Piltdown Superman

Geckos are a special class of reptile, and they are found on every continent except Antarctica. There are many species in a wide variety of habitats, so it is not surprising that they come in a range of sizes. The smaller geckos are considered good pets. They are also of interest to scientists pursuing the field of biomimetics. That is, taking ideas from what is found in nature, developing them for human use, then crediting the puny god of evolution instead of the Creator. In the case of geckos: The way their feet stick to smooth surfaces. Tokay gecko, Wikimedia Commons / Richard Ling ( CC BY-SA 3.0 ) The tokay gecko would be a challenging pet. They can bit rather hard, are fast — and have a loud, obnoxious call that someone imagined sounded like "tokay," hence the name. Let the scientists deal with those things as they remove the latest escapee from the ceiling. Gecko feet and the way they can adhere to a surface, then release at will, is fascinating. Tokays provide bigger...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  There are many ways in which living things communicate, none of which can be explained by Darwin's acolytes. For example, facial expressions can indicate how someone is feeling and may even be a signal to other people. Chimpanzees have vocal patterns that resemble those of humans, but they are not language . Our Creator gave animals the means to communicate with each other on basic levels and occasionally with us. Impressive as they may be on occasion, animal communications do not compare with human language, which testifies of the Creator . The Card Players ,  Paul Cezanne, 1892 Remember how I said that the Intelligent Design community has serious limitations ? They have a "big tent" approach, and I believe that many are theistic evolution Deists. Most ID folks seem to believe in deep time and even guided  evolution. There are other things as well, so it becomes difficult to tell where some of them are coming from. When perusing Evolution News a...

The science of genetics was pioneered by Gregor Mendel (peas be upon him), who would have had no idea of the trouble it would bring to evolutionary conjectures. Like in other things, bigger does not necessarily mean better because bigger genomes do not mean better  (more evolved). There are misotheists who deny that DNA is a code despite what secular scientists admit, probably because this testifies of the Creator. Indeed, DNA is a language. Researchers have found that this language is more complicated than realized. It has syntax; grammar. DNA, Pixabay /  Gerd Altmann (Geralt) As you probably know, the DNA code used in genetics is comprised of only four letters: A,G,C, and T. The way they are arranged codes for amino acids and does other things. Epigenetics ( above the code) regulates gene expression. To complicate matters and further frustrate evolution, the arrangement of the letters and even spacing adds further control to how DNA works. Human languages change over time. ...

If you take a great notion to head south — way, way south past Australia — you will encounter Antarctica. No country owns it, but there are named regions. It is primarily used for scientific research. A notable curiosity on Taylor Glacier is Blood Falls. People who played the violent (but unremarkable graphics by today's standards) game Doom II may remember a map called Bloodfalls. The one in Antarctica exists and was given its name because the water does indeed look like blood. It is flowing because it has salt. Lots of salt. Blood falls, Victoria Land, East Antarctica, Flickr / DLR German Aerospace Center ( CC BY 2.0 ) Interestingly, Wickedpedia is yet again promoting deep time and evolution, so their article on Blood Falls includes some contradictory remarks. The red color is due to iron oxides. There is an ecosystem of microbes living in it that don't care that the area has no oxygen to speak of. The article mentions a "poorly understood interaction" relating to...

Although underrated, humans have an amazing ability to detect various smells. What animal has the best ability to do this? It depends on how it is measured. Elephants can distinguish the greatest variety of smells , and some other animals may also rate highly. But they have not yet been tested. Dogs are legendary as trackers of fugitives and missing persons, and their sooper sniffers have been utilized to sniff out cadavers, bombs, drugs, cancer, and even fossils . Now things are getting even more interesting. Labrador nose, Freeimages /  huzzah Let's pause riding this here trail a mite. People can pick up on smells, and this child thinks that maybe certain abilities have faded over the years since our creation. We smell or otherwise sense something but only have a vague awareness in the backs of our minds. This may be misconstrued as a psychic ability when it was originally something we were created with. Smell could be a big part of that. After all, odors trigger emotions, memori...

On more than one occasion, I have encountered Darwin's disciples online who say that if there is a little  evolution, there must eventually be a lot of it. That is, favorable mutations accumulate until something becomes a new creature, made by nature. It may seem plausible at first. Biblical creationists accept natural selection and speciation. Some refer to small changes microevolution . However, it is recommended that we educate other creationists to avoid using micro- and macroevolution ; one is horizontal  change, the other is unobserved vertical  atoms-to-astronaut change. Esopus Creek near Mt. Tremper, NY, Unsplash / Cowboy Bob Sorensen What people who believe in such accumulations of traits do not realize is that they are showing their lack of knowledge; there are built-in biological limits to change. Clearly, many evolutionists try to substitute Nature, Evolution, Natural Selection, and other things for the true Creator. Yes, people use nature, evolution, and natu...

As established in previous posts, it is good to find methods of enhancing human performance, alleviating suffering, and all that good stuff. Sometimes it takes the form of metal and plastics, and even computerized devices such as insulin pumps . Science and technology are quickly growing in these areas. Transhumanism  goes beyond the good things, becoming a religion in itself. (Like atheists, many deny that their belief system is a religion by ignoring most dictionary definitions.) It is based on a form of evolution where we are our own creators. A.I. Cyborg adored by mindless masses* I keep banging on that ol' drum that worldviews need to have internal consistency to be taken seriously in the first place. This evolution has teleology (purpose, which is supposed to be heresy to fundamentalist evolutionists), and they also believe in a self-determined salvation boldly going into the future where there are no flaws. There are several views in transhumanism. One has human consciousnes...

One of the great marvels in the natural world is metamorphosis . A caterpillar goes into a cocoon, is deconstructed, then out pops a butterfly. Dragonflies and other creatures do this as well. It has always been a mystery that believers in descent with modifications evolution cannot explain. A group of researchers took a notion, which is fine for a starting point, but then presented it as finished work. Lazy, sloppy, even dishonest work is becoming more common in the secular science industry, so mayhaps the standard has fallen this low? Dragonfly metamorphosis, WikiComm / Clinton & Charles Robertson ( CC BY 2.0 ), modified at PhotoFunia Secularists have an a priori  commitment to materialism, so evidence supporting the Master Engineer's work is rejected out of hand. The irreducible complexity of metamorphosis itself should convince anyone of his existence. if they did not have their Darwin spectacles on, which filter out inconvenient logic and facts. Indeed, genetics adds evid...

A few weeks ago, we looked at " Woolly Mammoths, DNA, and the Genesis Flood ." There was an article by a different organization that I almost deleted because I thought it was an echo of the one linked above. Nope. Different after all. Mammoths and other creatures are getting a great deal of attention lately. Interesting genetic research was contaminated by secular assumptions of deep time. Mammoths are dated at tens of thousands of years, and dinosaurs at millions of years. Secular scientists assume DNA can last such a long time because they assume the animals are so old. Mammoths, Wikimedia Commons /  Honymand  / ( CC BY-SA 4.0 ) There have been several interesting discoveries, including that mammoths and elephants both have twenty-eight pairs of chromosomes, showing their relationship to elephants. (Is anyone surprised?) A gene that controls hair and skin growth is not active in mammoths, but they have it, which may be why they were so shaggy. Scientists said the organic ma...

If my experiences online are any indication, denizens with Atheism Spectrum Disorder seem compelled to attack biblical creationists and Intelligent Design proponents and defend particles-to-peer-reviewer evolution. Some will falsely claim to be scientists, others demand a creationist's "credentials." I lack belief that many scientists are interested in trolling. On occasion, someone with knowledge joins a discussion. David Coppedge briefly interacted with Dr. Ralph Marcucio. Dr. Marcucio was involved in a paper on genetics (the science started by Gregor Mendel, peas be upon him). He claimed that the paper supported evolution. Background image :  The Passion of Creation ,  Leonid Pasternak, 1880s Apparently Ralph's work has some good science, but his emphasis on canalization (an organism's tendency to go back to its earlier form when provoked) actually works against him. Further, canalization is compatible with teachings of biblical creationists! This illustrates a...

In the 1970s, molecular biology was quickly growing. Unfortunately, scientists brought a prairie schooner-full of assumptions with them instead of being objective. DNA was getting sequenced and a large section of it was labeled as "junk" leftover from our alleged evolutionary past. There are classes of RNAs that are puzzling, and they are are not always linear. Some RNAs were considered junk because they did not code for proteins, but some were involved in that after all. In reality, scientific hubris was defeated because RNAs have important functions. Then circular RNAs were discovered. Metabolism of circular RNA, Wikimedia Commons / Wei-Yi Zhou ( CC BY 4.0 ) There are three classes of circRNAs (so far). They surprised researchers by setting up camp in unexpected areas of genes. Their functions are quite complex, and like other things, have a say in gene expression. Mayhaps if secularists realized that there is a Master Engineer who put things in their places for good reaso...

Time and time again, proponents of descent with modifications are presented with fossils of creatures that show no appreciable change between then and now. Some evolutionists admit that they walk by by faith, not by sight. The thought of admitting there is a Creator makes them squirm. There are seventeen accepted species of penguins. Despite common ideas, they are not confined to Antarctica, but are found in diverse places such as southern Africa, the Galápagos, and more. They vary in size with the smallest being the blue (little, fairy) penguin at thirteen inches (33 cm). Blue penguin, Flickr / Laurens ( CC BY-ND 2.0 ) A few fossil fragments about the size of the blue penguin were found. It could be considered an eighteenth species. Although this child is suspicious of the amount of information that can be deduced from a few fossils because big mistakes have been made, scientists are telling us that the new fossil ( Pakudyptes ) shows the wings were like those of modern penguins ...

There are several large land masses in the world, and Eurasia takes up a huge chunk. Japan is an island nation. SSE of there is the Philippines archipelago, south of that is Indonesia, and the South Pacific has many islands. Boom!  Australia is the world's largest island, kind of startling among its smaller neighbors. New Zealand is another island nation. It has a unique species of robin that has a different look and song than those in North America, and they are inquisitive. Mayhaps even friendly — making them susceptible to predation. Then there is the black robin. Black robin, Flickr / schmechf ( CC BY-SA 2.0 ) As New Zealand is dwarfed by Australia to the north, it dwarfs the Chatham Island archipelago to their east. It is considered a part of New Zealand. Anyway, they have a black robin that also is a nice guy. The little chirper is cute, too. Something cannot get much closer to the brink of extinction than these. There were only five left, with just one breeding pair. In a ...

Salamanders are amphibians that looks somewhat like lizards, and many types are found in North America. They may bite when they feel threatened but have no venom. Some have secretions in their skin that may make someone sick, so refrain from licking them. Like humans, amphibians, birds, and many other critters, they are classified as tetrapods . That simply means vertebrates that have two pairs of limbs. Salamanders are also cold-blooded, which means the environment controls their temperature, not from an internal mechanism. A fossil was found in a cold place. Reconstruction of Gaiasia jennyae , Wikimedia Commons / Olmagon ( CC BY-SA 4.0 ) (background modified) Down Argentina way, a fossil of a large tetrapod that resembles a salamander was discovered in the cold of Gondwana. The scientists wonder how a cold-blooded critter could have survived up there, and they are having some arguments. Still protecting deep time, though. Also, other organisms were found nearby, so a shallow lake wa...

Everyone has a worldview, even if they have not spelled it out succinctly. It involves how they view life, what is important, morality, life and death, and all that good stuff. Descent with modifications is more than academic and scientific parlor talk, it is a worldview. Although evolution fails many tests, people presuppose that it is true and must be a part of their decision making processes. Some physicians have their spleens in a twist because they insist there should be more Darwinism taught in medical school. That should prompt cries of outrage because evolutionary thinking in medical science has actually been harmful , not helpful (see " Evolutionary Thinking Wrecks Modern Medicine "). Yanking out tonsils, adenoids, and downplaying the appendix may have been profitable, but if those doctors had bothered to think that the Creator put things in their places for a reason, patients would have been much better off. So, why isn't evolution taught very much in medical sc...

For a while now, biologists have been starting to look at living things from an engineering perspective. They are a bit skittish about it, because if things are engineered, there must be an Engineer a Designer. Indeed, C. Richard Dawkins and other Darwinists tell scientists to remind themselves that things only appear designed. Another reason for the reluctance of evolutionists to admit to engineering approaches is that biblical creationists have been talking about biological engineering for some time now. A paper in the Intelligent Design community discusses systems engineering in biology. Construction, Pixabay /  Adi Rahman Systems engineering requires making a plan to build something in order to accomplish a goal, models are developed, testing happens, and all that good stuff before a final product is made. Taking inspiration from mechanical engineering, the authors describe model-based reverse system engineering. To show how their approach would work, glycolysis was used. If a ...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  There was a story told some time ago about a salesman who came across a man cutting trees in the forest, and he was using just an axe. The sales rep said the man could cut down many more trees if he used the chainsaw he was selling. Sold! A couple of days later, the salesman came back and asked how things were going. "Lousy!" replied the man. "All day yesterday with that blasted chainsaw, and I only cut down two trees . I want my money back!" "Easy, friend," replied the salesman. "Let's see what's wrong with it." He pulled the starter and there was a loud vroooom. "Whoa, what is that noise? " cried the man. Car in the woods, Unsplash / Cowboy Bob Sorensen Amazing that he got any  trees cut when he didn't even know how to start up the chainsaw. Every once in a while, someone makes news for having lived an amazing number of years. People ask, "What's your secret to a long life?" Answers va...

The fact that soft tissues in dinosaur bones has been found is a serious problem for evolutionists, and they know it. Papa Darwin depends on deep time, so the secular science industry presents fake science to take the tear out of Darwin's eye. Desperately devoted evolutionists online show dishonesty, ignorance, or something else when they try to wave off soft tissues (It was a fluke or two? Nope.) There are many examples of soft tissues that are public knowledge. The latest attempt by secularists is to make collagen last millions of years. Triceratops at the Dinosaur Journey Museum , US Dept of Transportation /  aschweigert   (Usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) The disingenuous science here is that researchers did not actually test stuff, but yee haw boy howdy! It sure does look good on paper. Also, review of the work seems to have been a festival of bias confirmation, no contrary views (especially from those yucky creationists) would be considered. That is ind...

Scientists figure that Wrangel Island, way up north in the Arctic Ocean, was where the woolly mammoths had their last stand. After these elephant-types walked there, water levels rose and marooned them. Research involved obtaining physical samples and sequencing DNA. The results were surprising. It was assumed that the mammoths inbred themselves to death, but that is not exactly so. When a population is radically reduced, it is called a bottleneck . Bad mutations increase. The mammoth bottleneck did not have the presumed deleterious effects. Interestingly, this has implications for Noah and his family. Woolly mammoth cave art from Les Combarelles, France / PD Scoffers of the Genesis Flood point out that the human population would have to be rebuilt from six of the eight individuals on the Ark, so they assume the bottleneck was insurmountable. Humans are more complex than the elephant kind. The implications for the human population after the Flood are supportive of creation science ...

One of the main icons of evolutionism is the peppered moth, which is used in textbooks as a classic example of natural selection. The story is that the moths had two varieties, light and dark. Pollution darkened the tree trunks, the lighter moths became bird food and the darker ones survived. Hail Darwin! Blessed be! The  moth story is fake  — and evolutionists know it. If Darwinism were true, why is there a need for trickery, bad science, confusion, fraud, and outright lies? New Nobel Prize-winning evidence further destroys the tale. Light and dark varieties of peppered moths,  Wikimedia Commons / Olaf Leillinger ( link to  top one is here ,  link to  bottom is one here ) While DNA is frequently the star of a biological show, RNA is its very important partner. It has several vital functions and takes different forms. There is ribosomal RNA (rRNA), messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA). A new surprise was found in the form of microRNAs. There are severa...