfully taught a group of bumblebees how to press the two levers in sequence to access the sugar water.

When they added new bees to the container, the newcomers “watched the original bees and figured out how to complete the puzzle—showing for the first time that insects can learn multistep processes through social interaction.” We could challenge this experiment since bees have a built-in ability to convey information to other bees. When a bee returns to the hive after finding food, it can do a “dance” that tells its fellow bees where the food is.

Animals and insects communicate, but language is unique to humans. The Bible story of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) shows how essential language is to human interaction. Animals can learn from their peers, but God gave humans alone the ability to communicate using language and symbols. Only humans can convey moral issues, beliefs, and values through grammar and vocabulary.

References: phys.org and nationalgeographic.com