Thankfulness and - Repurposing?
From 1985-1992, American television had a series called MacGyver, which has become a bit of a cultural icon because of the hero's abilities to use chemistry, physics, and the like (as well as being able to think quickly) to make things happen and get out of difficulties. The series was rebooted in 2016. The idea of using whatever is available and fast thinking is often found in espionage movies and fiction. The concepts of multitasking and repurposing are found in many places, including our daily lives and in biology.
It seems that that some MacGyvers were on the Mayflower as well. The midship beam was cracking, and for it to completely break would have been a death sentence. The resourceful crew cowboyed up and repurposed a part of a printing press' equipment to save the voyage — and a major part of American history. For this, many of us are thankful.
Many of our organs, cells, and parts of our DNA are able to multitask. Some of these extra functions have been known for many years, and others have been discovered more recently. It's easy to think of scientists saying, "Hey, I didn't know it did that, too!"
Our Creator engineered many systems for our survival, and gave us the ability to reason so we can use the resources he has given us, as seen in biomimetics. We should give thanks that he has given us life and engineered it (and us) to live. More importantly, we should be thankful that he has provided us with salvation and eternal life.
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| Replica ship Mayflower II credit: Wikimedia Commons / OldPine |
Many of our organs, cells, and parts of our DNA are able to multitask. Some of these extra functions have been known for many years, and others have been discovered more recently. It's easy to think of scientists saying, "Hey, I didn't know it did that, too!"
Our Creator engineered many systems for our survival, and gave us the ability to reason so we can use the resources he has given us, as seen in biomimetics. We should give thanks that he has given us life and engineered it (and us) to live. More importantly, we should be thankful that he has provided us with salvation and eternal life.
Available machinery capable of versatile applications, combined with quick-thinking Pilgrim passengers, solved a life-or-death crisis that the Mayflower’s professional crew hadn’t anticipated. This providential detail is part of the Pilgrims’ progress in America—and thus is something we can appreciate during the Thanksgiving season.To read the article in its entirety (which is not very lengthy), click on "Mechanical Multitasking on the Mayflower".
We can also appreciate how God has programmed so much of His great creation with versatile engineering traits, including multitasking features within our own bodies such as our appendix, nose, ears, and hair.