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Top Discoveries and the Creation/Evolution Debate 2004
December 2004
December 7
Third of Americans
say evidence has supported Darwin's evolution theory
All most half of Americans believe God created humans 10,000 years ago (Gallup
News Service) On the question of whether evolution is well-supported
by the evidence, 35% of the respondents said that it is, 35% said that it
is not, 29% said that they didn't know enough about it to reply, and 1%
expressed no opinion. On the question of the origin and development
of human beings, 38% of the respondents agreed with "human beings have
developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God
guided this process," 13% agreed with "human beings have developed
over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God had no
part in this process," 45% agreed with "God created human beings
pretty muc h in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years
or so," and 4% offered a different or no opinion. On the question
of biblical literalism, 34% of respondents regarded the Bible as to be taken
literally, 48% regarded it as divinely inspired but not always to be taken
literally, 15% regarded it as a collection of fables, etc., and 3% expressed
no opinion. For the CBS News poll, visit: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/22/opinion/polls/main657083.shtml.
Genome of the mammalian
common ancestor reconstructed. Science News, Washington, Dec 1
(ANI):Using computer programs,scientists have suceeded in reconstructing
the DNA of a creature that lived at the time of the dinosaurs more than
75 million years ago, a small, furry nocturnal animal that was the common
ancestor of all placental mammals, including humans, with 98 percent accuracy.
"We will be able to trace the molecular evolution of our genome over the past 75 million years. It's a very exciting new way to think about our origins, a kind of DNA-based archaeology to understand how we came to be."
Were the
Darwinists Wrong?
National Geographic stacks the deck. By Thomas Woodward.
Was
Darwin right or not?
Our science classrooms are failing if they're not giving students a solid
understanding of what Darwin actually said (Randy Scholfield, The Wichita
Eagle, Kan.)
Cosmic
conundrum
The universe seems uncannily well suited to the existence of life. Could
that really be an accident? (Time)
Creating Creationism
by Ron Numbers
The roots of the modern creationist moverment started with Ellen G. White's
vision of creation. Ellen White founded the 7th day Adventists. Her vision
of the solar system is way off. Ron Numbers writes about the history of
the label creationist which may surprise you.
Genesis
through the back door
Trying to disguise creationism with the label of "intelligent design"
(which sounds like an IKEA marketing pitch) doesn't pass the smell test
— or any valid science test. (Editorial, Los Angeles Times)
Pennsylvania
school district retreats from evolution
A Pennsylvania school district on Friday defended its decision to discount
Charles Darwin's theory of evolution and take a lead in teaching what critics
say is a version of creationism. (Reuters)
School
science debate has evolved
The long-simmering battle over how evolution is taught in high school biology
is boiling again. (USA Today)
GILKEY DIES
Theologian Langdon Gilkey died on November 19, 2004, at the age of 85, in
Charlottesville, Virginia. Gilkey testified for the plaintiffs in
McLean v. Arkansas, the case that challenged the constitutionality of Arkansas's
"Balanced treatment for creation-science and evolution-science act"
of 1981. In his account of his experiences, Creationism on Trial:
Evolution and God at Little Rock (1985), he explained his antipathy to the
law: "I came to the conclusion that this law and ones similar
to it are ... in fact dangerous to the health of our society. For the Washington
Post's obituary of Gilkey, visit: Langdon
Gilkey Dies; Theologian, Author, Educator.
Intellectuals
who doubt Darwin
Hunter Baker on Uncommon Dissent: Intellectuals Who Find Darwinism Unconvincing.
(The American Spectator)
Creator
won't rest in bashing of Darwin
I believe in a creator of the universe. But that's faith, not science. (Linda
Valdez, The Arizona Republic)
Creation
science isn't science at all
Special pleading does a disservice to both faith and facts. (J. David Pleins,
Mercury News, Calif.)
NPR: In the first hour of NPR's show Science Friday for November 19, 2004, host Ira Flatow and his guests discussed the recent decision by the Dover (Pennsylvania) Area School District to require the teaching of "intelligent design" in its science classrooms, as well as other recent battles over evolution education. For the archived version of the show, look under the "Archived Audio" section of: http://www.sciencefriday.com/pages/2004/Nov/hour1_111904.html
Ducks in evolution's
crossfire
Brood parasitic black-headed ducks caught in their host's interspecific
arms race.
A link for unrelated
viruses
Viruses which infect all three domains of life could be descended from bacteriophage.
November 2004
November 21
Ancient
Ape Discovered: Last Ape-Human Ancestor? November 18, 2004
In Spain scientists have discovered 13-million-year-old fossils of a new
species of ape. The species may have been the last common ancestor of humans
and all great apes living today.
Crucial
Evolutionary Link Points To Origins Of Modern Cells. (November 11, 2004)
A team of researchers led by Rockefeller University's Michael P. Rout, Ph.D.,
have discovered a possible crucial evolutionary link between the simple
cells that make up bacteria and the more complex cells that comprise animal
and plant cells, including those of humans.
Pa. school
district mandates "intelligent design" in curriculum
Last month, the Dover Area School District became the only one in the nation
to specifically mandate the teaching of "intelligent design,"
which holds that the universe is so complex that it must have been created
by an unspecified higher power (Associated Press) also Pa.
town puts Darwin on notice.
Creation
theory gets boost
Schools should teach the biblical creation story alongside evolutionary
theory, Family First chairman Peter Harris said yesterday (The Age,
Melbourne, Australia)
Evolution
on trial
Ignorance of science hazardous to next generation (Editorial, The Charlotte
Observer, N.C.)
In
science, no such thing as 'just' a theory
In ordinary English, a theoretical idea is one that is not well-grounded
in fact. But a scientific theory refers to a mental model that scientists
develop that allows predictions that can be tested by experiments or observations.
(Robert L. Dehaan, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
Scientists
defend school board's use of evolution disclaimer sticker
Calling evolution "a theory in crisis," more than two-dozen scientists
have come to the defense of the Cobb County, Ga., Board of Education. The
scientists, all Ph.D.'s, portray evolution as "a live and growing scientific
controversy" (Fulton County Daily Report, Ga.)
Teaching
policy unclear
Calls for lessons in theories other than evolution (Pioneer Press,
Minn.)
Male
Fish Producing Eggs in Potomac River
Near Washington, D.C., male bass are growing eggs—and it isn't
normal. Clues point to estrogen-enhanced sewage.
ISCID
is pleased to announce the latest issue of its online journal
Progress in Complexity, Information and Design. The current issue
features papers from
Royal Truman, Jonathan Wells, Paul Nelson and others. A variety of topics
are addressed, including (1) computer simulations of Darwinian evolution,
(2) irreducible complexity and (3) the application of intelligent design.
PCID Volume 3.1, November 2004.
ID and the Future
of Science: New ARN Video Series from the Biola Conference
A significant conference was held this past April at Biola University on
ID and the Future of Science. ARN is releasing 13 DVD lecture videos
this month from that important event. See
Scientists
Defend School Board's Use of Evolution Disclaimer Sticker
Calling evolution "a theory in crisis," more than two-dozen scientists
have come to the defense of the Cobb County, Ga., Board of Education. The
scientists, all Ph.D.'s, portray evolution as "a live and growing scientific
controversy."
Death before the Fall: Most Young earth creationists claim that there was no death before the fall of mankind in the garden of Eden. This doctrine is primarily tied to two passages - Genesis 1:29-30 in the Old Testament and Romans 5:12 in the New Testament. Out of context, without the consideration of the remainder of the Bible, the verses seem to support the doctrine. However, arguments in favor of this "biblical" doctrine reply primarily upon emotion (e.g., "millions of year of suffering and death"). This page cites over 60 biblical passages that support the Bible's claim that there was animal death, but no human death, before Adam's sin. No Death Before the Fall - A Young Earth Heresy.
Rogue
finger gene got bats airborne
A single gene may explain the sudden appearance of thoroughly modern bats
in the fossil record 50 million years ago.
Humans
Were Born to Run, Fossil Study Suggests. November 17, 2004
The distinctive human body form—long legs, springy feet, short forearms,
big buttocks—may have evolved to run, rather than walk, a new study
says.
Evolution's
"High Priest" Returns With New "Tale." November
15, 2004
National Geographic News interviews Darwinist Richard Dawkins on evolution
and his latest book, The Ancestor's Tale.
Emory
Study Details Dolphin Brain Evolution For The First Time. (October 29,
2004)
The intelligence and cognitive capabilities of dolphins and their aquatic
cousins have long fascinated the public and the scientific community.
Faith-based
parks?
Creationists meet the Grand Canyon (Leon Jaroff, Time)
Is
the capacity for spirituality determined by brain chemistry?
Geneticist's book 'The God Gene' is disputed by scientists, embraced by
some religious leaders (The Washington Post)
November 8
Was
Darwin wrong?
No. The evidence for evolution is overwhelming says National Geographic.This
month's cover story.
'What
does it mean to be human?'
Anthropologist Desmond Morris suggested the discovery of a human "hobbit"
on Flores would force many religions to examine their basic beliefs (BBC).
Darwin's Greatest
Challenge Tackled: The Mystery Of Eye Evolution Heidelberg, Germany
(SPX) Oct 29, 2004
When Darwin's skeptics attack his theory of evolution, they often focus
on the eye. Darwin himself confessed that it was "absurd" to propose
that the human eye evolved through spontaneous mutation and natural selection.
The Left-Handed
Lobster Moffett Field CA (SPX) Nov 03, 2004
Genetics aren't the only triggers for the traits a species develops, according
to findings from a University of Alberta professor. The research challenges
the classical Darwinian theory of evolution as being the sole explanation
for how new life forms arise.
Creationism
and science clash at Grand Canyon bookstores
The universe formed billions of years ago, Earth formed billions of years
later and the Grand Canyon was shaped by millions and millions of years
of hydrology, chiefly the action of the Colorado River. Other ideas, however
dearly held, are myths (The New York Times).
Trial
date set in evolution textbook case
A trial date has been set for a lawsuit seeking to have Cobb County remove
disclaimers about evolution from its science textbooks (Associated Press).
Wisconsin
district to teach more than evolution.
School officials have revised the science curriculum to allow the teaching
of creationism, prompting an outcry from more than 300 educators who urged
that the decision be reversed.
Fish
with cleft lip solves evolution riddle
Gap-toothed species shines light on nostril development. 3 November 2004.
Supernova
debris found on Earth
Ancient explosion may have affected climate and, possibly, human evolution.
2 November 2004.
Spider
webs untangle evolution
Similarity of construction shows 'convergent evolution' applies to behaviour.
1 November 2004.
The
Weird Platypus: Oct. 25, 2004
An animal said to be the "world's weirdest" — the platypus
— has just become a bit more unusual with a report that claims the
mammal retains a distinctly birdlike gender chromosome. The finding, published
in the current journal Nature, not only helps to explain why the platypus
retains characteristics common to both mammals and birds, but it also suggests
that the chromosomes for these two diverse groups might have an evolutionary
link.
Gene
activity in human brain sets us apart from chimps SAN DIEGO
Humans and chimpanzees share 98.7 per cent of their DNA, but the human brain
has about five times more genetic activity than would be predicted by evolution,
researchers said.
Seventh-Dayers'
Six-Day Creationism
In a society where young adherents often face challenges to their beliefs,
the top world authorities of the Seventh-day Adventist Church have reaffirmed
the faith's insistence that fidelity to the Bible requires belief in "a
literal, recent, six-day creation," no matter what conventional science
says (Associated Press).
October 2004
October 24
The
God Gene: How Faith Is Hardwired into Our Genes
by Dean H. Hamer. A search for the genetic basis of spirituality. Reviewed
by Carl Zimmer.
ID IN PA
In a surprise move, a Pennsylvania school board recently voted to include
"intelligent design" in the district's science curriculum.
Where physics
meets faith
Neither Newtonian mechanics nor quantum physics is on a glide path to spiritual
enlightenment (Robert C. Cowen, The Christian Science Monitor).
Review
delayed on sale of creationist book at Grand Canyon
A federal review of whether the book -- which asserts that the canyon was
created in a matter of days as a result of the same flood that had threatened
to sink Noah and his ark -- should be sold at the park has been delayed
for months as officials wrestle with the issue of separation of church and
state (The Washington Post).
Junk DNA controls
embryos
Very early embryonic development may be controlled by random movements of
repetitive elements.
Refining the genome
Human Genome revised down to under 25,000 genes; failings of whole genome
shotgun revealed. Also from Nature see Human
genome: End of the beginning.
Faith + physics
John Polkinghorne, physicist and Anglican priest, explores the common ground
between science and religion. (Roanoke Times, VA).
GIANT
VIRUS QUALIFIES AS 'LIVING ORGANISM'
Huge genome allows mimivirus to make its own proteins. 14 October 2004.
MOLECULAR
CLOCK TIED TO FOSSIL RECORD
Evolutionary trees may finally provide answers everyone can agree on. 11
October 2004.
Missing
Link to Life Found? By Larry O'Hanlon, Discovery News. Oct. 8, 2004
Mount St. Helens' recent eruption may be replaying a scene straight from
the geochemical drama that led to life on Earth. Besides ash and lava, most
volcanoes also release a toxic gas called carbonyl sulfide (COS) that has
now been shown to cause amino acids in Earth's primordial soup to form chains
— a very big step in the walk toward the first life.
Bacteria
are genetically modified by lightning
A study using artificial lightning finds that bacteria can pick up stray
DNA when zapped, perhaps giving an insight into early bacterial evolution
October 10
Young Earth PowerPoint presentation online by Christopher Sharp.
Evolution
defenders anticipate new fight
For supporters of teaching evolution in Kansas public schools, the best
defense is a good offense. In January, the balance of power on the state
Board of Education is expected to shift to social conservatives who want
to include creation science and intelligent design among the theories taught
in science classes, or remove evolution from the classroom. (Lawrence
Journal World, Kansas)
The
star man
'Nova' host has always had his eyes on the skies. Though he works in an
area of science that often comes into conflict with fundamentalist Christianity,
at least those branches that insist on a literal interpretation of the Bible
regarding Creation, he's found at the Hayden that "people who are religious
look at [the stars] as the handiwork of God and come out more religious.
(Philadelphia Inquirer)
"The crusade against evolution," The cover story in the October 2004 issue of Wired magazine is Evan Ratliff's "The crusade against evolution," with the tag line: "In the beginning there was Darwin. And then there was intelligent design.
Professors
wrestle question: creation, evolution
More than 200 people crammed themselves into a classroom to hear a discussion
on one of the oldest but still hottest philosophical debates -- creationism
versus evolution. (Red and Black, University of Georgia)
Volcano gas, amino
acids make life
Study in Science is important in understanding transformation of monomers
into polymers.
Volcanic Gas
May Have Played A Significant Role In Life's Beginning San Diego CA
(SPX) Oct 08, 2004
Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute and the Salk Institute for
Biological Studies are reporting a possible answer to a longstanding question
in research on the origins of life on Earth - how did the first amino acids
form the first peptides?
"The Origin of Biological Information and the Higher Taxonomic Categories". by Stephen Meyer.
Taxonomy
isn't black and white
DNA barcoding method put to the test reveals new cryptic bird and butterfly
species Modelling the recent common ancestry of all living humans. DOUGLAS
L. T. ROHDE, STEVE OLSON & JOSEPH T. CHANG.
3.4-billion-year-old
controversy
Evidence for life 3400 million years ago, but hydrothermal proponents still
don't agree.
Giant
Ape May Be New Species
An elusive giant ape has been spotted in remote forests in central Africa,
sparking theories that it could be a new species of primate, a finding that
would be the most astonishing wildlife discovery in decades, New Scientist
says.
September 2004
September 13
Intelligent design
study appears
Publication of paper in peer-reviewed journal sparks controversy.
The Art
of Debating Darwin
How to intelligently design a winning case for God's role in creation. Reviewed
by Edward J. Larson.
Unintelligent
Debate
It's time to cool the rhetoric in the Intelligent Design dispute. By John
Wilson.
Glowing
Green Protein Proves Darwin's Theory. Sept. 3, 2004
A glowing green protein has provided researchers with the first direct proof
for a Charles Darwin theory that predicts complex structures evolve over
time through an accumulation of small improvements. The findings, published
in the current issue of the journal Science, add to the growing body of
evidence that supports the theories of British naturalist Darwin (1809-1882).
Complex Cells
May Arise From Combination Of Bacterial And Extreme Genomes. Arlington
VA (SPX) Sep 09, 2004
According to a new report, complex cells like those in the human body probably
resulted from the fusion of genomes from an ancient bacterium and a simpler
microbe, Archaea, best known for its ability to withstand extreme temperatures
and hostile environments.
Linnean
naming system faces challengers
Rethinking the names of every organism on the planet is a radical step but
it might be worth the upheaval, say renegade biologists.
Gene controls beak
morphology
Answering a Darwinian question, scientists attribute differences in finches'
beaks to Bmp4.
Battle Between
Bubbles Might Have Started Evolution. Baltimore MD (SPX) Sep 03, 2004
Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers are proposing that the first
battle for survival-of-the-fittest might have played out as a simple physical
duel between fatty bubbles stuffed with genetic material.
Central Pennsylvania Forum for Religion and Science.
August 2004
August 31
Darwin, Design & Democracy V: September 24-25, 2004 at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. To view the full conference schedule or to register now for this exciting event go to: http://www.intelligentdesignnetwork.org/2004symposium.htm
Religion/Science Reading Group at Messiah College Thursday, September 9, at 7:00 pm. We will meet in Kline Hall, room 108. Barring unforeseen surprises, parking should be available in the lot behind the Kline-Jordan complex. That's the large rectangular space inside the L-shaped complex that consists of buildings 20 and 23 on our campus map: http://www.messiah.edu/visitors/map.shtml. A plurality of votes were cast for the following book, which we will read this year: Kenneth R. Miller, Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground between God and Evolution (HarperCollins, 1999). My review is here: http://home.messiah.edu/~TDAVIS/miller.htm. (Ted Davis)
Meteorites
Supplied Earth Life With Phosphorus Tucson AZ (SPX) Aug 25, 2004
University of Arizona scientists have discovered that meteorites, particularly
iron meteorites, may have been critical to the evolution of life on Earth.
Prions
Act As Stepping Stones In Evolution.
When a protein misfolds, the results can be disastrous. An incorrect change
in the molecule's shape can lead to diseases including Alzheimer's and Huntington's.
But scientists have discovered that misfolded proteins can have a positive
side in yeast, helping cells navigate the dicey current of natural selection
by expressing a variety of hidden genetic traits.
August 23
Giant
Mutant Ant Colony Found in Australia. Aug. 12, 2004
A huge ant colony measuring 100 kilometers (62 miles) across has been found
under the southern Australian city of Melbourne, scientists said Thursday.
Suhr said the introduced pest's natural aggression kept numbers under control
in its native country, but that the genetic make-up of the ants found in
Australia had mutated, allowing them to cooperate to build the supercolony.
IDing ID: Is "Intelligent
Design" theory really "Creation Science" version 2.0?
Not exactly, but the parallels are certainly suggestive. See By Chris
Mooney.
New Online articles at
NCSE
"Flood Geology in the Grand Canyon," "Evolution: Still
Deep in the Heart of Textbooks," and "The Astrobiological Perspective
on Life's Origin."
Different codons,
same amino acid
Study shows that synonymous codon usage varies in human tissues, perhaps
due to evolution.
The
structure and evolution of centromeric transition regions within the human
genome.
XINWEI SHE et al.
August 17
MYSTERIOUS
COSMOS
Why is our universe so exquisitely tuned to host life? using the anthropic
principle to explain the world might be a tempting alternative to invoking
God, but it_s not science, says Philip Ball.
PRIONS
SPEED EVOLUTION
Sloppy proteins may help organisms adapt.
Molecules
Point To Probable Pathways For Chemical Evolution In Space. Green Bank
WV (SPX) Aug 06, 2004
A team of scientists using the National Science Foundation's Robert C. Byrd
Green Bank Telescope (GBT) has discovered two new molecules in an interstellar
cloud near the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. This discovery is the GBT's
first detection of new molecules, and is already helping astronomers better
understand the complex processes by which large molecules form in space.
Ozone Loss
Caused Genetic Mutations At Time Of Mass Extinction. London (SPX) Aug
11, 2004
Research into the world's worst mass extinction, which led to the loss of
90 per cent of living species 250 million years ago, has found that the
historical tragedy also involved some disturbing genetics mutations.
Genetic
analysis of genome-wide variation in human gene expression
MICHAEL MORLEY et al.
DECODERS
TARGET 18 NEW GENOMES
Diverse sequences will illuminate human evolution and the tree of life.
SALMON
GIVE BIRTH TO TROUT
Surrogate sperm technique allows cross-species fatherhood.
ISCID is pleased to announce that its members now receive access to our online research library featuring electronic access to various science journal articles. See http://www.iscid.org/memberservices.php.
August 8
New ARN Video:
Debate at UCLA—William Dembski vs. Niall Shanks
William Dembski and Niall Shanks debate at UCLA. The topic for this
debate is “Can Intelligent Design be Detected in Biology?”
Evolution-design
debate rages on
Scientists say nothing new has been added to the design claim (Salina
Journal, Kan.)
Science
and religion
Noted author Ian Barbour talks about these often warring worlds (Grand
Forks Herald, N.D.)
Early
fish hit land to be better predators
Primitive fish may have hauled themselves on to land to soak up energy from
the Sun and become better hunters.
Genome
Complexity: Adaptive evolution or genetic drift?
Does genome complexity produce organismal complexity? R B Phillips.
Researchers Review Evolutionary History Of Modern Algae.
Chagas parasite
invades genome
Typanosoma cruzi kinetoplast DNA found in the genomes of infected patients
and animals.
Study Suggests Humans Can Speed Evolution.
Catching
Fish Evolving
Biologists watch an African fish species speeding toward a split.
July 2004
July 25
Mutations go tick,
tock
Statistical analysis reveals evidence for molecular clock in neutral DNA
substitutions.
A new book called Random Designer.
The book is written by a Christian biologist and is a practical, authoritative,
and valuable resource. The author takes the reader from the Big Bang up
through the origin of life and the genetic code to the emergence of man.
Random Designer explains how these, and all the rest of the evolutionary
processes, are but the tools of a loving God to establish and nurture life.
Dinosaur Red Blood Cells Found in Fossils?
July 18
Life Born Left-Handed.
Moffet Field CA (SPX) Jul 12, 2004
A chemical reaction that demonstrates how key molecules in the biological
world might have come to be predominately left or right handed has been
reported by scientists at Imperial College London.
Background on Comparative Genomic Analysis.
Exobiology:
It's life...isn't it?
Scientists find it hard enough to pin down evidence of early life on our
own planet. How on Earth do we plan to determine whether life exists elsewhere?
John Whitfield finds out.
Immune
systems evolved more than once
Primitive fish has advanced protective mechanism.
Ploidy predicts
lifestyle
Study explores how host-parasite interactions select for genome number.
Geology Before Darwin: The Struggle to Find and Defend the Truth about the Earth’s Past.
Tidal Slowdown, Coral Growth, and the Age of the Earth.
Creationist Misuse of the Green River Formation. by Glenn Morton.
The ICA Stones: Man & Dinosaur together?
July 10
GEE
ON "INTELLIGENT DESIGN"
Writing in the latest issue of Nature, Henry Gee contemplates "The
tyranny of design." The recent discovery of the lamprey's evolutionarily
distinct adaptive immune system, Gee suggests, corroborates a diagnosis
of "intelligent design" as driven by a misguided concentration
on model organisms and structures.
Evolution of innate
immunity
Lamprey study shows distinct mechanisms of lymphocyte receptor diversity
among vertebrates.
How yeasts evolve
Publication of four more genomes confirm disputed whole genome duplication
theory.
Epigenetics:
Genome, Meet Your Environment
As the evidence accumulates for epigenetics, researchers reacquire a taste
for Lamarckism.
Reflections
on Human Origins
by William A. Dembski.
June 2004
June 20
Revealed:
Tony Blair's link to schools that take the Creation literally
Critics voice serious doubts over Christian academies run by millionaire
car dealer and backed by Prime Minister.
Natural
selection and speciation
Formation of new species (Answers in Genesis).
Ancient
Molecules and Modern Myths
In Dino-blood and the Young Earth Dr. Gary Hurd debunked false creationist
claims that dinosaur blood proved the Earth is young. In this article, he
deals with a similiar claim by creationist John R. Baumgardner. Dr. Baumgardner
claims that osteocalcin in dinosaur remains could not have survived for
millions of years. Dr. Hurd shows why Baumgardner is wrong.
Is the Earth's Magnetic
Field Young?
by Joe Meert.
Setting the record
straight: Creationist Claims examined
Edited by Mark Isaak.
Gained in Translation: Expanding the Genetic Code
Evolutionblog
Commentary on developments in the endless dispute between evolution
and creationism.
A review of
"Creationism’s Trojan Horse: The Wedge of Intelligent Design"
by Barbara Forrest and Paul R. Gross.
Dembski, Darwin,
and Devils
by Jason Rosenhouse.
First
Person
Richard Dawkins
Teaching
Science in the Schools.
One reason for the deficiency of science education in many of our schools
is the decentralization of education. A second reason is the conviction,
common among biblical literalists and other Christian fundamentalists, that
certain teachings of science—concerning the origin of the universe,
the living world and humans—are contrary to biblical texts and the
Christian faith.
June 13
Parting Genomes:
UA Biologists Discover Seeds Of Speciation. Tuscon AZ (SPX) Jun 08,
2004
The first eyewitness to the birth of a new species may be a University of
Arizona graduate student. Her new findings could help biologists identify
and understand the precise genetic changes that lead one species to evolve
into two separate species. See also http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3790531.stm.
The Transformation
of a Young-earth Creationist
by Glenn R. Morton .
May 2004
May 30
Chimps are not
like humans
Whole-chromosome comparison reveals much greater genetic differences than
expected.
Michael Shermer
reflects on his debate with Kent Hovind.
“Who won the debate? Intellectually, I did, with Hovind once again
conceding defeat on the last question of the evening: “What is the
best evidence for the creation?” He answered: “The impossibility
of the contrary” (evolution). In that simple statement, Hovind confessed
the scientific sin of all creationists: Disproving evolution does not prove
the creationist contrary.”
Duplicate
genes increase gene expression diversity within and between species.
Nature: Genetics June 2004, Volume 36 No 6 pp577 - 579 Zhenglong Gu,
Scott A Rifkin, Kevin P White & Wen-Hsiung Li.
How microsporidia
evolve
Genes evolve rapidly but genomes don't, suggesting that space constraints
play a role.
Tiny Microbes In
Greenland Glacier May Define Limits For Life On Earth. New Orleans LA
(SPX) May 26, 2004
The discovery of millions of micro-microbes surviving in a 120,000-year-old
ice sample taken from 3,000 meters below the surface of the Greenland glacier
will be announced by Penn State University scientists on 26 May 2004 at
the General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in New Orleans,
Louisiana.
Mammalian genome
special.
This special issue of Nature is a snapshot of genome research and medical
applications, featuring the first sequenced chimpanzee chromosome and an
accompanying web focus, and several additions to our ongoing human genome
web focus, with chromosomes 9 and 10, as well as a new analysis of the quality
of the human genome sequence. All content is available free online.
Genetics help
hound health
DNA test maps evolution of dog breeds. 21 May 2004.
Expanding
The Genetic Code. San Diego CA (SPX) May 25, 2004
A team of investigators at The Scripps Research Institute and its Skaggs
Institute for Chemical Biology in La Jolla, California has modified a form
of the bacterium Escherichia coli to use a 22-amino acid genetic code.
Inconstant
Multiverse, by R.B. Mann
The question of why there is something rather than nothing has occupied
philosophers and theologians from the very beginning. However, Robert
Mann suggests that recent findings in cosmology have raised a different,
but perhaps even more intriguing question: Why is there something
rather than everything? This question is posed by cosmological exploration
due to two properties of our universe. The first is the apparent prejudice
for life in the universe, that the natural constants of physical laws admit
the development of life for only a very narrow range of a logically infinite
set of values…and yet there is life! The second is evidence of
causal action over vast distances in the universe, without any apparent
causal contact. General accounts of both the “anthropic principle”
and the “inflationary universe” tend to rely on the concept of
the “multiverse,” the idea that anything that can exist does exist
in some “universe,” some particular subset of the set of all possible
universes, i.e., of the multiverse. Mann argues that this implication
of the multiverse theory poses significant problems for both science and
theology. He proposes instead the concept of a “altiverse,”
which he defines as “a set of possible alternatives that logically
exist but are not physically realized.”
May 23
Theory
Proposes New View Of Sun And Earth's Creation
A new theory challenges conventional wisdom, arguing instead that the Sun
formed in a violent nebular environment - a byproduct of the chaos wrought
by intense ultraviolet radiation and powerful explosions that accompany
the short but spectacular lives of massive, luminous stars.
Research
Vision | Rethinking Genetic Determinism. (must register)
With only 30,000 genes, what is it that makes humans human?
What
Kind of Revolution Is The Design Revolution?, by Jakob Wolf
In the essay below, Jakob Wolf, Department of Systematic Theology, University
of Copenhagen, reviews William Dembski's "The Design Revolution."
Wolf argues that Dembski's claim that Intelligent Design represents a scientific
revolution is inaccurate. The Intelligent Design "revolution"
is:
"a revolution of the presupposition and the regulative idea underlying biology and not a revolution of biology as a natural scientific project. Apparently Dembski thinks that all knowledge of nature that is not mere subjective belief is natural science. Such a definition is too broad, it conflates elements that should be kept apart and thereby causes confusion. We should distinguish between scientific knowledge of nature and analogical knowledge of nature, and we should distinguish between the natural science project and the presupposition and regulative idea underlying the natural science project. The natural science project is explaining natural phenomena in terms of natural, immanent causes alone, and this project should not be revolutionized by intelligent design theory. Rather, intelligent design theory should revolutionize naturalism and scientific materialism as the presupposition and regulative idea underlying biology as a natural science project."
Glen's Dinosaur Den.
Key links to information about dinosaurs.
May 16
'Junk' DNA reveals
vital role
Inscrutable genetic sequences seem indispensable. The segments, dubbed 'ultraconserved
elements', lie in the large parts of the genome that do not code for any
protein. Their presence adds to growing evidence that the importance of
these areas, often dismissed as junk DNA, could be much more fundamental
than anyone suspected.
Synthetic
Life
A small but rapidly growing number of scientists have set out in recent
years to buttress the foundation of genetic engineering with what they call
synthetic biology. They are designing and building living systems that behave
in predictable ways, that use interchangeable parts, and in some cases that
operate with an expanded genetic code, which allows them to do things that
no natural organism can.
Intelligent Design:
For the past several years I have been recommending the Icons of
Evolution documentary, for the first step in understanding the problems
with the reigning paradigm of Darwinism, followed by the equally impressive
documentary Unlocking the Mystery of Life, for an introduction to
the concepts of design and the scientists who are behind the movement. Once
the multimedia introduction has been completed, I recommend they move on
to the half dozen books by Dr.
Phillip Johnson and then tackle his video
debate at Stanford with Dr. William Provine of Cornell. But now I have
a new favorite to go along with the first two documentaries above, and it
comes from France. Voyage Inside the Cell is a 15-minute animated
journey through the cell that leaves the viewer stunned with the amazing
complexity and information content of the living cell.
New Book Release: By Design or By Chance? To view the table of contents or order By Design or By Chance, go to http://www.arn.org/arnproducts/books/b088.htm.
Niall Shanks's God, the Devil,
and Darwin: A Critique of Intelligent Design
Theory and Barbara Forrest and Paul R. Gross's Creationism's Trojan Horse:
The Wedge of Intelligent Design both received favorable reviews in Science
(2004 May 7; 304: 825-6).
Mitochondrial
DNA Mixes It Up
Evidence of DNA swapping may break the molecular clock. (Membership required)
Heritage
on the Vine
Jumping DNA turned ancestral grapes from black to white, then to red. (Membership
required)
ASA Conference:
The 2004 annual conference Neuroscience and the Image of God is fast
approaching and I would like to share some exciting developments with you.
Our featured plenary speakers will be psychologists Malcolm Jeeves, Warren
Brown, Heather Looy and neurophysiologist David Cechetto.
May 9
Struggles
in science
Arizona educators revisit controversy over evolution (The Arizona
Republic).
The latest news on evolution education in public schools. Consult NCSE's web site: http://www.ncseweb.org.
Life In The Universe
Could Be Just About Everywhere Denver CO (UPI) May 06, 2004
The chemistry that underlies life on Earth is abundant throughout the universe
-- in comets, in the interstellar medium, in the atmospheres of planets,
in the outer solar system bodies and in living organisms, an astrophysicist
told United Press International.
Surprising
'Ultra-conserved' Regions Discovered In Human Genome
Researchers comparing the human genome with the genomes of other species
have discovered a surprising number of matching DNA sequences in a variety
of vertebrate species, including the mouse, rat, dog, and chicken.
Answers in Genesis: AnswersLIVE: Refuting Compromise’ Audio (scroll down to April 27, 2004).
May 2
The
Myth of the Beginning of Time
Was the big bang really the beginning of time? Or did the universe exist
before then? Such a question seemed almost blasphemous only a decade ago.
Most cosmologists insisted that it simply made no sense--that to contemplate
a time before the big bang was like asking for directions to a place north
of the North Pole. But developments in theoretical physics, especially the
rise of string theory, have changed their perspective. The pre-bang universe
has become the latest frontier of cosmology.
Mineral brew grows
'cells'
A mixture of simple chemicals produces fungus-like structure. It is an experiment
you could do in a school chemistry lab. But it produces weird growths that,
although made purely from inorganic materials, share some of the characteristics
of living organisms.
New Clues To Origin
Of Life. Edmonton - Apr 26, 2004
A new discovery of microbial activity in 3.5 billion-year-old volcanic rock
and one of earth's earliest signs of geological existence sheds new light
on the antiquity of life, says University of Alberta researchers who are
part of a team that made the groundbreaking finding.
Multinational Team
of Scientists Finds Early Life in Volcanic Lava. San Diego - Apr 26,
2004
Scientists from the United States, Norway, Canada, and South Africa have
identified what is believed to be evidence of one of Earth's earliest forms
of life, a finding that could factor heavily into discussions of the origins
of life.
Ancient Pebbles
Provide New Details About Primeval Atmosphere. Stanford - Apr 26, 2004
Analysis of 3.2-billion-year-old pebbles has yielded perhaps the oldest
geological evidence of Earth's ancient atmosphere and climate. The
findings, published in the April 15 issue of the journal Nature, indicate
that carbon dioxide levels in the early atmosphere were substantially above
those that exist today and above those predicted by other models of the
early Earth.
Technique
Plucks Rapidly Evolving Genes From A Pathogen's Genome. Berkeley
A quick new technique able to identify genes that evolve rapidly as well
as those that change slowly already has pinpointed new targets for researchers
developing drugs against tuberculosis and malaria, and it could do the same
for other infectious diseases, according to a paper in this week's Nature.
Spontaneous
Generation and the Origin of Life.
Creationists often claim that Louis Pasteur disproved spontaneous generation
and hence any naturalistic origin of life. This article shows what Pasteur
really demonstrated and gives a history of the subject from early ideas
of spontaneous generation to modern ideas about the origin of life.
Genetic
Algorithms and Evolutionary Computation.
Creationists often argue that evolutionary processes cannot create new information,
or that evolution has no practical benefits. This article disproves those
claims by describing the explosive growth and widespread applications of
genetic algorithms, a computing technique based on principles of biological
evolution.
Reading
Between the Fossil Lines, by Gleason Archer
One of the most frequently argued objections to the trustworthiness of Scripture
is found in the apparent discrepancy between the account of creation given
in Genesis 1 and the supposed evidence from the fossils and fissionable
minerals in the geological strata that indicated Earth is billions of years
old. But this conflict between Genesis 1 and the factual data of science
is only apparent, not real.
Darwin-Free
Fun for Creationists.
Dinosaur Adventure Land, a creationist theme park and museum run by Kent
Hovind.
No Evolution: Controversy erupted in Italy after a revised national middle school curriculum, released on February 19, 2004, was found to make no mention of evolutionary theory.
EVOLUTION
VS. CREATIONISM: AN INTRODUCTION.
NCSE executive director Eugenie C. Scott's new book Evolution vs. Creationism:
An Introduction is scheduled for publication in July 2004.
Reflections
on the ID Conference at Biola April 26, 2004 Commentary
The 2004 ID Conference at Biola University was a rare opportunity to
hear from and personally meet with many of the brilliant scholars who are
prominent in the ID movement.
Science
and Religion in Context
Metanexus Institute announces its 2004 annual conference "Science and
Religion in Context" to be held on the campus of the University of
Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, June 5-9, 2004.
April 2004
April 25
IRS Raids
Home and Business of Creationist (Kent Hovind)
Compiled by Ted Olsen. See also IRS
raids business, home of creationist.
Bible,
evolution at odds
You can't have it both ways (Brian Hemen, American News, Aberdeen, S.D.).
Two
candidates back study of creationism in schools
Republican gubernatorial candidates Tom Keating and Ken Miller believe creationism
should be taught in public schools, while the other four major political
party candidates for the office disagree (Billings Gazette, Mont.).
Discovery
Offers Clues To Origin Of Life
A new discovery of microbial activity in 3.5 billion-year-old volcanic rock
and one of earth's earliest signs of geological existence sheds new light
on the antiquity of life, says University of Alberta researchers who are
part of a team that made the groundbreaking finding.
Ken Ham and Dr Sarfati live webcast. Mark your calendar to listen to the LIVE webcast on Tuesday, April 27 @ 9 pm EDT!.
April 11
It's
life, but not as God planned it
Attempts to create synthetic life in a laboratory are no longer science
fiction (The Guardian, London).
Ga.
school-evolution debate goes to trial
A federal judge refused to dismiss a lawsuit against a school district's
practice of posting disclaimers inside science textbooks saying evolution
is "a theory, not a fact" (Associated Press).
Evolved DNA stitches
itself up
Could DNA have kick-started life on Earth instead of RNA? 31 March 2004.
Scientist:
Chimps, Humans Use Different Genes. April 7, 2004
Chimps and humans differ by only a tiny percentage in their genetic make-up,
but the reason why they're in trees and we're not lies in who has the most
active genes, a leading scientist said Monday. Svante Paabo, who has been
helping to decipher the genetic code of chimps, said the key lies in the
degree to which genes are used in each species.
Birds
Share 'Language' Gene with Humans
The process by which baby birds learn to sing shares a number of traits
with that by which toddlers learn to talk. Now researchers have identified
a common gene between birds and people that underlies both abilities. The
discovery marks the start of an effort to explore the genetic underpinnings
of vocal learning.
Proof
and evolutionary analysis of ancient genome duplication in the yeast Saccharomyces
cerevisiae
MANOLIS KELLIS, BRUCE W. BIRREN & ERIC S. LANDER
Emergence
of cooperation and evolutionary stability in finite populations
MARTIN A. NOWAK, AKIRA SASAKI, CHRISTINE TAYLOR &
DREW FUDENBERG
April 4
The Dick Staub
Interview: William Dembski's Revolution
The author of Intelligent Design set out to answer the toughest questions
about the movement he helped promote.
Is
Evolution Just Another Religion?
Within the debate surrounding evolution and religion, some say evolution
is just another religion. Taking up this question in the essay below, Michael
Ruse says something to the effect that evolution and religion both split
paths and share some common ground. Ruse takes us through a brief history
of evolution's ascendancy as a biological theory, making claims to its objectivity,
but also showing its frequently imported ideological baggage.
Rat genome
reveals supercharged evolution
Researchers also think the draft genetic code will speed the identification
of key human genes and the creation of disease treatments. See also the
rat genome.
Molecular Midwives
Hold Clues To The Origin Of Life. Atlanta - Apr 01, 2004
Adding a small molecule, dubbed a "molecular midwife," researchers
increased the rate of DNA formation in a chemical reaction 1,000 fold over
a similar reaction lacking a midwife.
Study Clarifies
Evolutionary History Of Early Complex Single-Celled Life. Tysons Corner
VA - Mar 27, 2004
A billion years ago (the Neoproterozoic age), complex single-celled organisms,
the acritarchs, began to develop, grow, and thrive. Almost a billion years
later, the study of the evolutionary history of acritarchs began to bog
down amid inconsistencies in the reporting of the diversity of species.
Fin
bone tells of early life on land
Scientists call the fossil a link to fishy ancestors. From a road-cut in
Northern Pennsylvania, researchers dislodged the finlike arm of an ancient
creature - one that is helping reveal how our very early aquatic ancestors
first dragged themselves out of the sea and colonized the land. See also
New
Fossil Links Four-legged Land Animals To Ancient Fish.
Jaw-dropping theory
of human evolution
Did mankind trade chewing power for a bigger brain? 25 March 2004. See also
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=000126D6-200B-1062-A00B83414B7F0000.
March 2004
March 28
Bite
makes way for brain.
A pile of evidence from disparate disciplines indicates that a single change
in a single gene—MYH16—may be responsible for significant
morphologic differences between humans and other primates, including possibly
the three-fold increase in brain size that set the earliest species of Homo
apart from their kin. This is the first protein disparity between humans
and chimps that can be correlated to drastic anatomical changes seen in
the fossil record, according to a group of University of Pennsylvania researchers
who published a letter in the March 25
issue of Nature. See http://www.biomedcentral.com/news/20040324/04
Original summary article: Myosin gene mutation correlates with anatomical
changes in the human lineage: Nature 428 p. 415 HANSELL H. STEDMAN
et al.
NIST-led Research
De-Mystifies Origins Of 'Junk' DNA. Washington - Mar 26, 2004
A debate over the origins of what is sometimes called "junk" DNA
has been settled by research involving scientists at the Center for Advanced
Research in Biotechnology (CARB) and a collaborator, who developed rigorous
proof that these mysterious sections were added to DNA "late"
in the evolution of life on earth--after the formation of modern-sized genes,
which contain instructions for making proteins.
Bird
flu vaccination could lead to new strains
Asian countries will be carrying out an uncontrolled experiment in viral
evolution that could ultimately lead to a human pandemic.
THE PANDA'S THUMB.
The Panda's Thumb is a new, collectively authored blog (short for "web
log") devoted, in its words, "to explaining the theory of evolution,
critiquing the claims of the anti-evolution movement, and defending the
integrity of science and science education in America and around the world."
Skeptic vs creationist: ‘The Great Genesis Debate’ of 2003.
March 21
DNA Tests Refutes
Neanderthal Ancestry Theory For Modern Humans. Leipzig (UPI) March 16,
2004
DNA analysis by researchers across Europe have yielded the best evidence
yet Neanderthals made no significant genetic contributions to modern humans.
Clues To Life In
The Mines Of Murgul Moffett Field - Mar 16, 2004
The Mine of Murgul sounds like an ominous place in "The Lord of the
Rings," a dark cavern filled with menacing orcs and trolls. But, in
fact, this copper mine in Turkey may help shed light on life's origin. The
mine contains pyrite, a form of iron sulfide (FeS2) also known as "Fool's
Gold." This iron sulfide mineral may have acted as a template for the
early chemical reactions that led to amino acids, proteins, and other building
blocks of life.
No Moon,
no life on Earth, suggests theory
Four billion years ago, when life began, the Moon caused massive ocean tides
to ebb and flow, and without these life may never have got started.
Geneticists
study chimp–human divergence Nature 428 p.242
Membership required.
Baker's
Yeast Rises From Genome Duplication. CAMBRIDGE, Mass.
In work that may lead to better understanding of genetic diseases, researchers
at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard show that baker's yeast was created
hundreds of millions of years ago when its ancestor temporarily became a
kind of super-organism with twice the usual number of chromosomes and an
increased potential to evolve.
Hybrid
Mosquitoes Blamed for Peculiar Pattern of West Nile Virus Spread
Last year, West Nile virus (WNV) infected more than 9,000 people in 46 states
across the U.S. and claimed the lives of 240. The spread of the virus is
alarming; it also poses an epidemiological mystery. WNV is a bird disease
that spreads to humans through mosquito bites. Yet countries in northern
Europe, which has all of the same components for a similar WNV epidemic--including
virus-infected birds and plenty of mosquitoes--have seen few human infections.
New research suggests that the reason is genetic: whereas northern European
mosquito strains preferentially bite either humans or birds, some U.S. mosquitoes
are hybrids, carrying genetic material from both "bird-biters"
and "human-biters."
The
Earth's Magnetic Field: Closing a Loophole in the Case for its Youth.
By: D. Russell Humphreys, Ph.D. Although I was rooting for Barnes
in the debate, I did not find his arguments about reversals and fluctuations
persuasive. After studying the issue, I concluded that the evidence
for past magnetic reversals is very strong (Humphreys, 1988).
Should
students be taught alternatives to Darwinism?
Religious leaders respond (Los Angeles Times).
George
Ellis wins 2004 Templeton Prize
George F.R. Ellis, a leading theoretical cosmologist renowned for his bold
and innovative contributions to the dialogue between science and religion
and whose social writings were condemned by government ministers in the
former apartheid regime of his native South Africa, has won the 2004 Templeton
Prize. The announcement was made today at a news conference at the Church
Center for the United Nations in New York.
Award for
a science of optimism
At the heart of George Ellis's alternative cosmological view is the principle
of kenosis, or self-sacrificing love — a force he contends is permanently
embedded in the universe, and capable of inspiring humanity to reach ever
higher (The Christian Science Monitor).
The
Nobel Prize in Medicine
In this op/ed piece, Michael Ruse, Professor of the Philosophy of Biology
at Florida State University, considers the possible political and religious
issues at stake in the selection of winners of the 2003 Nobel Prize for
Physiology or Medicine. The 2003 prize was awarded to Dr. Paul Lauterbur
and Dr. Peter Mansfield for their work in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Amidst the controversy surrounding the Nobel committee's exclusion of Dr.
Raymond Damadian despite his groundbreaking work in MRI, Ruse speculates
that Damadian's exclusion was motivated by knowledge of his religious commitments,
specifically his support of creation science.
March 14
A New Branch Of
Primitive Humans Reported Found In Ethiopia. Cleveland - Mar 05, 2004
Dr. Yohannes Haile-Selassie, member of a scientific team working in the
Middle Awash valley of the Afar Region in Ethiopia, and his colleagues have
found dental evidence that elevates the hominid subspecies Ardipithecus
ramidus kadabba to its own species, Ardipithecus kadabba. This new species,
dating between 5.54 and 5.77 million years old, is the oldest member of
the genus Ardipithecus. See also Fossil
Human Teeth Fan Diversity Debate.
Group
of Ohio Scientists Endorses Lesson Plan to Critically Analyze Evolution
By: Staff Discovery Institute March 8, 2004. See also Ohio
School Board OKs Evolution Lesson.
GENOMES
DON’T PLAY DICE
Sure, genomes contain more than just genes: they also hold instructions
about where in our body and when in our lives to make each protein. But
what if our DNA also contained information that made mutation more likely
in some parts of the genome and less likely in others? Such a genome would
have the potential to influence its own evolution, protecting essential
DNA sequences in some places while elsewhere unleashing genetic variations
that could explore evolutionary possibilities. Perhaps it is time to rethink
the role that chance plays in evolution.
Online Reading Discussion
Group: "Life's Solution: Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe"
by Simon Conway Morris. Join ISCID from March 15th through May 23rd for
an online discussion of the latest book by Cambridge palaeobiologist, Simon
Conway Morris. In "Life's Solution: Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe"
Morris argues both that evolution is constrained and that its outcome is
very close to being inevitable (rather than wholly contingent, as is often
assumed). To defend this position, Morris catalogues a large number of evolutionary
solutions that have been arrived at independently in various organisms.
These evolutionary convergences make up the meat of Morris' contention that
evolution may indeed have a direction.
Central Pennsylvania
Forum for Religion and Science
Messiah College is very pleased to announce that The Metanexus Institute
of Philadelphia has awarded us a matching grant to help us create a new
organization: the Central Pennsylvania Forum for Religion and Science, under
the direction of Dr. Edward B. ("Ted") Davis, Professor of the
History of Science.
Intelligent Design Conference
Highlands, North Carolina this June 24-26.
March 7
Montana
Creationism Bid Evolves Into Unusual Fight. By JAMES GLANZ
Feb. 26 — In early December, a local Baptist minister, Curtis Brickley,
put up handbills inviting residents of this town, population 754, to a meeting
in the junior high school gym. The topic was the teaching of evolution in
the Darby schools.
New
Ethiopian Fossils Are From 6-million-year-old Hominid Living Just After
Split From Chimpanzees
Paleoanthropologists from the University of California, Berkeley, and the
Cleveland Museum of Natural History have found more fossils of a nearly
6-million-year-old human ancestor first reported three years ago, cementing
its importance as the earliest hominid to appear after the human line diverged
from the line leading to modern chimpanzees.
How
to go to Heaven, or How the Heavens go, Part 1 of 2
In this essay, Dhruv Raina compares two pious scientists, the renowned English
Sinologist Joseph Needham and the Pakistani physicist Abdus Salaam, in order
to unravel the complex relationships between science, religion, and social
context. In part one, Raina introduces his study and discusses Needham,
a pious English Christian and Marxist, who devoted his life to the study
of the Chinese scientific traditions.
Enzymes stitch
together non-natural DNA
Guided evolution and HIV help create man-made stuff of life. 24 February
2004.
Ontologies
in biology: design, applications and future challenges
Bio-ontologies are formal ways of representing biological knowledge that
allow it to be integrated with information in molecular databases. Bio-ontologies
have sprung up in many areas of biology, but the field faces several challenges
in developing this already useful tool. Jonathan B. L. Bard & Seung
Y. Rhee.
Metanexus
2004 Conference:
Science and Religion in Context, June 5-9, 2004. LOCATION: University
of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
February 2004
February 29
God Is
in the Details
A scientist affirms his faith. Henry F. (Fritz) Schaefer is Graham Perdue
Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Center for Computational Quantum
Chemistry at the University of Georgia. In 1973, as a young chemistry professor
at the University of California, Berkeley, Schaefer became a Christian.
Beginning in the mid-1980's and continuing to this day, he has been presenting
lectures on science and Christianity at various universities throughout
the United States and around the world. In this enjoyable book, Schaefer
has brought together his lectures in print form. Reviewed by Jonathan C.
Rienstra-Kiracofe.
National Park Service embraces
creationism
Creationist book re-ordered & offered as "natural history";
Geologists rebuffed (Press release, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility).
Meteorite molecules
spin sugars
Space chemicals could have given life its first twist. Chemicals brought
to Earth on meteorites may have provided templates for the building blocks
of life, say researchers. The idea could explain why DNA, the molecular
basis of our genetic code, always curls in one direction. 20 February 2004.
Mammal
mums can alter their offspring's gender
Certain mammals may change the gender of their offspring depending on which
sex is more likely to do well, shows the most conclusive study so far.
Evolving Artificial
DNA: for Astrobiology Magazine. Moffett Field - Feb 27, 2004
A team of University of Florida scientists has for the first time developed
an artificial chemical system that can mimic the natural evolutionary process
living organisms undergo.
"Voyage
Inside the Cell."
View a preview of this video.
Listen to interviews with Norm Geisler (about inerrancy) and Vern Poythress (about the Analogical Day view of Genesis 1).
New Book: What
Darwin Didn’t Know by Geoffrey Simmons, M.D.
Darwin might have thought twice about publishing his theories if he’d
had access to today’s medical and microbiological discoveries. Drawing
on years of research, Dr. Simmons demonstrates that the almost infinite
complexity of the human anatomy simply could not have developed by chance.
New ARN Videos:
Lecture and Interview with Michael G. Strauss
Dr. Michael Strauss is respected both in the National Laboratories where
he conducts research in experimental elementary particle physics, and the
university classroom where he has received multiple teaching awards. In
these two new ARN videos, Professor Strauss reviews the scientific evidence
regarding the origin and design of the universe.
Biola Conference April 22-24:
ID and the Future of Science
All of the ID Big Guns are convening in April at Biola University to discuss
“ID and the Future of Science.” This promises to be another historic
event with the likes of Phillip Johnson, Jonathan Wells, Michael Behe, William
Dembski, David Berlinski, Paul Nelson, Stephen Meyer and many others including
renown ID critics Michael Ruse and William Provine.
February 22
Evolution
Caught In The Act
An experiment which forced E. coli bacteria to adapt or perish showed that,
in a pinch, they were capable of improvising a novel molecular tool to save
their skins. "The bacteria reached for a tool that they had, and made
it do something it doesn't normally do," said James Bardwell, an associate
professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology at the University
of Michigan. "We caught evolution in the act of making a big step."
Human
Evolution At The Crossroads: Integrating Genetics And Paleontology.
Seattle - Feb 16, 2004
Advances in genetics during the last decade not only have influenced modern
medicine, they also have changed how human evolution is studied, says an
anthropologist from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Rutgers
Researcher Offers A New Perspective On Human Evolution. NEW BRUNSWICK/PISCATAWAY,
N.J.
The fossil remains of early humans gave generations of scientists the clues
needed to piece together much of our ancestral lineage. Chi-Hua Chiu now
leads us into another dimension in the study of human origins: the underlying
developmental and genetic processes that led to these remarkable evolutionary
changes.
Evo-Devo Biology
Tackles Evolutionary History's Unanswered Questions. Bloomington - Feb
18, 2004
The recent marriage of evolutionary biology with developmental biology has
resulted in the birth of a new field, evolutionary developmental biology,
or "evo-devo."
Intelligent Design:
The New 'Big Tent' For Evolution's Critics. Seattle - Feb 16, 2004
Since the advent of Darwinism in the mid-19th century, a variety of movements
have jousted for the intellectual high ground in the epic evolution versus
creationism debate. At one end of the spectrum reside the "naturalistic
evolutionists" who argue that life neither requires nor benefits from
a divine creator.
Irreducible
Complexity is an Obstacle to Darwinism Even if Parts of a System have other
Functions:
A Response to Sharon Begley’s Wall Street Journal Column By:
Michael J. Behe, Discovery Institute. February 18, 2004.
Bill
proposes teaching of 'intelligent design' alongside evolution
Scientists picked Darwin's birthday to announce their opposition to a bill
in the Missouri House (Nixa News-Enterprise. Mo.).
Guide
sparks debate
'Intelligent design' theory will be heard in classroom (Mansfield News Journal,
Oh.).
Theologian
believes evolution makes sense
Dr. Denis O. Lamoureux is a born-again evangelical Christian. He believes
that God created everything. He also happens to believe in evolution (Observer-Reporter,
Washington, Pa.).
From
Alabama to the Grand Canyon, US battle over the Bible knows no respite
The long-running cultural war between religious conservatives and secularists
may very well move from the Ten Commandments monument in Alabama to these
majestic cliffs overhanging the Colorado River (AFP).
A unique
assessment of Galileo-church dispute
Rowland believes that Galileo's mistake was to insist that science -- and
only science -- provides the truth about reality (The Indianapolis Star).
High life prompts
genetic shift
Extreme altitudes have created different coping strategies. 17 February
2004
Study
In Worms Shows How Genes Linked To Complexity In Animals. COLUMBUS,
Ohio
The evolution of a particular gene could be the reason why a certain worm
might better tolerate a salty environment than its relatives, new research
suggests.
Skeptical Sunday:
The Darwin Conspiracy.
Imagine a group of evolutionists, sitting in a darkened room, busily plotting
how to forge fossils and skew facts so that textbooks tilt in favor of Darwinian
evolution. This conspiratorial scenario might sound far-fetched, but
some anti-evolutionists are convinced it's real. Join us with guest
Eugenie Scott, a physical anthropologist, CSICOP Fellow, and Executive Director
of the National Center for Science Education, and find out the top myths
that creationists use to confuse.
Why is the Big Bang Evidence that God Created the Universe?
February 15
Answers
in Genesis claims that fresh dinosaur blood and bones have been found.
Dr. Gary Hurd examines these claims.
Challenging
Canyon Orthodoxy
Controversy over book with young-earth views raises protests—and sales.
By Stan Guthrie.
Compatability
test
How the five major religions do and don't open their doors to Darwin's theory
(The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
Georgia
evolution flap prompts proposal
A short-lived plan to delete the word "evolution" from Georgia's
science curriculum inspired lawmakers to propose new rules Monday for how
the state decides what to teach in schools (Associated Press).
Left
out of state's proposed curriculum
Georgia copied almost all the biology standards developed by the American
Association for the Advancement for Science. These sections related to evolution
were left out of the state's proposed curriculum (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
Document: Board of Education's statement (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
E-word
brings out the e-mail
Lots of people hit the roof after state Schools Superintendant Kathy Cox
proposed that evolution be downplayed in Georgia's public schools. I joined
the critics, in three columns, and readers bombarded me with mail (Colin
Campbell, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
Chat with Robert Wright, a visiting scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, is the author of Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny and The Moral Animal: Evolutionary Psychology and Everyday Life, both published by Vintage Books.
A passion for evolution
Despite his breadth, Richard Dawkins is surely best known for three things:
his defense of the selfish gene view of biological evolution, his invention
of the selfish meme view of cultural evolution, and his animosity toward
religion. A Devil's Chaplain takes up each of these themes, some more convincingly
than others (H. Allen Orr, The New York Review of Books).
Campaigners
push for 'Darwin Day'
Atheist, agnostic and humanist organisations in the Americas, Europe and
Asia are gearing up for a five-year campaign aimed at achieving international
recognition of February 12 as "Darwin Day" (Reuters).
The peppered moth
capture rates have been used as if they are evidence that Ketterwell's research
was flawed.
This is soundly refuted by Matt Young's analysis of the original data.
ICONS OF EVOLUTION?
First, due to popular demand, Alan Gishlick's acclaimed critique of Icons
of Evolution, "ICONS OF EVOLUTION? Why much of what Jonathan Wells
writes about evolution is wrong," is now available in PDF format on
the NCSE web site: http://www.ncseweb.org/icons/pdfs.html.
Darwinismanddesign.com
Website Goes Online: Download Sample Chapters From “Darwinism,
Design, and Public Education.”
February 8
Ga.
school chief backs off evolution plan
School Superintendent Kathy Cox dropped plans Thursday to remove the word
"evolution" from Georgia's high school science curriculum, six
days after the idea became public and brought forth criticism and ridicule
(Associated Press).
'Evolution'
should stay in Georgia science standards, governor says
The word "evolution" should stay in the curriculum used for Georgia
students, Gov. Sonny Perdue said on Jan. 31 (Associated Press).
Darwinists
eager to avoid debate
Last year, in public comments before the Cobb County Board of Education,
I witnessed firsthand the danger that can come when personal opinions and
philosophical or religious prejudices are allowed into the science classroom
(Larry Taylor, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
Understanding Evolution
The National Center for Science Education and the University of California
Museum of Paleontology are pleased to announce the new web site: Understanding
Evolution at http://evolution.berkeley.edu.
Codes
of conduct
In The Science of Good and Evil, professional skeptic Michael Shermer tries
to find evidence for morality in the natural order (The Washington Post).
The
searchers
On the importance of being dubious: A review of Doubt: A History (The Washington
Post).
Yeast
Mutations Offer Window Into Human Disease
Different combinations of genetic mutations may give rise to diverse human
traits, including complex diseases such as schizophrenia, say scientists
at the University of Toronto and McGill University in Montreal.
February 1
Origins
debate deeper than Darby.
Intelligent-design theory part of national push to re-evaluate coursework
in U.S. classrooms (Missoulian, Mont.).
Cox:
'Evolution' a negative buzzword
State schools superintendent defends purge of word from proposed biology
curriculum (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
Ignorance
excludes evolution
We do not compromise history education for those who deny the Holocaust;
why should we compromise biology education for those who deny evolution?
(Reed A. Cartwright, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
New Study Shows
Neanderthals Were Not Our Ancestors. New York - Jan 29, 2004
In the most recent and mathematically rigorous study to date determining
whether Neanderthals contributed to the evolution of modern humans, a team
of anthropologists examining the skulls of modern humans and Neanderthals
as well as 11 existing species of non-human primates found strong evidence
that Neanderthals differ so greatly from Homo sapiens as to constitute a
different species. See also Neanderthal
Extinction Pieced Together.
Gene May Be Key
To Evolution Of Larger Human Brain. Chevy Chase - Jan 21, 2004
Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers have identified a gene that
appears to have played a role in the expansion of the human brain's cerebral
cortex -- a hallmark of the evolution of humans from other primates.
Oxygen Triggered
The Evolution Of Complex Life Forms. London - Jan 29, 2004
Oxygen played a key role in the evolution of complex organisms, according
to new research published in BMC Evolutionary Biology. The study shows that
the complexity of life forms increased earlier than was thought, and in
parallel with the availability of oxygen as an energy source.
Genomic
Changes Reveal Evolution Of SARS Virus.
Careful study of changes in the genetic make-up of the SARS virus through
the recent epidemic has allowed researchers from China and the University
of Chicago to bolster the evidence for the animal origins of SARS and to
chart three phases of the virus's molecular evolution as it gradually adapted
to human hosts, becoming more infectious over time.
Rare
Ant May Help Solve Some Mysteries Of Social Evolution. COLUMBUS, Ohio
Last fall, ecologists at Ohio State University cracked open an acorn they
had found in an Ohio park and discovered a colony of extremely rare ants.
L. minutissimus is a unique social parasite in that it lives entirely within
the colonies of other ant species. But unlike parasitic slave-maker ants,
which raid and virtually destroy the colonies of unsuspecting hosts, L.
minutissimus appears to move in and live amiably with its host. Such organisms
are called inquilines.
The new website launched
The new website, www.metanexus.net, features dynamic content which will
change every day and a greatly improved navigation system that will allow
you to quickly access selected authors and topics. The Metanexus Institute
advances research, education and outreach on the constructive engagement
of science and religion.
Genesis Proclaimed Association
Finding Harmony in Bible, Science, and History.
New Book: The
Design Revolution by William Dembski.
Dembski lines up 60 of the toughest questions and objections amassed against
Intelligent Design and mows them down one-by-one in a succinct, readable
style.
January 2004
January 25
Kent Hovind (Dr. Dino) answers his critics on his radio program that you can listen to online at http://www.drdino.com/cse.asp?pg=truthradio#December.
December 10, 2004 radio program: Hovind answers Carl Marrychurch? from Australia at http://www.geocities.com/kenthovind/ (The $250,000 challenge, 6 different kinds of evolution).
December 11, 2003 radio program: Hovind continues to answer Carl Marychurch? from Australia at http://www.geocities.com/kenthovind/ (Hovind's side of the story about his arrest. Hovind claims to have a real Ph.D., and other charges).
December 12, 2003 radio program: Hovind continues to answer Carl Marychurch? from Australia at http://www.geocities.com/kenthovind/ (Hovind answers the charge of him falsely claiming bankruptcy, dinosaurs are alive and well today, fake footprint casts from Paluxy, and other charges).
December 15, 2003 radio program: Hovind answers www.talkorigins.org (Dave Matson's critique at http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/hovind/howgood.html) The shrinking sun, moon dust, and comets plus more.
December 17, 2003 radio program: Hovind answers the New Mexicans for Science and Reason (http://www.nmsr.org/) and answers the sarcastic sermon (of Dr. Stephen Meyers) at http://home.comcast.net/~fsteiger/KentHovind.htm. Dr. Meyers' debate with Hovind at http://triassicparkofpa.com/Debate.WMV.
December 18, 2003 radio program: Hovind answers Questions (Why the IRS came after him for not paying taxes, where's the $250,000? and the Budikka debate).
December 19, 2003 radio program: Hovind answers Critics (The Gap Theory of Peter Ruckman, and Hugh Ross at www.reasons.org).
December 22, 2003 radio program: Hovind answers Hank Hanegraaff (The Bible Answer Man at www.equip.org; the pyramids and the gospel in the stars).
Hovind answers Ken Ham with Answers in Genesis "Arguments we think creationists should NOT use" by Answers in Genesis http://www.answersingenesis.org/Home/dont_use.asp and Maintaining Creationist Integrity: The verbal battle between Ken Ham of AIG and Kent Hovind of CSE. See the arguments at http://answersingenesis.org/docs2002/1011hovind.asp?srcFrom=aignews.
A
Grand Canyon schism
A bookstore is a citadel of ideas, much like a library, and the lifeblood
of a free society is the publication of those ideas, no matter how bizarre
they might seem. Conversely, religious plaques quoting verses from the Bible's
Book of Psalms do not belong in public spaces no matter how lyrical or ecumenical
they might seem (Editorial, The Boston Globe).
At
Grand Canyon park, a rift over creationist book
Visitors to the Grand Canyon won't be able to find a U.S. park ranger who
will tell them the chasm was created as a result of the very same flood
that threatened to drown Noah and sink his ark, but they can walk away from
the park souvenir shop with a book that tells that version of how the canyon
came to be (The Washington Post).
Critics
say the park service is letting religion and politics affect its policies
A national alliance of public environmental workers claims evidence of a
new program of "faith-based parks" promoted by the Bush administration
with the strong support of conservative groups (The New York Times).
MBL Scientists Confirm Evolutionary Exception To Reproduction. Woods Hole
- Jan 21, 2004
Biologists at the Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology
and Evolution at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) have confirmed that
a group of microscopic animals has evolved for tens of millions of years
without sexual reproduction. Their results demonstrate a radical exception
to the biological rule that abandonment of sexual reproduction is an evolutionary
dead end. See http://www.spacedaily.com/news/life-04f.html
and http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/01/040121080642.htm.
A
primitive Y chromosome in papaya marks incipient sex chromosome evolution
Nature, January 22, 2004 p.348 ZHIYONG LIU et al.
January 18
Irreducible
Complexity Revisited.
Michael Behe's concept of irreducible complexity, and in particular his
use of this concept to critique Darwinism, continues to come under heavy
fire from the biological community. The problem with Behe, so Darwinists
inform us, is that he has created a problem where there is no problem. Far
from constituting an obstacle to the Darwinian mechanism of random variation
and natural selection, irreducible complexity is thus supposed to be eminently
explainable by this same mechanism. But is it really?
Wells and
Haeckel's Embryos: A Review of Chapter 5 of Icons of Evolution.
A biologist reviews the embryo claims of the "intelligent design"
proponent Jonathan Wells. Haeckel's incorrect views, gill slits, and how
textbooks deal with embryology are discussed.
NOT
YOUR DADDY'S FUNDAMENTALISM: INTELLIGENT DESIGN IN THE CLASSROOM
Law,
Darwinism, and Public Education: The Establishment Clause and the Challenge
of Intelligent Design. By Francis J. Beckwith. "Darwin's great
contribution ... was the final demolition of the idea that nature is the
product of intelligent design."
The Bible and the Age of the Earth.
The
deity and the data
How science is putting God under its lens (Chicago Tribune).
Gene 'helped create
human brain'.
Scientists have identified a gene that appears to have played a key role
in the development of the human brain. They believe it is responsible
for the expansion of an area of the brain called the cerebral cortex which
controls abstract reasoning. This is much bigger in humans than their closest
relatives - and gives us our extraordinary brain power.
Researchers Show
Evolutionary Theory Adds Up. Calgary - Jan 15, 2004
All living plants and animals are likely derived from two primitive species
of bacteria, a mathematics professor at the University of Alberta has shown.
Dr. Peter Antonelli and a former post-doctoral student of his, Dr. Solange
Rutz, used an original mathematical modeling system and software program
to evaluate and compare the two main theories of biological evolution.
Borax Minerals May
Have Been Key To Start Of Life On Earth. Gainesville - Jan 12, 2004
Astrobiologists, supported by NASA, have announced a major advance in understanding
how life may have originated on Earth billions of years ago. A team of scientists
report in the January 9 issue of Science that ribose and other simple sugars
that are among life's building blocks could have accumulated in the early
earth's oceans if simple minerals, such as borax, were present.
Space
molecules point to organic origins
The most complex molecules yet found in space points to a rare type of star
as the origin of life's building blocks.
January 11
Religion,
Geology Collide at the Grand Canyon
In the park's stores is a book saying the chasm is due to the biblical flood.
It's a hot seller but a source of controversy among scientists, staff. (Los
Angeles Times). See also http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/nation/7679608.htm
Scientists
seek place for God while embracing reason
Debates about the origins of the physical world and the life on it tend
to generate the most controversy -- and publicity -- in science and religion
debates. But in quiet ways, the search for common ground has moved beyond
haggles over cosmology and evolution into other fields (The Ledger, Lakeland,
Fla.).
The
New Creationism and Its Threat to Science Literacy and Education.
The most publicly contentious issue in science—the teaching of evolution—
illustrates the point: About half of those surveyed by NSF do not believe
humans evolved from earlier species, and two-thirds think that creationism
should be taught alongside evolution in public schools. But there is some
good news: Acceptance of human evolution inched into the majority for the
first time (53 percent). Moreover, according to a poll by People for the
American Way (www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=2095), a substantial
majority (83 percent) think that evolution should be taught and that it
is not incompatible with a belief in God (70 percent).
A Conversation
with Paleontologist Kevin Padian.
Why do so many people find it difficult to reconcile evolution with their
religious beliefs? One thing that scares a lot of people is the notion of
randomness. They fear that if the processes that shape the evolution are
“random,” there’s no purpose or direction to life. Both those
statements are wrong--first of all, because that’s not what “random”
means in science and, second, because I think you can find purpose and direction
in the evolution of life, just not a religious one. This is really the fault
of scientists for using common words in specialized ways and not explaining
them very well to the public. We need to take the rap for this misunderstanding.
Randomness in evolution, or in science in general, is just a statistical
term. It means that we can’t individuate specific cases in advance.
We may know that six out of a thousand fruitflies in every generation will
have a particular mutation, but we can’t say which six. That’s
what we mean when we say that this stuff is random. And mutations themselves
are not random changes. They are changes in the genetic material--the genetic
material does certain things but not other things. We know, for example,
that a duck’s head is not going to suddenly appear on a horse. In fact,
Darwin’s great idea was natural selection, which is the very opposite
of randomness. Think of it this way: Were our students selected to get into
Berkeley, or did they just get in at random?
Positive
Mitochondrial Mutations?
The genetic adaptation to cold is still carried by many Northern Europeans,
East Asians and American Indians, most of whose ancestors once lived in
Siberia. But it is absent from peoples native to Africa, a difference that
the California team, led by Dr. Douglas C. Wallace of the University of
California, Irvine, suggest could contribute to the greater burden of certain
diseases in the African-American population.
January 4
WAS
CHARLES DARWIN PSYCHOTIC? A STUDY OF HIS MENTAL HEALTH
Dozens of scholarly articles and at least three books have been penned on
the question of Darwin's illness. The current conclusion is that Darwin
suffered from several serious and incapacitating psychiatric disorders,
including agoraphobia. Agoraphobia is characterized by fear of panic attacks
(or actual panic attacks) when not in a psychologically safe environment,
such as at home.
Chuck
Colson’s Breakpoint features physicist Stephen Barr
“While the Big Bang doesn’t necessarily prove the Christian doctrine
of creation, it is undoubtedly ‘a blow to the materialist view’”
The
Date of Creation
Bible-Compatible Evidences for Great Age. By Daniel E. Wonderly.
The Vestigiality
of the Human Vermiform Appendix: A Modern Reappraisal.
Many anti-evolutionists, and even some medical texts, claim that modern
evidence has shown that the human vermiform appendix should no longer be
considered a vestigial structure. This article re-examines the case of the
appendix in light of recent scientific developments and explains why the
appendix is still a valid example of a human vestige.
The
four Rs of RNA-directed evolution.
By A HERBERT.
Reductive
evolution suggested from the complete genome sequence of a plant-pathogenic
phytoplasma.
By K OSHIMA, S KAKIZAWA, H NISHIGAWA, H -Y JUNG, W WEI, S SUZUKI, R ARASHIDA,
D NAKATA, S -I MIYATA, M UGAKI & S NAMBA.