BIG BANG BOOM?
1 Corinthians 15:41
"There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory."
The Big Bang theory holds that in the very early stages of our universe, there were few galaxies, and they were small by today's standards. In this theory, no star can be older than its home galaxy.
But this tidy model of our universe appears to be in trouble. For this discussion, we are going to use the inflated ages used by astronomers. When astronomers look through their telescopes at a star that is, say, 10 million light years away, they say they are looking at what was there 10 million years ago. Now, the universe is said to be 14 billion years old. Galaxies formed nearly that long ago are a very long way off, expected to be small, and their stars young, just as it was supposed to be after the Big Bang. Work with the Hubble telescope in 2004 revealed many such young galaxies, including one only 800 million years old, but it is six times more massive than our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Most significantly, these young galaxies contain some old red stars. It's said to be like looking in a nursery of cooing babies and finding a few grown men!
These findings not only call the Big Bang theory into question but support the view that God created a mature universe, just as Scripture teaches.
Thank You, Father, for the glory, beauty and variety You have created in the heavens which praise You. Amen.
Science News, 10/8/05, pp. 235-236, Ron Cowen, "Crisis in the Cosmos?"
1 Corinthians 15:41
"There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory."
The Big Bang theory holds that in the very early stages of our universe, there were few galaxies, and they were small by today's standards. In this theory, no star can be older than its home galaxy.
But this tidy model of our universe appears to be in trouble. For this discussion, we are going to use the inflated ages used by astronomers. When astronomers look through their telescopes at a star that is, say, 10 million light years away, they say they are looking at what was there 10 million years ago. Now, the universe is said to be 14 billion years old. Galaxies formed nearly that long ago are a very long way off, expected to be small, and their stars young, just as it was supposed to be after the Big Bang. Work with the Hubble telescope in 2004 revealed many such young galaxies, including one only 800 million years old, but it is six times more massive than our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Most significantly, these young galaxies contain some old red stars. It's said to be like looking in a nursery of cooing babies and finding a few grown men!
These findings not only call the Big Bang theory into question but support the view that God created a mature universe, just as Scripture teaches.
Thank You, Father, for the glory, beauty and variety You have created in the heavens which praise You. Amen.
Science News, 10/8/05, pp. 235-236, Ron Cowen, "Crisis in the Cosmos?"
A TUCK AND A NIP
1 Thessalonians 4:6
"That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified."
Most listeners have heard of the little "cleaner fish" or wrasse that clean the teeth of larger fishes. New research on the behavior of these fishes shows that they are not always honest-business fish. Other fish, including those who might ordinarily consider a meal of "cleaner fish", actually stand in line for their services. That's because they need to have parasites and diseased tissue removed. They also know that the little "cleaner fish" offer massages.
It's amazing enough that even potential predators will become clients for a good cleaning and massage. Researchers from the University of Cambridge in England observed 28 cleaning stations and discovered some unexpected behavior. Now and again, as a "cleaner fish" nibbles parasites off a customer, it might also bite out a chunk of healthy flesh. Wisely, they avoid this behavior when cleaning predators that could bite them back. Researchers also observed that potential customers were aware of this risk and closely watched how the current customer was being treated. They were more likely to seek services from a wrasse that didn't nip any of the customers ahead of them. Of course, the wrasses were also aware of this and were observed to offer those customers they were likely to nip four-star treatment, including a massage.
Scripture teaches that man's sin infected the whole creation. Thankfully, Christ came to bring us forgiveness.
Father, I thank You for Your laws, but as a sinner, I thank You even more for forgiveness in Jesus Christ. Amen.
Science News, 11/2/02, p. 277, S. Milius, "Fish Fraud." See also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOC2Qc2Qedw
1 Thessalonians 4:6
"That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified."
Most listeners have heard of the little "cleaner fish" or wrasse that clean the teeth of larger fishes. New research on the behavior of these fishes shows that they are not always honest-business fish. Other fish, including those who might ordinarily consider a meal of "cleaner fish", actually stand in line for their services. That's because they need to have parasites and diseased tissue removed. They also know that the little "cleaner fish" offer massages.
It's amazing enough that even potential predators will become clients for a good cleaning and massage. Researchers from the University of Cambridge in England observed 28 cleaning stations and discovered some unexpected behavior. Now and again, as a "cleaner fish" nibbles parasites off a customer, it might also bite out a chunk of healthy flesh. Wisely, they avoid this behavior when cleaning predators that could bite them back. Researchers also observed that potential customers were aware of this risk and closely watched how the current customer was being treated. They were more likely to seek services from a wrasse that didn't nip any of the customers ahead of them. Of course, the wrasses were also aware of this and were observed to offer those customers they were likely to nip four-star treatment, including a massage.
Scripture teaches that man's sin infected the whole creation. Thankfully, Christ came to bring us forgiveness.
Father, I thank You for Your laws, but as a sinner, I thank You even more for forgiveness in Jesus Christ. Amen.
Science News, 11/2/02, p. 277, S. Milius, "Fish Fraud." See also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOC2Qc2Qedw
SOME MOMS ARE GREEN
Luke 13:34
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem ... how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!"
Chickens aren't the brightest creatures in the animal world, but the mother hen knows to protect her eggs and keep them warm. Many species of snakes also care for their young. Amazingly, scientists have learnt that even some plants have been designed with "motherly" instincts.
The plantain is a common North American weed, and when it blooms, the warmer it keeps its developing seeds, the more seeds its offspring will produce. Researchers have found that cooler air temperatures cause the mother plant to produce a darker bloom cluster. The darker color absorbs more radiant energy from the sun, and this gives its offspring a boost in life even before they sprout. The shooter plant, as it is commonly called in America's southeast, does something similar. It blooms for several months over the southern summer. The leaf-like bracts that sheathe each flower-cluster have a brown pigment. Researchers observed the plants over several months and found that the bracts that formed in cooler April were darker than the bracts that formed in warmer June. The increased levels of brown pigment in April enabled the bracts to absorb more infrared light that helps to warm the flowers.
Just where did those plants learn the necessary physics, not to mention the genetics, to produce these motherly provisions? Of course, the answer is God's Intelligent Design from the very start.
Father, I thank You that You are a loving God Who teaches us love ultimately through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Science News, 7/23/05, pp. 59-60, Susan Milius, "Mommy Greenest."
Luke 13:34
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem ... how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!"
Chickens aren't the brightest creatures in the animal world, but the mother hen knows to protect her eggs and keep them warm. Many species of snakes also care for their young. Amazingly, scientists have learnt that even some plants have been designed with "motherly" instincts.
The plantain is a common North American weed, and when it blooms, the warmer it keeps its developing seeds, the more seeds its offspring will produce. Researchers have found that cooler air temperatures cause the mother plant to produce a darker bloom cluster. The darker color absorbs more radiant energy from the sun, and this gives its offspring a boost in life even before they sprout. The shooter plant, as it is commonly called in America's southeast, does something similar. It blooms for several months over the southern summer. The leaf-like bracts that sheathe each flower-cluster have a brown pigment. Researchers observed the plants over several months and found that the bracts that formed in cooler April were darker than the bracts that formed in warmer June. The increased levels of brown pigment in April enabled the bracts to absorb more infrared light that helps to warm the flowers.
Just where did those plants learn the necessary physics, not to mention the genetics, to produce these motherly provisions? Of course, the answer is God's Intelligent Design from the very start.
Father, I thank You that You are a loving God Who teaches us love ultimately through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Science News, 7/23/05, pp. 59-60, Susan Milius, "Mommy Greenest."
WHALES; WAILS SPOOK SEALS
Genesis 11:7
"Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech."
You hear a bird sing. Can you tell by its dialect where it spends the winter? Birds, like some other creatures, do have different dialects, depending on where they live. However, for most of us, animal dialects are not easy to detect.
Killer whales also have dialects that are reflected in their 17 different calls. Some killer whales are homebodies, staying in the same area for all of their lives. These whales create few problems for local harbor seals on the North American west coast since they stick to a diet of local fish. Other killer whales form groups that cruise up and down North America's west coast, hunting cooperatively. These gangs are not satisfied with fish, and they particularly like harbor seals. Researchers have recorded the calls of both groups and have noted that the calls of each group have differing qualities, which amount to differing dialects. They also found that harbor seals know about this. Though the calls are at a frequency that fish cannot hear, the seals can hear them very well. They ignore the calls of local fish-eating whales. But when a killer gang appears in their neighborhood, harbor seals tend to vacate the area rather quickly.
The ability to communicate and interpret communication are gifts from God, not just to us humans but clearly also to His other creatures.
Thank You, Lord, for the gift of language. Let my words always bear witness of Your love to us in Christ. Amen.
Science News, 11/16/02, p. 308, S. Milius, "Ear for Killers."
Genesis 11:7
"Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech."
You hear a bird sing. Can you tell by its dialect where it spends the winter? Birds, like some other creatures, do have different dialects, depending on where they live. However, for most of us, animal dialects are not easy to detect.
Killer whales also have dialects that are reflected in their 17 different calls. Some killer whales are homebodies, staying in the same area for all of their lives. These whales create few problems for local harbor seals on the North American west coast since they stick to a diet of local fish. Other killer whales form groups that cruise up and down North America's west coast, hunting cooperatively. These gangs are not satisfied with fish, and they particularly like harbor seals. Researchers have recorded the calls of both groups and have noted that the calls of each group have differing qualities, which amount to differing dialects. They also found that harbor seals know about this. Though the calls are at a frequency that fish cannot hear, the seals can hear them very well. They ignore the calls of local fish-eating whales. But when a killer gang appears in their neighborhood, harbor seals tend to vacate the area rather quickly.
The ability to communicate and interpret communication are gifts from God, not just to us humans but clearly also to His other creatures.
Thank You, Lord, for the gift of language. Let my words always bear witness of Your love to us in Christ. Amen.
Science News, 11/16/02, p. 308, S. Milius, "Ear for Killers."
LOVE YOUR ANEMONES
Psalm 46:9
"He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire."
The world that God created for us and intended us to live in had no wars and no death because there was no sin whatsoever. Once the first man, Adam, brought sin into the world, murder, wars and disease descended upon the entire creation, including the animal world.
While sea anemones might seem to be relatively peacefully creatures, researchers have discovered that they have a sophisticated army with warriors as well as scouts. The California anemones that were studied live in colonies of genetically identical individuals. Often, another colony of such clones, but genetically different from the first colony, lives quite close. The colonies are separated by a narrow patch of non-clone anemones. While genetically identical individuals get along with each other within each colony, they engage in warfare with the neighboring colony. Some of the individuals, the warriors, have tentacles that are not used for catching food, but rather for lashing invading anemones with stinging cells. Sometimes, scouts will enter the non-clone no-man's land between the colonies. The non-clones appear to be guards that sting any scout that enters their territory from either colony. Researchers were flabbergasted to find such a complex social system and penchant for war among anemones.
While warfare is something we added to the creation when we sinned, only Jesus Christ can bring us true peace with God.
Prince of Peace, give me Your peace in the midst of a world filled with wars and rumors of war. Amen.
Science News, 6/4/05, p. 355-356, S. Milius, "Anemone Wars."
Psalm 46:9
"He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire."
The world that God created for us and intended us to live in had no wars and no death because there was no sin whatsoever. Once the first man, Adam, brought sin into the world, murder, wars and disease descended upon the entire creation, including the animal world.
While sea anemones might seem to be relatively peacefully creatures, researchers have discovered that they have a sophisticated army with warriors as well as scouts. The California anemones that were studied live in colonies of genetically identical individuals. Often, another colony of such clones, but genetically different from the first colony, lives quite close. The colonies are separated by a narrow patch of non-clone anemones. While genetically identical individuals get along with each other within each colony, they engage in warfare with the neighboring colony. Some of the individuals, the warriors, have tentacles that are not used for catching food, but rather for lashing invading anemones with stinging cells. Sometimes, scouts will enter the non-clone no-man's land between the colonies. The non-clones appear to be guards that sting any scout that enters their territory from either colony. Researchers were flabbergasted to find such a complex social system and penchant for war among anemones.
While warfare is something we added to the creation when we sinned, only Jesus Christ can bring us true peace with God.
Prince of Peace, give me Your peace in the midst of a world filled with wars and rumors of war. Amen.
Science News, 6/4/05, p. 355-356, S. Milius, "Anemone Wars."
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.