science Archives

April 21, 2025April 20, 2025

Unique Design of the Peregrine Falcon

Peregrine falcons have a unique design. This bird can dive at speeds up to 240 miles per hour to catch prey. The speed is totally vertical, which means there is a rapid, violent change in air pressure. Those who enjoy hot air balloons must be careful to compensate for the change in air pressure. Even though their assent is slow, the pressure change from ground level to even 1000 feet is significant. The peregrine falcon goes through a much greater air pressure change at a faster rate. Why don’t their lungs explode? The answer is the unique design of the peregrine falcon.

Peregrine Falcons have a bony structure in their nostrils called a tubercle. It acts as a baffle, deflecting strong shockwaves of air and allowing controlled breathing during their high-speed dives. Studies have shown that this design is unique to the peregrine falcon.

It is important to understand why raptors such as peregrine falcons exist. Some birds, such as pigeons, can reproduce in large numbers, exceeding their food supply. The creation always has a balance between the food supply and the population. When I was a teenager, laws protected the deer in Indiana’s Brown County State Park to the extent that they did not have an adequate food supply. The normal predators of deer had been killed off by humans, allowing the population to grow so large that the deer were destroying the vegetation but were still undernourished. When the authorities finally allowed hunting, the harvested deer were vastly underweight. A full-grown deer could weigh less than 60 pounds.

God designed peregrine falcons to control bird populations to avoid the same suffering caused by overpopulation. There is no evolutionary model that adequately explains the unique design of the peregrine falcon and its bony tubercle. Science strongly supports design in the natural world. “We can know there is a God through the things He has made” (Romans 1:20).

References: Wikipedia and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

April 10, 2025April 8, 2025

Changing Climate Nonsense

It is amazing to see that some people in the religious community are making climate change an issue. As a public school teacher, I can attest that this destructive attitude is often a result of ignorance. Is climate change happening? The answer is yes! Is this the first time humans have had to deal with changing climate nonsense? The answer is no! It would help if religious people would read their Bibles and not rely on religious con artists for their belief systems.

In Genesis 41:53-57, we read about Joseph and the drought that led to famine in Egypt and its neighboring countries. This was not due to insects or war but to climate change. Second Samuel 21:1 and Jeremiah 14:1-6 recount droughts that significantly impacted the history of Israel. Those of us who are older will recall the Dust Bowl era in the United States, which drove many farmers to California due to the changing climate affecting the central part of the Country.

The public schools need to educate young people on the history of climate change in America’s past because we are entering a period of intense changing climate. It is a scientific fact that the climate is changing worldwide. Areas of the United States that were once deserts are now receiving rain, which alters the animal and plant life in those regions.

The water levels in Lake Michigan have changed dramatically over the course of my lifetime. I used to take my earth science classes on field trips to Lake Michigan. We had been experiencing climate change in those days, which produced unusual amounts of moisture, and the lake was higher than at any time in recent history. Houses built along the lake when the water was low were being threatened by erosion. One place I took my classes to was Michigan City, Indiana, where I knew property owners were battling the higher water levels. As we stopped to look at the beach, a more expensive house than any of my students lived in suddenly slid into the Lake right in front of us.

The causes of climate change are very complex. The extent to which human activity contributes to climate change is a subject of debate, but it is certainly not the only cause. When today’s children face a changing climate, we hope they will be better prepared to adapt to it than their parents were. We all must be prepared in advance for a changing climate.

April 2, 2025April 1, 2025

Science Without God Is Nil

Is science without God possible? John C. Lennox is an Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford and an Emeritus Fellow in Mathematics and the Philosophy of Science at Green Templeton College. In his book “God and Stephen Hawking,” Lennox says, “The more I understand science, the more I believe in God, because of my wonder at the breadth, sophistication, and integrity of His creation.”

Interestingly, science’s growth in the 16th and 17th centuries happened because men like Galileo, Kepler, and Newton believed the universe was built with an understandable, rational, and intelligent design. They didn’t think of science without God, believing the universe was understandable because it was created with purpose, design, and a discernible order.

An atheist must believe that everything that happened in the past and continues today is pure accident. Famous atheists, such as Stephen Hawking and Francis Crick, expressed this belief. Hawking maintained that humans are “mere collections of fundamental particles of nature.” Francis Crick had what he called an “Astonishing Hypothesis.” That is, “You, your joys and your sorrows, your memories and ambitions, your sense of personal identity and free will, are no more than the behavior of a vast assembly of nerve cells and their associated molecules.”

Hawking and Crick possessed great talents in their chosen fields but seemed to lack any reason to trust their minds. Hawking’s “fundamental particles” and Crick’s “associated molecules” cannot be trusted to have any purpose or truth, so how can they contribute to the overall understanding of the cosmos? Science without God becomes an empty shell. We are talking about believing in a creator God who designed the cosmos and us with purpose.

The Psalmist said it well: “I praise you, God, because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well… How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them.” (Psalms 139:14 and 17).

March 27, 2025March 26, 2025

What It Means to Be Human

One way to trace the history of humans, apes, and monkeys is by studying the footprints they left in various earth materials. Footprints can be preserved if an animal walks across mud or volcanic ash and that material hardens. Some denominational creationists have claimed to see footprints in granite or limestone. Granite is formed deep underground and is only exposed when the overburden is eroded away. Limestone is a chemically precipitated rock that is never soft enough for an animal to sink into, leaving footprints. Sometimes, natural erosion can leave a shape that resembles a human footprint. However, a knowledge of petrology (the study of rocks) is required to determine animal footprints, and what it means to be human is more than footprints.

Researchers found Homo erectus (“erect man”) and Paranthropus boisei, a species of australopithecine hominid. The word “australopithecine” is a combination of the Latin “australis,” meaning “south,” and “pithekos,” a Greek word meaning “ape.” In other words, Paranthropus was an ape from the south. The evidence is that Paranthropus boisei was a plant eater, and Homo erectus was a hunter-gatherer. The tracks are in mud in a lakeshore deposit, so both of them would have been walking along the lake but looking for different things.

Some people interpret the Bible’s account of man’s creation as suggesting that God instantaneously zapped him into an image that looked like modern Western humans. They have used that concept to justify slavery by maintaining that people of a different race were not created in God’s image. Some atheists claimed that their race was superior to others and that survival of the fittest was the rule, meaning that superior ones could exploit inferior races. That is not what it means to be human.

The biblical definition of humans is “those beings created in the image of God” (Genesis 1:26). Since God is a spiritual being, that image cannot be physical. Genesis 2:7 tells us that God “formed man out of the dust of the ground.” It doesn’t say how long that took or what method God used to form the human physical body. The Hebrew word “formed” is “yatsar,” and in other passages, it required a long period of time. In chapter 44, Isaiah uses this word to describe events that occurred over time. (See verses 2, 10, 21, and 24.)

The creation of the human spiritual makeup is unique, giving us the capacity to create art and music or to worship and think beyond death. The fossil record of human history confirms that God formed our bodies from the dust of the Earth (Genesis 2:7). The Bible also tells us that our bodies will return to the dust from which they came (Genesis 3:19). The part of humans that is created in God’s image will live on, being united with Him in eternity. That is what it means to be human.

March 19, 2025March 18, 2025

Snakebite Antivenom and AI

For most of us living in the United States, it is hard to believe that around 100,000 people worldwide die from snakebites every year. Venomous snakes have a blizzard of toxins in their bite, but the most dangerous are the “three-finger toxins,” proteins that can stop a person’s heart and ability to breathe. Snakebite antivenom is produced today by milking snakes to extract their venom.

Technicians inject a small dose of venom into a horse or other large animal and harvest antibodies later to make snakebite antivenom. When medical personnel inject the antibodies into a snakebite victim, they bind to venom toxins, shutting them down. This process is expensive and time-consuming, so researchers want to find a better answer. The 2024 Nobel Prize in chemistry went to three chemists who used artificial intelligence (AI) to design proteins that can dampen and neutralize snake venom.

People have asked us, “Why would God create snakes with venom?” It is essential to understand that snakes control the populations of rats, mice, and other disease-carrying animals. What would happen if there was no predator to eat rodents when they go underground? Rodents above ground are preyed on by foxes, bears, hawks, and eagles and killed by humans. When they retreat underground, they are safe from all of those, but snakes can go after and kill rodents even there.

When a venomous snake bites a human, it is usually because the human has invaded the snake’s territory and deliberately confronted it. I was hiking into geologically interesting areas in a National Science Foundation workshop in Montana many years ago. As we walked down an old wagon trail, I was in the back with 20 people in front of me. Looking ahead, I saw a diamondback rattlesnake coiled and sitting in the middle of the wagon tracks. It had made no effort to strike any of the people within inches of it, relying totally on its camouflage.

Snakebite antivenom is essential to protect human lives, but non-venomous animals can also cause human deaths. The late Steve Irwin showed many beautiful snakes in his TV show. When he died at age 44 on September 4, 2006, it was not from a snake bite. A ray’s barb on Batt Reef in Australia pierced his heart, causing him to bleed to death. Unlike snakes, rays are not considered to be dangerous animals, but nobody has challenged us on why God created rays.

Reference: Science News magazine for February 2025, pages 14-15 or sciencenews.org.

March 17, 2025March 16, 2025

Baikal Seals Are Unique

The world’s only exclusively freshwater seal is the Baikal seal (Pusa sibirica), which is found only in Lake Baikal in Siberia. This earless seal is relatively small, with a maximum of about 5 feet long. Lake Baikal is the deepest lake on Earth. It has a depth of over 5,000 feet and more freshwater surface area than all of North America’s Great Lakes combined. Lake Baikal is covered with ice most of the year, and the ice thickness can be several feet. Adult Baikal Seals can hold their breaths for up to 30 minutes, but their pups can only go a maximum of 15 minutes.

Researchers are amazed by how the pups survive. Female Baikal seals raise the pups on their own, digging a den under the ice. Some freshwater springs in Lake Baikal maintain holes in the ice. Adult seals use the holes to get air. After breathing in air, the female will go near her pup and blow bubbles to create an airspace under the ice. Pups live and breathe in that airspace and exercise by expanding the den with a maze of tunnels but never breaking the surface.

Lake Baikal is on a geological structure with no connection to any ocean. The primary food source for Baikal seals is golomyanka fish that live only in Lake Baikal. Researchers estimate that 80-100,000 Baikal seals live in the lake, as well as other unique species not found elsewhere. The evidence shows that every nook and cranny of God’s creation has life specifically designed to survive and prosper in that environment.

References: PBS documentary and Baikal seal and Lake Baikal in Wikipedia

March 14, 2025March 14, 2025

Learn From a Lunar Eclipse

Yesterday, we told you that the total lunar eclipse visible in the Western Hemisphere last night was connected to the eclipse of 1504, which Christopher Columbus used to get the supplies he needed from the people of Jamaica. It’s an interesting story that you can read HERE. What can we learn from a lunar eclipse, and what is the connection between the eclipse of March 13-14, 2025, and the eclipse of March 1, 1504?

Eclipses come in groups or families called saros. One saros is approximately 18 years, 11 days, and 8 hours, slightly varying depending on the number of leap years. The end of each saros has an eclipse similar to the one at the beginning. Astronomers use saros to predict when an eclipse will occur.

A hypersaros consists of multiple saros cycles and lasts for 521 years. Eclipses separated by one hypersaros will appear very close to the same location in the sky and occur at nearly the same time of year. How far apart are 1504 and 2025? They are separated by 521 years, and both eclipses occurred in March about two weeks apart.

This means the eclipse of 1504 would have appeared in the same location in the sky. If you saw last night’s eclipse, you would have seen the same stars surrounding the blood moon as the natives of Jamaica saw 521 years ago. You had a chance to learn from a lunar eclipse by reliving the historical event of 1504.

Chances are you didn’t watch last night’s eclipse for the full length of totality—about an hour. However, I am sure the Jamaicans continued to watch it as they agonized in fear. Meanwhile, Columbus sat smugly in his quarters, watching his hourglass to know when the eclipse would end. Then, he could emerge to tell the natives that God accepted their apology and would restore the Moon.

You can certainly question Columbus’s tactics and his deception of the Jamaicans, but we can learn from a lunar eclipse. The pagan islanders were fooled because they were ignorant of science. Knowledge of science gave Columbus the edge. Knowing that God has designed an orderly and predictable solar system and universe frees us from the ignorance of worshiping His creation. It also frees us from believing that so-called “blood moons” are some special sign. They are part of the system God designed, making them predictable.

We can see God’s eternal power and divine nature by the things and systems He has made (Romans 1:20). The laws that govern the universe show fine-tuned design. The cosmos is not chaotic. It is the work of a God who has a plan and purpose for each of the human creatures He created in His image.

P.S. As I watched the total eclipse at about 3:15 a.m. my time, a meteorite appeared just below it. I suspect that did not happen to the Jamaicans, but it could have. For more about “blood moons” and “shooting stars,” read THIS POST. R.E.

References: iopscience.iop.org and Wikipedia

March 12, 2025March 11, 2025

Baminornis Zhenghensis Fossil

Baminornis Zhenghensis - Ancestor of Modern Birds?

For many years, the scientific community has held that Archaeopteryx was the first bird. Most textbooks maintain that it was a crow-sized half-bird and half-reptile found in Germany in 1861. Archaeopteryx had a very long tail, teeth, and wing hooks or clawed hands resembling some dinosaurs. Now, researchers in China have announced they found a fossil called Baminornis zhenghensis that is more like modern birds.

The Baminornis zhenghensis fossil was found 5,500 miles away from Archaeopteryx. Dr. Min Yang of the Chinese Academy of Sciences says it had a short tail, which is critical for flight compared to Archaeopteryx’s long tail. The tail’s bone structure is made of fused vertebrae, allowing for fan-shaped feathers, which improve flight.

There are many problems involved in this find. The Baminornis fossil lacks a skull, so researchers are guessing at the tooth structure. Both specimens are morphologically advanced, suggesting a common bird ancestor. In the biblical account, God said, “let birds multiply on the earth” (Genesis 1:22). The Bible doesn’t tell us when God created birds or what they were like. Baminornis zhenghensis was small, only about six inches long, and Archaeopteryx was slightly larger.

Much about the history of life on Earth that the Bible does not tell us has been revealed in the fossil record. The information we find shows agreement between science and the Bible. We maintain that science and faith are friends. The fossil record is incomplete, just as the biblical record is. Birds have a high body temperature and all the equipment they need to fly, but we don’t see that in other life forms. New chapters will be added to the fossil record as more fossils are found, but they will only add to what the Bible has revealed.

Reference: smithsonianmag.com

March 11, 2025March 10, 2025

Polar Bear Design Features

Polar bear design features enable them to live in a region of incredible cold. Previously, we reported that polar bear fur is hollow, providing insulation and creating an optical effect that looks white. New research by Norwegian nanophysicist Bodil Holst has shown how a polar bear can climb out of freezing water and then walk around in temperatures as low as minus 40. It has nothing to do with its fur, but because the polar bear has glands in its skin that secrete a grease resistant to freezing called sebum.

The skin of mammals, including humans, secretes sebum that makes hair greasy. Tests of other forms of sebum have shown that only polar dear sebum has the properties that keep the fur from freezing. At the same time, it lacks squalene that makes ice stick. There is great interest in this discovery not only from scientists but also from industries. It can potentially replace toxic de-icing chemicals used in ski wax and for plane de-icing.

Humans have benefited from many things copied from animals and plants. Common examples include Velcro (thistles), airplane design (bird wings), and synthetic fibers (spider webs). Polar bear design features are among the unique designs we see in the living world. They are not accidents but deliberate designs by a Creator, allowing life to thrive everywhere on planet Earth. As with polar bears, animals and plants usually have more than one specialized design feature.

Reference: science.org Here and Here

March 10, 2025March 10, 2025

The Mystery of Easter Island Moai

The giant moai statues of Easter Island have been a great mystery since their discovery. Easter Island is part of the Pacific triangle called Polynesia, which stretches between Hawaii, New Zealand, and Easter Island. Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen arrived on the island on Easter Sunday in 1722 and named it Easter Island. The average moai statue on Easter Island was 13 feet tall and weighed 14 tons. The largest statue stands 32 feet tall and weighs about 80 tons. The mystery of Easter Island moai has been how the locals moved some 300 giant statues over several miles.

Some finished and unfinished statues remain in the Rano Raraku quarry on Easter Island. The Rapanui people who created the moai had no metal machinery, draft animals, or wheeled carts. Tabloids claimed the mystery of Easter Island moai could only be explained by space aliens carving and transporting them. In his book Chariots of the Gods, Erich von Daniken suggested extraterrestrial beings as the source of the statues.

Researchers have proposed various theories of how the statues were moved from the quarry to their locations. Some suggested they were dragged to the sea and floated to the final locations. Archaeologist Jo Anne Van Tilburg and the Easter Island Statue Project have studied the moai and other Easter Island structures since 1983. Van Tilburg favors the theory that they were placed on sleds and pulled by large teams of workers on a trackway of tree trunks. When the first European explorers arrived on Easter Island, it was almost barren of trees and had a population perhaps in the hundreds. However, botanical studies have shown that palm forests once covered the island, and archaeological studies show that it may have had as many as 15,000 inhabitants at its peak. That would supply an ample workforce and trees to accomplish the task.

The bottom line is that the mystery of Easter Island moai does not involve extraterrestrials. Like humans throughout history, the ancient Rapanui people saw evidence of a higher power and tried to honor what they understood through elaborate works. The moai statues are another demonstration of human attempts to reach God. When Paul spoke to the scholars in Athens (Acts 17), he talked about the fallacy of trying to reach God through human intelligence and artistic ability. So, today, we see the evidence for God in the things He has made (Romans 1:20). We don’t need to impress Him with our intelligence and creativity. He is reaching out to us with His love.

Reference: The booklet “Discovering Easter Island“ from the Archaeological Institute of America