LOBSTERS CAN AFFECT OUR THINKING
Jeremiah 5:26
"For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men."
With no backbone and not much of a brain, the lobster is usually depicted as pretty low on the evolutionary scale. It follows that lobsters are also intellectually pretty dim.
Populations of many sought-after species in North American fisheries have been dropping, as indicated by the numbers caught. The same appeared to be happening with lobsters. However, divers surveying lobster populations in lobster fisheries reported that there were plenty of lobsters. Why, then, were the catches going down? Zoologists curious about what was going on mounted video cameras on some of the lobster traps. The video showed that lobsters were entering the trap to eat the bait through the funnel-shaped opening, and when they were done they casually left through the same opening. The dimwitted lobsters were not supposed to be able to get out of the trap. Our so-called traps are, in reality, nothing more than lobster luncheonettes. Researchers concluded that the only lobsters that get caught are the lobsters who happen to be eating in the trap when it is pulled up.
The fact that lobsters are far more intelligent than worldly appearances would suggest means that we need to look at the world around us far differently than the people of the world. That's exactly what we are doing when we believe in creation as well as trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins.
Father, deliver us from the traps of the devil – that we may rest in safety and peace under Your protective hand. Amen.
Creation, 3-5/09, pp. 38-39, David Catchpoole, "Lowly Lobster Surprise."
Jeremiah 5:26
"For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men."
With no backbone and not much of a brain, the lobster is usually depicted as pretty low on the evolutionary scale. It follows that lobsters are also intellectually pretty dim.
Populations of many sought-after species in North American fisheries have been dropping, as indicated by the numbers caught. The same appeared to be happening with lobsters. However, divers surveying lobster populations in lobster fisheries reported that there were plenty of lobsters. Why, then, were the catches going down? Zoologists curious about what was going on mounted video cameras on some of the lobster traps. The video showed that lobsters were entering the trap to eat the bait through the funnel-shaped opening, and when they were done they casually left through the same opening. The dimwitted lobsters were not supposed to be able to get out of the trap. Our so-called traps are, in reality, nothing more than lobster luncheonettes. Researchers concluded that the only lobsters that get caught are the lobsters who happen to be eating in the trap when it is pulled up.
The fact that lobsters are far more intelligent than worldly appearances would suggest means that we need to look at the world around us far differently than the people of the world. That's exactly what we are doing when we believe in creation as well as trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins.
Father, deliver us from the traps of the devil – that we may rest in safety and peace under Your protective hand. Amen.
Creation, 3-5/09, pp. 38-39, David Catchpoole, "Lowly Lobster Surprise."
WORM'S GLUE MAY FIX YOU
Job 12:7
"But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee...."
While materials scientists are always interested in super-strong glues, they are especially interested in super-strong glues that harden under water. It turns out that a small marine worm called the Sandcastle Worm has a few things to teach them.
The Sandcastle Worm builds itself a tube-like shell by gluing together sand particles and bits of shell. It is the glue it uses that is of interest to scientists. This amazing glue not only hardens under water, it hardens in 30 seconds. The glue comes from a special gland in the Sandcastle Worm. While it hardens quickly, after several hours it becomes like leather.
After analyzing it, scientists identified several of the proteins that are responsible for its properties. They also found that half those proteins are either very negatively or very positively charged. Attempting to mimic the glue, scientists mixed together some of the same charged proteins to see if they would bond broken bone together in a wet environment. Their glue not only bonded the bone together, but remained neither acid nor alkaline, which is crucial for materials used in living bodies. Scientists also report that the glue is not poisonous.
As we study how God created things, we are learning better ways to do things. This is surely evidence that an intelligent Creator is responsible for the creation.
Father, prosper all good learning and knowledge. Keep us from falling into false knowledge. Amen.
Science News Online, http://www.sciencenews.org/index/activity/view/id/46544/title/
worm-inspired_superglue, Rachel Ehrenbergm, "Worm-Inspired Superglue." Photo: Colony of Sandcastle Worm tubes removed from the beach. Courtesy of Fred Hayes for the University of Utah. (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Job 12:7
"But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee...."
While materials scientists are always interested in super-strong glues, they are especially interested in super-strong glues that harden under water. It turns out that a small marine worm called the Sandcastle Worm has a few things to teach them.
The Sandcastle Worm builds itself a tube-like shell by gluing together sand particles and bits of shell. It is the glue it uses that is of interest to scientists. This amazing glue not only hardens under water, it hardens in 30 seconds. The glue comes from a special gland in the Sandcastle Worm. While it hardens quickly, after several hours it becomes like leather.
After analyzing it, scientists identified several of the proteins that are responsible for its properties. They also found that half those proteins are either very negatively or very positively charged. Attempting to mimic the glue, scientists mixed together some of the same charged proteins to see if they would bond broken bone together in a wet environment. Their glue not only bonded the bone together, but remained neither acid nor alkaline, which is crucial for materials used in living bodies. Scientists also report that the glue is not poisonous.
As we study how God created things, we are learning better ways to do things. This is surely evidence that an intelligent Creator is responsible for the creation.
Father, prosper all good learning and knowledge. Keep us from falling into false knowledge. Amen.
Science News Online, http://www.sciencenews.org/index/activity/view/id/46544/title/
worm-inspired_superglue, Rachel Ehrenbergm, "Worm-Inspired Superglue." Photo: Colony of Sandcastle Worm tubes removed from the beach. Courtesy of Fred Hayes for the University of Utah. (CC BY-SA 3.0)
NEW AVIAN SPEED CHAMPION DISCOVERED
Job 9:10
"Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number."
A peregrine falcon diving toward its prey reaches a relative speed of 200 body- lengths per second. This is close to the 207 body-lengths that the space shuttle travels as it enters our atmosphere. Thus, the peregrine falcon was thought to easily be the fastest dare-devil bird on Earth.
Scientists have now discovered that a little pink male hummingbird called Anna's Hummingbird is the real Top Gun among the birds. As part of its mating ritual, a male hummingbird will try to impress a female with his speed and acrobatics. First, the male will fly up to about 90 feet above the ground. Then, he begins a power dive. As he nears the female, he pulls up, ascending again. During that near-miss pull-up he experiences more than nine times the force of gravity. His relative speed during descent is 385 body-lengths per second. That's almost twice the peregrine falcon's relative speed. It's faster than the space shuttle entering the Earth's atmosphere and is more than twice the relative speed of a jet fighter running with afterburners!
The wonders of God's creation are still being discovered, and Creation Moments still loves to make them known to our listeners. But God's greatest wonder is His love for us though His Son, Jesus Christ. We are thankful that this wonder is revealed to us in the Bible.
Father, I give You thanks for the wonders You create, but I especially give You thanks for the wonder of salvation. Amen.
Science News, 7/4/09, p. 7, Susan Millius, "Hummingbird pulls Top Gun stunts." Photo: Male Anna's hummingbird. Courtesy of Kevin Cole. (CC BY 2.0)
Job 9:10
"Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number."
A peregrine falcon diving toward its prey reaches a relative speed of 200 body- lengths per second. This is close to the 207 body-lengths that the space shuttle travels as it enters our atmosphere. Thus, the peregrine falcon was thought to easily be the fastest dare-devil bird on Earth.
Scientists have now discovered that a little pink male hummingbird called Anna's Hummingbird is the real Top Gun among the birds. As part of its mating ritual, a male hummingbird will try to impress a female with his speed and acrobatics. First, the male will fly up to about 90 feet above the ground. Then, he begins a power dive. As he nears the female, he pulls up, ascending again. During that near-miss pull-up he experiences more than nine times the force of gravity. His relative speed during descent is 385 body-lengths per second. That's almost twice the peregrine falcon's relative speed. It's faster than the space shuttle entering the Earth's atmosphere and is more than twice the relative speed of a jet fighter running with afterburners!
The wonders of God's creation are still being discovered, and Creation Moments still loves to make them known to our listeners. But God's greatest wonder is His love for us though His Son, Jesus Christ. We are thankful that this wonder is revealed to us in the Bible.
Father, I give You thanks for the wonders You create, but I especially give You thanks for the wonder of salvation. Amen.
Science News, 7/4/09, p. 7, Susan Millius, "Hummingbird pulls Top Gun stunts." Photo: Male Anna's hummingbird. Courtesy of Kevin Cole. (CC BY 2.0)
MONKEYING WITH GENETICS
Psalm 7:17
"What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?"
We have all heard the claims – and school textbooks love to include it – that humans and chimpanzees are about 99 percent genetically identical. However, that claim evaporates when the details of what is being compared are examined.
First of all, the DNA sequences that were compared were cherry-picked. Similar sequences in both humans and chimps were compared, while non-similar sequences were ignored. In addition, comparisons were made using only the DNA that codes for making protein. This ignores most of the human and chimp genome. When the DNA that regulates cell operation are included in the comparison, the degree of similarity drops considerably.
Important parts of certain chromosomes, like the Y chromosome, are very different. Research has also found that there are major differences between how certain genes express themselves within cells. In addition, the chimpanzee genome is 10 to 12 percent larger than man's, which is quite a difference in itself.
The truth is the entire human and chimp genome has never been properly compared, while if it has, it has never been reported. However, when the spiritual differences are considered, there is an unbridgeable gulf between humans and chimps. Man was made in the image of God, to be responsible before Him and to have a relationship with Him. Jesus Christ died for the salvation of mankind, not for chimps.
Thank You, Father, for sending Your Son for our redemption and seeking us out with Your gracious Word. Amen.
Acts & Facts, 6/09, pp. 12-13, Jeffery Tomkins, Human-Chimp Similarities, "Common Ancestry or Flawed Research?"
Psalm 7:17
"What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?"
We have all heard the claims – and school textbooks love to include it – that humans and chimpanzees are about 99 percent genetically identical. However, that claim evaporates when the details of what is being compared are examined.
First of all, the DNA sequences that were compared were cherry-picked. Similar sequences in both humans and chimps were compared, while non-similar sequences were ignored. In addition, comparisons were made using only the DNA that codes for making protein. This ignores most of the human and chimp genome. When the DNA that regulates cell operation are included in the comparison, the degree of similarity drops considerably.
Important parts of certain chromosomes, like the Y chromosome, are very different. Research has also found that there are major differences between how certain genes express themselves within cells. In addition, the chimpanzee genome is 10 to 12 percent larger than man's, which is quite a difference in itself.
The truth is the entire human and chimp genome has never been properly compared, while if it has, it has never been reported. However, when the spiritual differences are considered, there is an unbridgeable gulf between humans and chimps. Man was made in the image of God, to be responsible before Him and to have a relationship with Him. Jesus Christ died for the salvation of mankind, not for chimps.
Thank You, Father, for sending Your Son for our redemption and seeking us out with Your gracious Word. Amen.
Acts & Facts, 6/09, pp. 12-13, Jeffery Tomkins, Human-Chimp Similarities, "Common Ancestry or Flawed Research?"
BIRDS' UNIQUE LEG STRUCTURE SAYS NO EVOLUTION
Genesis 1:21
"And God created ... every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good."
Countless television programs, museums, textbooks, and popular articles tell us that the birds evolved from dinosaurs. It now appears that this claim is even less credible!
Researchers at Oregon State University have made a fundamental discovery about how birds breathe. Unlike land animals, birds have immovable thigh bones, and they walk and run by bending their knees. All land creatures can move both their thigh bone as well as bend their knees to walk and run. This included the dinosaurs and other theropods from which birds supposedly evolved.
Birds need twenty times as much oxygen as cold-blooded animals. To supply this need, birds are designed with unique lungs and supporting musculature. Researchers found that if birds had the usual muscle structures and could move their thighs, their high-performance lungs would collapse. Even the evolutionists at Oregon State University said that this makes it unlikely that birds evolved from dinosaurs, and they added that birds appear earlier in the fossil record than the theropods from which they supposedly evolved!
There are other transition problems associated with bird evolution that are seldom mentioned. For example, reptiles are cold-blooded and birds are warm blooded; yet, this major transition has seemingly been overlooked.
Of course, the Bible has always taught that birds were specially made by God and did not evolve from any other creature.
Lord, You have designed all things well. Do not let Your people be fooled by those who deny Your works. Amen.
Oregon State University (2009, June 9), "Discovery Raises New Doubts About Dinosaur -Bird Links." Science Daily. Retrieved June 16, 2009 from http://www.sciencedaily.com/ releases/2009/06/090609092055.htm.
Genesis 1:21
"And God created ... every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good."
Countless television programs, museums, textbooks, and popular articles tell us that the birds evolved from dinosaurs. It now appears that this claim is even less credible!
Researchers at Oregon State University have made a fundamental discovery about how birds breathe. Unlike land animals, birds have immovable thigh bones, and they walk and run by bending their knees. All land creatures can move both their thigh bone as well as bend their knees to walk and run. This included the dinosaurs and other theropods from which birds supposedly evolved.
Birds need twenty times as much oxygen as cold-blooded animals. To supply this need, birds are designed with unique lungs and supporting musculature. Researchers found that if birds had the usual muscle structures and could move their thighs, their high-performance lungs would collapse. Even the evolutionists at Oregon State University said that this makes it unlikely that birds evolved from dinosaurs, and they added that birds appear earlier in the fossil record than the theropods from which they supposedly evolved!
There are other transition problems associated with bird evolution that are seldom mentioned. For example, reptiles are cold-blooded and birds are warm blooded; yet, this major transition has seemingly been overlooked.
Of course, the Bible has always taught that birds were specially made by God and did not evolve from any other creature.
Lord, You have designed all things well. Do not let Your people be fooled by those who deny Your works. Amen.
Oregon State University (2009, June 9), "Discovery Raises New Doubts About Dinosaur -Bird Links." Science Daily. Retrieved June 16, 2009 from http://www.sciencedaily.com/ releases/2009/06/090609092055.htm.
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