science Archives - DOES GOD EXIST? TODAY

December 2, 2024December 1, 2024

Grounded Running in Birds

Have you ever chased after a bird? Trying to catch a gull or a robin is an exercise in futility because birds can run at very high speeds. In our part of the world, we have a bird called the Killdeer, which lays its eggs on the ground in the open. As a teenager, I would chase the adult birds, thinking I could catch one, but I did not realize they were running on the ground to lead me away from their nest. I never thought about why I could never catch one because I would run out of breath before the bird would. Researchers have studied what they call “grounded running” in birds.

When humans are in a hurry, they use what is called “aerial running,” in which we pick up our feet. In grounded running, birds always keep one foot on the ground. Keeping a foot on the ground consumes less energy than human aerial running. Dr. Armita R. Manafzadeh of Yale University says that even though grounded running may look funny, “It’s actually a pretty smart thing to do when you have the anatomy of a bird.” According to Dr. Manafzadeh, “If we try to interpret the diversity of animal locomotion through a human-centric lens, we’re going to miss out on lots of really cool and equally viable ways of moving around the world.”

It is only through modern technology that we have been able to study the ground running of birds. What appears to be a silly-looking strategy is a beautifully designed system that meets the bird’s needs. The more we learn about the design and wisdom displayed in the creation, the more we see the wisdom and creativity of God.

“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
And the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you;
And the fish of the sea will explain to you.
Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And the breath of all mankind?” (Job 12:7-10 NKJV)

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: Scientific American magazine for December 2024, page 12.

November 27, 2024November 19, 2024

A System Benefiting Birds, Ants, and Trees

Birds have an interesting method for keeping ants out of their nests and away from their eggs and chicks. Many ant species will eat everything in their path, and often, ants infect trees where birds build their nests. From a design standpoint, how can you build a system benefiting birds, ants, and trees?

Scientists have discovered that in tropical and subtropical areas, birds use fungal organs known as rhizomorphs to build their nests. Rhizomorphs are cord-like filaments that fungi use to capture nutrients, and they grow web-like in the canopy of tropical forests. These filaments repel ants to keep them out of the birds’ nests. Researchers have found that over 176 bird species use fungal rhizomorphs in their nests. Two bird species in Costa Rica build their nests almost entirely using rhizomorphs of horse hair fungus (Marasmius).

Researchers in Costa Rica found a symbiotic relationship between thorn acacia trees and ants. The ants collect nectar from the acacia, repel any invaders, and even trim back encroaching plants. The thorns of the acacia protect the ants from predation, and the rhizomorphs protect the birds. This complex system benefiting birds, ants, and trees is very difficult to explain by any chance process. The concept of God building a system that protects all three participants is simply an argument for His existence.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: “Fungus-laced bird nests repel ants” in Science News for November 2, 2024, and Animal Behaviour October 2024.

November 26, 2024November 19, 2024

Macro-World Micro-World

We live in a macro-world in which we see and touch large things. Most of us don’t recognize there is a micro-world made up of very small things. Without the small things, the large things could not exist. The most obvious example of the need for small things is the food that animals need to survive.

Food chains start with the very small. Carnivorous insects that don’t eat plants provide the starting point for food chains. As technological tools become available, scientists discover more and more small animals, even some that are vertebrates. One example is the discovery of tiny Brachycephalus pulex frogs, also known as Brazilian flea toads, because they can jump 30 times their body length. They are only 7 millimeters (.3 inches) long, and unlike other frogs, they don’t go through a tadpole stage. Their eggs hatch directly into tiny frogs.

Scientists have found tiny animals in desert environments providing a basis for life in what would appear to be a sterile environment. Tardigrades, known colloquially as water bears or moss piglets, are another example of very small creatures that are important agents for life in the macro-world.

Many plants and animals that allow life to exist are not perceived through our senses. Everywhere we examine the macro- or micro-world, we find a design created by God. Romans 1:20 tells us, “..the things of God which the eye is unable to see ever since the world was made are clearly perceived through the things that are made.” The things we can’t see include the spiritual things of God and the small things in the material world as well.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: Wikipedia

November 25, 2024November 20, 2024

Fine-Tuning the Universe

I recently attempted to bake some pumpkin bread. It was a disaster because I failed to use the proper proportion of one ingredient. When baking any pastry, having all the right ingredients in the right proportions is essential. Equally important is having the correct oven temperature for the right amount of time. Every factor must be just right. This is a simple illustration of fine-tuning the recipe. Far more complicated than baking any pastry is fine-tuning the universe.

Scientists have realized that the universe requires fine-tuning to make the existence of complex life possible. The number of factors that must be fine-tuned is vast, but five significant ones are these:

Gravitational Force Constant – This is the force that pulls us toward Earth. More than that, it holds the planet together and makes it round. It also holds the Moon in orbit around the Earth and the planets in orbit around the Sun. It holds together the Milky Way and all other galaxies. This force has to be strong enough to form stars and planets, but if it were too strong, stars would quickly burn up, and no planets would form.

Electromagnetic Force Constant – This force holds atoms together. It must be just right for chemical bonds to form, creating molecules that everything is made of, including our bodies.

Strong Nuclear Force Constant – This force holds together the protons and neutrons in the nuclei of atoms. It must be just right to form stable atoms.

Weak Nuclear Force Constant – This force regulates radioactive decay and must be precisely correct to form stars such as our Sun.

Cosmological Constant – This force controls the universe’s expansion speed, balancing the attractive force of gravity with the repulsive force causing space to expand. It must be extremely precise to prevent the universe from flying apart or collapsing on itself.

A properly “baked” universe requires that all of these constants and many more parameters be just right. The chance of all of them coming together by accident is beyond impossible. Fine-tuning the universe requires intelligent planning far beyond that of any human baker, and it could not have happened by accident. It is evidence of an intelligent creator God.

— Roland Earnst © 2024
Reference: “List of Fine-Tuning Parameters” by Jay W. Richards

November 22, 2024November 18, 2024

Humuhumunukunukuapua’a

Hawaii’s state fish is the humuhumunukunukuapua’a. The scientific name is Rhinecanthus rectangulus, but people call them humuhumu for short. This is a species of triggerfish, and the design complexity of these fish defies any chance formation.

The name Humuhumunukunukuapua’a means “a triggerfish with a pig’s snout.” These fish eat lobsters, sea urchins, and snails. They can blow water jets from their mouths to find these foods under sand. The triggerfish name comes from having a “trigger” that locks their dorsal fin in the up position to prevent a predator from extracting them when they hide in a small crevice.

A four-bar linkage mechanism links the humuhumu’s skeleton to its jaws. That gives it a powerful mechanical bite needed to capture its hard-shelled prey. Engineers study the humuhumu to see how humans can assemble and use such structures. This bone-cartilage mechanical linkage defies any step-by-step evolutionary assembly process, and there is no evolutionary precursor to triggerfish.
Like all the examples of design in the natural world, the humuhumunukunukuapua’a strongly supports the biblical statement that we can know there is a God through the things He has made (Romans 1:20).

— John N. Clayton © 2024
References: Waikiki Aquarium, YouTube Deep Marine Scenes, Wikipedia, and “Evolution of Levers and Linkages in the Feeding Mechanisms of Fishes” in Integrative and Comparative Biology.

November 20, 2024November 18, 2024

What Is the Evidence for Vaccines?

This ministry is dedicated to the proposition that science and faith are friends, which requires looking at evidence. We mean objective physical evidence, not tabloid claims or religious tantrums. So, what is the evidence for vaccines? Vaccines can indeed cause an allergic reaction, but so can eating wheat in some individuals. In fact, eating wheat products has killed a few people.

In 2022, children in South Sudan were dying from measles. The government began a vaccination campaign in 2023, and medical workers there now tell us that measles is almost totally unknown. The Center for Global Development in Washington, D.C., says that in the past 50 years, the measles vaccine saved nearly 94 million lives. The oldest weekly peer-reviewed medical journal in the world is The Lancet, founded in 1823 in England. In May 2024, the Lancet said vaccines against the 14 common pathogens have saved 154 million lives over the past five decades – six lives every minute. Vaccines have reduced global Infant mortality by 40%.

The shining light of vaccines is the smallpox vaccine, which British physician Edward Jenner developed in 1796. Before that time, smallpox killed millions of people, and others were left with scars, infertility, blindness, and crippling. Abraham Lincoln and Mozart both survived smallpox. A worldwide vaccination campaign by the World Health Organization eradicated smallpox in 1977.

The big issue in South Sudan right now is malaria, which killed 7000 people in 2022. Children are especially vulnerable to malaria, and parents are doing extraordinary things to get their children vaccinated. What is the evidence for vaccines? They help save lives.

God did not cause these diseases. Human error, ignorance, greed, and selfishness all increase them, but God has given us tools to combat horrible diseases. I remember when polio was killing my friends and classmates in the 1950s and how eager I was to get the Sauk vaccine, which stopped that plague. Christians must be on the front lines of ensuring that vulnerable people can get vaccinations.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: “The Staggering Success of Vaccines” in Scientific American, November 2024.

November 19, 2024November 18, 2024

E-cigarettes Have Created a Teen Vaping Problem

As America moves away from God, young people are desperately searching for a substitute for the peace that faith brings. Since they came on the market in 2007, e-cigarettes have created a teen vaping problem. When a person inhales vapor laced with nicotine, the drug is quickly absorbed through the blood vessels and can reach the brain in as little as 10 seconds. This rapid absorption means that addiction comes very quickly.

Roughly 2.8 million young people use tobacco products, according to The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control. One in four of those using e-cigarettes say they use them every day. Data on long-term use of e-cigarettes is limited. Young people assume that vaping is safer than cigarettes, but frequently, other toxic chemicals are in the ingredients.

The 2023 Verkada Teen Vaping Survey of 2,650 Americans found that 96% of teenagers who vape view it as a problem, and 61% consider themselves addicted. More than half (54%) of the teens expressed a desire to quit vaping. The Vercada survey also found that 9 out of 10 teachers reported vaping to be disruptive to learning environments. When users who vape don’t have access to nicotine, they become agitated and sometimes belligerent. Anger management becomes an issue. This causes school attendance problems and conflicts with the students’ families. It’s also an issue for the Church as many teens who vape find it hard to participate in teen classes or activities.

Christians must learn about the dangers of nicotine and alcohol. In the New Testament, we find Christ and the apostles warning repeatedly about the dangers of the world, and vaping joins the list of world agents that bring addiction, heartbreak, conflict, and death. Help for teen vaping addiction is available at THIS LINK.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: “The Problem Clouding the Classroom” in the NEA Magazine for October 2024, pages 38-41.

November 18, 2024November 17, 2024

God Reveals Himself in Two Ways

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handywork” (Psalms 19:1 KJV). That is how the psalm begins with a Hebrew parallelism where the same thought is repeated in slightly different words. The word translated “firmament” is sometimes translated as “sky.” Literally, the Hebrew word means “expanse.” As we look up at night, we see beyond what we usually call the “sky” and observe the “expanse.” We see God’s glory and handiwork in the things He has made. (See also Romans 1:20.) But an essential truth in Psalm 19 is easily overlooked. It tells us that God reveals Himself in two ways.

In that first verse, the Hebrew word David uses for God is “El.” The ancient Middle Eastern people used that word to refer to a generic “god.” The Jews used it to refer to the Creator. Read the first six verses of that psalm, and you will see the psalmist says that twenty-four hours a day, the visible physical creation reveals knowledge of God and speaks of Him without using words. He says that this natural revelation of the Creator is available to everyone worldwide at all times.

Something changes in verse 7 when David begins to speak of God’s law–His divine revelation. In that verse, the word for God becomes “Yahweh.” The psalmist no longer uses the generic term known to all but the personal name revealed to Moses. (See Genesis 3:14.) In the following verses, David speaks of how God’s law revives the soul, imparts wisdom, brings enlightenment, and is greatly to be desired. God reveals Himself in two ways.

The point is that God is clearly revealed in His creation, but only in His written word can we fully know His will and plan for us. The cosmos, physics, chemistry, biology, and life all point us to “El,” an intelligent Creator. However, to fully know “Yahweh” the “I Am,” we turn to the written word. Some people refuse to accept the evidence of God in creation and call themselves atheists or, at best, agnostics. Others recognize that the creation indicates a Creator and adopt a theistic view but go no further.

The point is that we need to recognize that God reveals Himself in two ways. Go beyond the generic and lame concept of “the man in the sky.” Recognize that God has revealed Himself in the Bible and most clearly in Jesus Christ. The Creator loves us, and He conquered death by dying for us. (See John 1:1-14 and the rest of the gospels.) Our lives can only be complete when we accept God’s natural and written revelations.

November 14, 2024November 11, 2024

Thoughts About Dandelions

You may not have kind thoughts about dandelions, but they are actually useful plants for animals and humans. The name “dandelion” comes from the French “dent de lion,” meaning lion’s tooth, referring to the coarsely-toothed leaves. Until the 1800s, people would pull grass from their lawns to make room for dandelions and other beneficial “weeds” like chickweed, Malva, and chamomile.

Here are some reasons for saying that dandelions are useful:

#1. Birds, insects, and butterflies consume nectar or the seeds of dandelion.
#2. Honey from bees pollinating dandelions is quite delicious.
#3. Dandelion root can be used as a substitute for coffee.
#4. Dandelion is used in folk medicine to treat infections and liver disorders.
#5. Dandelion tea is a diuretic.
#6. Dandelions can be used to make dye.
#7. Every part of a dandelion, including roots, leaves, and flowers, can be used for food.

Dandelions remind us of three celestial bodies—the Sun, Moon, and stars. The yellow flower resembles the Sun, the puff ball resembles the Moon, and the dispersing seeds resemble the stars. A gust of wind often transports away dandelion seeds, which travel like tiny parachutes as far as five miles from their origin!

Whatever your thoughts about dandelions, whether you like them in your lawn or not, they are, quite possibly, the most successful plants, masters of worldwide survival, and part of God’s design of living things.

November 11, 2024November 7, 2024

Saturn Launched a Comet

Among the many evidences for design in our solar system are the outer gas-giant planets that protect Earth from comets. We have seen Jupiter draw in a comet, break it into multiple pieces, and then swallow it. If Jupiter had not stopped that comet in the outer reaches of our solar system, it could have been catastrophic to our planet. Astronomers have recently learned that Saturn launched a comet out of the solar system.

In June 2014, the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) discovered a comet they call A117uUD. Looking through previous images of the comet, they were able to “wind back” the history of its solar orbit. They found that in 2022, it came close enough to our second-largest planet (the one with the famous rings) that Saturn’s gravity grabbed it and flung it away from us. Now, it’s traveling out of the solar system at 6,710 miles per hour (10,800 km/hr).

A117uUD is the second comet astronomers have seen a gas-giant planet launch into deep space. In 1980, Jupiter sent comet C/1980 E1 (Boswell) on a path out of the solar system. What would happen if a comet invaded our solar system and the outer planets, with their massive gravity, were not there to send it on a detour? How long would our planet survive? What if Jupiter and Saturn were not available to swallow, destroy, or re-route a destructive comet?

When Saturn launched a comet into the wild black yonder, it caused no danger to Earth’s inhabitants. We can be thankful that the solar system is well-designed for us to survive. Does design indicate an accident or a Designer?

Reference: space.com