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News:
September 7, 2003
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Religion in the News
Egyptian
law dean plans suit against "all the Jews of the world" for Exodus
theft
When, after the Ten Plagues, Pharaoh finally let Moses lead the Israelites
out of Egypt, says the book of Exodus, the former slaves "plundered
the Egyptians." Now, more than three millennia later, Egypt wants its
stuff back.
Family
Christian Stores to open on Sunday
Noting a company poll that found 80 percent of its customers shop on Sundays,
with 89 percent of these eager to shop at its stores if they were open,
Family Christian Stores, the country's largest Christian retail chain, announced
that it would open on the traditional day of rest.
Lebanon
acquits Canadian missionary
Citing a "lack of evidence," a Lebanese military tribunal on Monday
cleared Canadian missionary Bruce Balfour, who went to the country to replant
its biblical cedars, of charges that he was a spy for Israel.
Black
music from Scotland? It could be the gospel truth
Willie Ruff, an Afro-American professor of music at Yale, is adamant—he
has traced the origins of gospel music to Scotland (Scotland on Sunday).
VeggieTales
Creators File for Bankruptcy
Bob the Tomato and friends sold to company that already has Lassie, Lone
Ranger, and Rudolph.
House
wrapping up billon faith-based charities
One of the first items on the House agenda this month is a scaled-down version
of President Bush's faith-based plan, consisting largely of tax incentives
to encourage donations to religious charities (The Washington Times).
Why Don't
They Listen?
John Stott on the most pernicious obstacles to effective world evangelism.
Interview by Gary Barnes.
Florida
executes unrepentant abortion-clinic murderer Hill
His last words were a call to arms for abortion opponents (The Orlando Sentinel).
Lowering
the Baby Boom
A new book helps Christians make wise birth control decisions.
Reviewed by Cindy Crosby.
Homeschooling: A web site for basics at http://www.coreknowledge.org. Resource Helper at http://www.reasons.org/resources/products/resourcehelper.shtml?main
The
Lord of the Rings: What Harvest?
A reader's guide to the best of epic fantasy.
In
defense of God
A number of liberal atheists condemn belief in God as destructive nonsense,
but their simplistic arguments are no better than the religious zealots
they deplore (Bradford R. Pilcher, Jewsweek).
Q
& A with David Wilkinson: 'Science is exploring what God has done'
The ordained Methodist minister holds a doctorate in theoretical astrophysics
and has received a number of scientific honors including the Chalmers Prize
for Theoretical Physics and the Reidel Research Prize (The Dallas Morning
News).
Science in the News
Creation/Evolution
RENEGADE CODE: For most people, Candida albicans, the cause of "thrush" literally evokes intense irritation. But among scientists, this loathsome creature is now an awe inspirer. About 270 million years ago, its ancestor achieved what was deemed impossible. It changed its genetic code. And it's not alone, other code-changers have been discovered alive and kicking. They are a slap in the face for one of the most basic tenets of biology: the unshakable stability and ubiquity of the universal genetic code. The implications are enormous. See New Scientist latest magazine issue.
Evolution
of cooperation and conflict in experimental bacterial populations
Nature 9/4/03 p.72 PAUL B. RAINEY AND KATRINA RAINEY
40
Texas scientists join growing national list of scientists skeptical of Darwin
J.P. Moreland on the age of the earth
Archaeology/Anthropology
Israelites
Found in Egypt
Manfred Bietak
A sharp-eyed excavator notes something striking on an old Egyptian dig report—a
house plan long associated with the Israelites in Canaan. His “find”
may require a major revision of the chronology of the Exodus.
Eyewitness
Testimony
Baruch Halpern
A Bible scholar explains how to date Biblical texts—and shows that
parts of the Exodus story were written within living memory of the event.
The Storm
over the Bone Box
The Israel Antiquities Authority has declared the inscription on the James
ossuary to be a fake. But many are far from convinced. An update on a fast-changing—and
acrimonious—dispute.
The
Old Testament wars: Is the Bible history or fiction?
New archaeology, revisionist interpretations confront traditional interpretations
(The Baltimore Sun).
Tracking
the first Americans
A new study of skulls from Mexico is encouraging us to reconsider our view
of the ancestry of the first Americans.
Meat
eating is an old human habit
A study of our ancestors' teeth suggests humans evolved beyond their vegetarian
roots around 2.5 million years ago.
When
Clothing First Appeared:
Two species of human lice have provided the first estimate of when fashion
was born. According to the research, published in the latest issue of the
journal Current Biology, humans might have first worn clothes around 42,000
to 72,000 years ago.
Astronomy
Europan
Ice Domes Could Be First Place To Look For Life. Boulder - Sep 03, 2003
A new University of Colorado at Boulder study of Jupiter's moon Europa
may help explain the origin of the giant ice domes peppering its surface
and the implications for discovering evidence of past or present life forms
there.
Asteroid 2003
QQ47's Potential Earth Impact in 2014 Ruled Out. Pasadena - Sep 03,
2003
Newly discovered asteroid 2003 QQ47 has received considerable media attention
over the last few days because it had a small chance of colliding with the
Earth in the year 2014 and was rated a "1" on the Torino impact
hazard scale, which goes from 0 to 10.
Red planet's
hue due to meteors, not water
Mars's distinctive colour may have come a dusting of tiny meteors, rather
than by liquid water rusting its rocks, suggests a US study.
NASA's
New Telescope Transmits First Images. Sept. 4, 2003
The infrared telescope launched last month by NASA has transmitted its first
images and is functioning perfectly, the U.S. space agency said Thursday.
UCLA
Astronomers Obtain "Molecular Fingerprints" For Celestial "Brown
Dwarfs," Missing Link Between Stars And Planets
Elusive brown dwarfs, the missing link between gas giant planets like Jupiter
and small, low-mass stars, have now been "fingerprinted" by UCLA
astronomy professor Ian S. McLean and colleagues, using the Keck II Telescope
at the W.M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii.
Infrared
Halo Frames A Newborn Star (September 1, 2003)
A small and dark interstellar cloud with the rather cryptic name of DC303.8-14.2
is located in the inner part of the Milky Way galaxy. It is seen in the
southern constellation Chamaeleon and consists of dust and gas. Astronomers
classify it as a typical example of a "globule".
Biology
Blood
Pressure Flags Revised
A blood pressure reading that was once regarded as normal may now bear
watching for signs of hypertension, according to Marion County Medical Center.
New guidelines issued by the National High Blood Pressure Education Program
set lower targets for the treatment of hypertension. Any reading from 120/80
to 139/89 is now defined as pre-hypertension, requiring lifestyle changes.
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recommends the DASH diet, a
regimen high in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. Restricted
salt intake, weight loss and exercise are also advised.
Mouse,
Stripped Of A Key Gene, Resists Diabetes (September 3, 2003)
An engineered mouse, already known to be immune to the weight gain ramifications
of a high-calorie, high-fat diet, now seems able to resist the onset of
diabetes. The mouse, stripped of a gene known as SCD-1, is apparently impervious
to the negative effects of the type of diet that, for many people, has significant
health and social consequences.
Study
Provides New Insights Into Emerging Theory Of Gene Regulation (September
2, 2003)
With the full sequence of the human genome now in hand, scientists are turning
renewed attention to the molecular processes that regulate the genes encoded
by DNA. Estimates are that only a tenth of all genes are expressed at any
given time. What controls when and where genes are activated?
Study
Shows Brain Activity Influences Immune Function
Staying healthy may involve more than washing hands or keeping a positive
attitude. According to a new study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison,
it also may involve a particular pattern of brain activity.
Earth Science
Analysis
Of Stratospheric Air Resolves Enigma Of Hydrogen Balance In Earth's Atmosphere
(September 2, 2003) — Discovery of the last piece of a long-standing
puzzle -- what happens to hydrogen gas in the atmosphere -- will help scientists
assess the impact of additional hydrogen escaping into the atmosphere if
America moves to hydrogen-fueled vehicles.
Unexpected
Discovery About Core. Stockholm - Sept 01, 2003
The core of the earth doesn't look the way it was expected to. Scientists
at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, KTH, can now
show that iron, under extremely high pressure, such as that found in the
inner earth, takes on unexpected properties, and this can be of importance
in understanding the movements of the earth, such as, earthquakes. The results
are being presented in the new issue of the British scientific journal Nature.
Oldest
ever ice core promises climate revelations
The continuous Antarctic ice core dates back at least 750,000 years - it
may even cover the Earth's last magnetic reversal.
Earth
science: Just add water Nature September 4, 2003 p.24
ALBRECHT W. HOFMANN
A new model could explain why Earth's upper mantle is depleted of many trace
elements. At a certain depth, minerals might release water, creating a molten
filter that traps trace elements in the mantle beneath.
Whole-mantle
convection and the transition-zone water filter Nature September
4, 2003 p.39
DAVID BERCOVICI AND SHUN-ICHIRO KARATO | Full
Text
Psychology
Dr.
Andrea's Top Five Stress Busters!
The same fight-or-flight instinct that saved your prehistoric ancestor could
be killing you slowly by creating stress. Dr. Andrea Pennington explains
what's going on inside your body, and has some great ways to outsmart those
stress-causing hormones.
Therapy (7
Sep)
Pouring your emotions out on paper could help wounds heal quicker, researchers
say. It is thought that writing about troubling experiences helps people
deal with them.
Drug Use Impairs Ability to Learn from Future Experiences. There's another reason to say no to drugs. The results of a recent rat study indicate that past use of amphetamines and cocaine can impair the brain’s ability to learn from new experiences.
Hungry
Humans React Like Pavlov's Dogs
Most people would probably consider their tastes more discerning than those
of the family pet. But according to new research, humans can be trained
to crave food in a manner reminiscent of Pavlov's dogs. The results may
help scientists better understand compulsive eating disorders and substance
addiction.
Zoology
Silkworm's
Secret Unraveled
Scientists have long envied the lowly silkworm's ability to spin the strongest
natural fiber known to man. Now they are one step closer to understanding
just how the creature manages the feat. New research reveals that the key
lies in the animal's ability to carefully control the water content in its
silk glands. The findings should help improve future artificial silk-making
techniques.
Japan
To Show World's Only 'Zenkey'. Aug. 28, 2003
A Japanese safari park is to put a zebra-donkey hybrid, believed to be the
world's only living "zenkey," on public view next week, officials
said Thursday.
Fishing
For Photos Of Rare Or Unknown Deep-sea Creatures With An Electronic Jellyfish
Lure (September 3, 2003) —
Using a new lighted jellyfish lure and a unique camera system, researchers
from HARBOR BRANCH are working to reveal for the first time life in the
deep sea unaltered by the cacophony of sound and light that have been an
integral part of most past research there. From Sept 2-5 a team will be
using the lure for the first time in the dark depths of California's Monterey
Bay.
New
Fish Species Discovered In Venezuela (September 1, 2003)
Conservation International announced the discovery of a tiny fish with a
blood red tail in Venezuela's Upper Caura River. Previously unknown to science,
the bloodfin tetra (Aphyocharax yekwanae), is described in the March 2003
edition of the journal, "Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters."