Piltdown Superman

As a child, I watched what we called helicopter leaves (maple tree seeds) spinning to the ground. Sometimes they were plentiful, so other kids and I would scoop them up and fling them in the air, watching them spin down again. Do kids play with Javan cucumber seeds? The Javan cucumber is misnamed, more closely related to the pumpkin. It is not edible and seems to live to reproduce. Gourds swell and get quite large. When conditions are right, they open up and release the seeds. The seeds are also large and can travel surprising distances. Alsomitra macrocarpa seed, Wikimedia Commons / Scott Zona ( CC BY 2.0 ) While birds, insects, and flying mammals are the obvious choices for studies related to flight, these seeds have garnered a great deal of attention over the years for biomimetics (applying things found in nature for human applications). The seeds have inspired several aircraft designs. In addition, wind currents around the gourds that take the seeds on their journeys are also stu...

Like a number of other critters, spiders exist on every continent except Antarctica. This may be disconcerting news to many people who fear and loath the arachnids. Let me make it worse: All  spiders have venom. Not that many are dangerous to humans, though. People fear spiders from horror stories, being startled at home by them, and by ignorance, but it is useful to put aside the heebie-jeebies and consider creatures for what they are. The Master Engineer displayed his skill in designing them. Golden orb-web spider ( Nephila pilipes ), Flickr /  Lip Kee  ( CC BY-SA 2.0 ) Indeed, scientists are studying spider silk for our own applications (biomimetics). The black widow's silk is under scrutiny , others are being studied for their strength and,  surprisingly, nerve repair . Although evolution gets the glory as if it was a person, Darwin's disciples admit that they cannot backtrack a plan for their origin. That's because it's not a product of evolution, old son. Take...

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...

Biomimetics is where humans imitate characteristics of nature for their own benefit, so here are two examples. Indeed, if scientists who learn from creation were not such materialists, they might use Bible verses like Psalm 104:25-26 and  Job 12:7-8 as inspiration. Using the night  setting on my camera, instructions are given to stay still because the exposure is several seconds instead of the usual fraction of a second. The human eye (an inspiration for a researcher) does the opposite: It has constant tiny movements. His results were surprising when he imitated these movements. Prism effect, Flickr / Ian Mackenzie ( CC BY 2.0 ) The researcher programmed robot cameras with the small motions like the human eye. It seems like they would be blurry, but he obtained sharper images! In other news giant clams may have an impact on solar panels. Algae grow a certain way on the shells, and this helps the clams get the light they need. Their light collection strategy is more efficient...

Humans have always been inquisitive, seeking to use things to their advantage. In biomimetics , people attempt to imitate what is observed in nature, but seldom give credit to the Creator whose work they are copying. A product of military secrecy (and probably the subject of UFO reports in its early days) is a bomber known as the B-2 Spirit. Twenty-one stealth bombers were made and they had impressive capabilities. While delta wing  designs (the capitalized fourth letter of the Greek alphabet looks like a triangle) are common, the B-2 was more unique. B-2 bomber, Unsplash / Steve Harvey (modified at PhotoFunia ) This child has a memory of an F-14 Tomcat moving its extended wings because of a "need for speed" into a delta shape. What a thrill when it flew overhead! The B-2 also has moveable wings. Peregrine falcons have an aerodynamic design that helps them in their missions despite their low strike rate. It can be clearly seen that the Master Engineer built falcons and other...

Biomimetics is an interesting field where scientists attempt to duplicate what is seen in nature, and sometimes even improve on it. It begins through observation. The fact that biomimetics (or biomimicry) is using engineering principles illustrates how many scientists are looking at biology from an engineering perspective. Robots have been designed to do many important things. Some people are afraid that they will take over the world, but that is the realm of science fiction. Despite great inventions, robots and biomimetics have serious limitations. Robotic bee art, DeviantArt / SanShow ( CC BY 3.0 ) Centuries ago, a friend and I saw a bird caught in some string in a small tree. We got him free, but he lost part of a leg. We checked on him later and saw him standing on the other leg. He was designed to survive. If a two-legged robot had one fall off, it would probably lay in place until it was repaired — unless is was a cumbersome apparatus that carried spare parts and it had extensiv...

As stated before, biomimetics  is when scientists observe in nature and try to imitate certain abilities or characteristics of organisms for our purposes. Hummingbird wing motions for use in aerial vehicles, the navigability and structure in the boxfish, woodpeckers for brain cushions , and a passel of other things. Military minds are always on the lookout for developments that can give an edge over enemies, and it is surprising that butterflies are being studied. Another surprise is that the research is not for flight, but for submarines. Monarch butterfly, Pixnio / Nextreader Creationists have used butterflies as examples of the Master Engineer's brilliance during the amazing metamorphosis time, and also how monarchs have amazing migration . Like some other critters, monarchs tune in to the earth's magnetic field — but these venture to a place they've never been! These small, delicate creatures are a problem for universal common descent evolution. You can probably think ...

Bats are flying around, emitting their sonar to seek food, avoiding objects. Their echolocation is extremely precise . These skilled fliers have shown no signs of evolution in the fossil record. Something else that shows no sign of evolution is the moth. Battington McBatty wants a tasty moth, but the ermine moth is being obstinate. In fact, Emily E. Moth is sensing and defending against the radar with her ownself. It is more interesting that these moths are not only deaf, but do not know they are making the sound that baffles bats! Yponomeutidae, Wikimedia Commons / Hectonichus ( CC BY-SA 3.0 ) The moths not only designed to emit the sound, but amplify it through their own systems. Scientists are trying to find out how this ability evolved, tainting the research with, "Hail Darwin! Merry meet!" (It is  possible to do science without plugging into evolution. More should do it.) It may be possible to use biomimetics and imitate the sound amplification techniques, but glory us...

Biomimetics (or biomimicry) is an amazing area where scientists study abilities the Master Engineer has provided to creatures, then copying them for human use. Of course, secularists do not thank God for what they have learned. Hummingbirds are the subject of this study. One in particular lives on the left coast of North America, mostly in the formerly United States but also a bit north and south of what passes for its borders. Anna's hummingbird is an amazingly agile critter  the size of a table tennis ball, with an upper weight of 5.7 grams (0.2 ounces). Anna's hummingbird, Flickr / USFWS, Robert McMorran ( CC BY 2.0 ) Because of their unique wing motions, Anna's hummingbirds navigate small openings that other birds could not even consider: They can keep flapping. Studies of this bird are being conducted for possible use in small aerial vehicles. The fossil record shows that there has been no appreciable change in hummingbirds in all those Darwin years ( like other creat...

It has been said that dogs and cats can see things that we cannot. Based on some of their actions (including giving warnings and such), it may very well be true. We have trichromatic vision, which means all the colors we see are combinations of red, green, and blue. RGB codes are frequently used to get specific colors. Studies show that many critters see colors beyond our range, on into the ultraviolet. Someone took a notion to study the vision of an Asian swallowtail butterfly. It can see ultraviolet. Asian swallowtail butterfly, Flickr / Zorac&Visar ( CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 )  These flutterbyes can convert ultraviolet light into visible light — an example of specified complexity that defies evolution and testifies of the Creator's skill. Certain things in cancerous tissues are more concentrated and show up under UV light. Scientists are using biomimetics, drawing inspiration from the butterfly's vision, to work on a means of finding cancer! It’s something right out of science f...

It is indeed unfortunate that many people have a reflexive fear of harmless spiders, but a bit of education and identification can help. So can respect. Unfortunately, these critters tend to wander into our living quarters. Except perhaps golden orb-weavers that make impressive webs. Kevlar is used for body armor, composite materials for boat hulls, airplane panels, and more. When compared equally, it is five times stronger than steel. Spider silk is still stronger than that. Amazingly, spider silk can be used for nerve repair. Golden orb-web spider ( Nephila pilipes ), Flickr / Lip Kee ( CC BY-SA 2.0 ) When people study what is found in nature and apply concepts and principles to our lives, that is biomimetics. There is quite a bit happening in this truly fascinating field. Some scientists want to use golden orb-weaver spider silk for tissue and nerve repair because it supports many natural functions and does not hinder them. Perhaps this time they will have to admit that the silk wa...

Here in Upstate New York (a dismissive name because The City is the center of the universe, so the rest of the state is Upstate), we like our feathered visitors. A few kinds of woodpeckers and their kin show up in our area. We see the Downy much more than the Hairy , and my wife has a special fondness for the Red-bellied . Although in the area,  Pileated Woodpeckers are rare for us to see. Creationists point out that woodpeckers are excellent examples of the Creator's handiwork and refute Darwinism. They are also involved in biomimetics. Red-bellied Woodpecker, Pexels / Hal Moran For some reason, people like sports where others hit, slam, run into, and do other harmful things to each other. This messes with the participants' heads — literally. All of those impacts bounce the brain around and causes serious damage when done repeatedly. (Sometimes a serious enough jolt can do irreparable damage.) The best way to stop brain injury due to boxing is simply not to do it, but what a...

As most people probably know, biomimetics is taking what is observed in nature and mimicking it for human uses. Then they ignore the Creator or praise the puny gods of evolutionism. God has designed many things in nature for which we can obtain benefits through study and technology. This may not be directly  an example of biomimetics, but I expect to have knee surgery about six weeks from now. The effectiveness of elastic therapeutic tape (kinesiology tape) is disputed, but I have had less pain and more stability while using it. In some ways, this elastic cotton stuff mimics human skin. Just thought I would put this bit here. Medical bandages, Pixabay / Hans One way in which medical science has progressed is keeping repairs in place. Stitches are used to close up the skin but many times they do not need to be removed on a subsequent visit. They dissolve. How about replacing staples? Medical practitioners and patients alike would be glad of this. Some ingenious uses of biomimetics a...

There have been many instances on just this site alone where some interesting research was conducted, but the scientists ruined it because they threw in the Darwin imprimatur. That is just an assumption, but the secular science industry wants such references despite their irrelevance. Extremely interesting research was conducted on ammonite fossils, and also using information from their nearest living relatives. Models were made using 3D printing, which were loaded with electronics and made to swim in water. The results were quite interesting. Asteroceras obtusum (ammonite), Wikimedia Commons / Nobumichi Tamura ( CC BY 3.0 ) The work conducted by the scientists was the result of extremely careful planning and engineering . As in those other instances, they gave themselves praise for their work (despite assumptions that were made and many limitations), but they threw around glory to evolution. (No word if they contacted the Darwin Ranch near Deception Pass to have prayer candles of C....

When the results of a research project is announced, do you ever wonder why they did it in the first place? Some things seem obvious, but others...not so much. Scientists took a notion to study the retinas of fruit flies. Since the eyes of insects do not move, fruit flies can continually track motion because their retinas have fast jitters. Humans also track moving objects, so homage was paid to the Bearded Buddha by invoking the secular miracle of convergent evolution . Fruit fly liking a coffee fruit, USDA-ARS /  Scott Bauer  (Usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) Tiny things, tiny brains, short lives (probably due to global warming), but with so few photoreceptors, they see rather well. While I still wonder why they bothered with this research, there is a practical benefit in biomimetics. That is, copying the movements of their retinas to help the resolution of cameras. Of course, engineers will not give credit to the Master Engineer and evidence is actual...

Beetles. Lots of beetles, big ones, small ones, multi-colored ones — a passel of species. One of these makes it home in the southwestern United States, but it is not much to look at. However, it has a tough hide which caught the attention of researchers. This fellow is the diabolical ironclad beetle , so named because it cheats at cards. Okay, I could find no reason for such a dramatic name, but compared to other beetles, it seems ironclad. It is puzzling because its exoskeleton does not have minerals, but it was learned that the toughness was from its structure. Then we have biomimetics. Diabolical Ironclad Beetle, Flickr / Trish Gussler ( CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 ) A support can be stiff, but will crack or break under stress. It needs to give a bit under pressure. That is what happens with our little friend. Researchers mimicked the beetle's design in constructing aircraft joints. As is the case in other cases where designs in nature are copied, praise was given to evolution. In fact, th...

It is puzzling that some people are annoyed by moths, but that may be from the common little nuisance "bugs" that flit around lightbulbs at night. They may get on someone's. There are also people who do not like insects in the first place, so the Atlas moth could be a mite startling. Moths are puzzling to Darwinists, since butterflies and moths do not have any evolutionary history. They were created what they are, and remained so to this day. Here are two instances of additional problems moths pose for evolution. Chinese silk moth, Wikimedia Commons / Ivo Antušek (Public domain, thanks, Ivo) Although the phrase "blind as a bat" is as dead as a doornail regarding accuracy, bats rely a great deal on sending out sonar waves for navigation and hunting. They do like to chow down on moths, you betcha! Bats have a wide range of sonar sounds that get reflected back to them. Except for the Chinese silk moth. The Master Engineer designed the scales on its wings so that ...

The word drone  has many meanings, but is clarified by context. People drone on about boring subjects, a drone can be a mindless person, bagpipes and other instruments have single-note drone pipes, and more. Our focus today uses what is arguably the most common defintion today, that of unmanned vehicles controlled remotely or by computers. (This child has embedded videos by drones (often called quadcopters) on this site several times.) Modern drones are impressive, but some researchers want to improve their performance. Swift, Wikimedia Commons /  Dr. Raju Kasambe ( CC BY-SA 4.0 ) People may recall grainy silent videos of early attempts at flight, some including vehicles that had flapping motions. These may be considered biomimetics , which is drawing inspiration from creation for human applications. Those were on the right track, but the flapping of wings is far more intricate than people can see with the unaided eye. Researchers developed drones that are not flying with pro...

Despite the assertions of believers in particles-to-paleontologist evolution, their historical science is riddled with problems. Sometimes, they evosplain things away. Other problems are too difficult to easily dismiss. A couple of days ago, I accompanied my prospector friend Stormie Waters and her pal Ruby Slippers down Texas way. We picked up their supplies and went to the Brittle Star, a restaurant saloon. We talked and watched some folks playing faro. When what to our wondering eyes should appear but Cliff Swallows, the assistant foreman from the Darwin Ranch, and a lady that was new to us. Trilobite, RGBStock / Martyn E. Jones Cliff introduced her as Stevia Dolce, a new baker at the ranch. Conversation drifted to how the saloon shared a name with the brittle star, a relative of the starfish. I mentioned that they show no signs of evolution, but also how they were designed to "see" with their skin . Stevia smiled sweetly and changed the subject to trilobites. It did not g...

Anti-creationists are known for pseudo-intellectual posturing with dysteleology (claiming something was poorly design, so there is no God), but they use false comparisons. Clinton Richard Dawkins and others railed (out of his area of expertise) that the human eye as badly designed, and no amount of science and reason refuting such claims  will be considered by their disciples. They even compare our eyes to those of critters and criticize the Master Engineer. Because atheism. Our eyes were designed for our environment, other eyes were designed for other environments. You savvy that, pilgrim? Whiteleg shrimp image credit: NIH NLM (usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) The design of shrimp eyes is extremely intricate and irreducibly complex. The eye reflectors are comprised of nanospheres, and those are optimal for reflecting light so these critters can see in low-light conditions. Humans want to indulge in biomimetics to imitate this, but it would be a huge project requ...