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News:
December 22, 2004
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Religion in the News
FAMED ATHEIST PHILOSOPHER, ANTONY FLEW, NOW BELIEVES IN GOD
In my college class in philosophy, Antony Flew was required reading. His
writings tempted me to doubt the very existence of God. So I was shocked
to learn that he now believes in God. Interview with him at Atheist
Becomes Theist. See also Sorry,
says atheist-in-chief, I do believe in God after all and Famous
Atheist Now Believes in God.
Is
the holiday creche worth the fight?
Decades of debate haven't ended the church-and-state controversy over public
holiday displays (The Providence Journal, R.I.)
Just
leave Christmas alone
The attempts to de-Christianize Christmas are as absurd as they are relentless
(Charles Krauthammer, The Washington Post)
Can We Talk?
A project sponsored by Gordon Colleges Center for Christian Studies offers
models for constructive engagement across lines of division. By John Wilson
Stop Fraud
Before It Starts
Barry Minkow says every investor should get the answer to four questions
before investing. By Rob Moll
Bilking the
Brethren
It may be one of the biggest untold stories on the religion beat. By Ted
Olsen
The
rapture debunked
One of the people doing the most to debunk the worldview of LaHaye and others
who believe in the Rapture and Tribulation has been a woman who labels herself
a conservative theologian: Barbara R. Rossing, an associate professor of
New Testament studies at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago (Christopher
Shea, The Boston Globe)
Mormon
church disciplines author for book
Grant Palmer, 64, who wrote "An Insider's View of Mormon Origins,"
could have been excommunicated. Instead, he said the church "disfellowshipped"
him at a hearing, which means he will retain his membership but lose certain
privileges (Associated Press) See
Da
Vinci Code Debunked?
The best-seller's author says its shocking twist is true. Humbug, say historians
who've analyzed the evidence. See
NZ
author suing over Da Vinci bestseller
Authors of Holy Blood, Holy Grail say Dan Brown lifted large tracts
of their research without permission (The New Zealand Herald)
The Shroud's
Second Image
New evidence reopens debate about the controversial relic. By Gordon Govier
See
Science in the News
Google borrows
books from leading libraries
Books from prestigious US universities, the New York Public Library and
Oxford University will soon be instantly searchable online.
Archaeology/Anthropology
New Books:
- The Future of Biblical Archaeology: Reassessing Methodologies and Assumptions, ed. By James K. Hoffmeier and Alan Millard, 2004. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.385 pp.
- hifting Sands: The Rise and Fall of Biblical Archaeology, by Thomas W. Davis. 2004. Oxford: Oxford University Press.174 pp.
A
crack in the theory
Will a couple of renegade archeologists make us rethink everything we know
about Qumran? (The Jerusalem Post)
Mystery
of 'chirping' pyramid decoded
Acoustic analysis shows how temple transforms echoes into sounds of nature.
14 December 2004
Ice-age
musicians fashioned ivory flute
A 30,000-year-old instrument is uncovered in southern Germany. 17 December
2004
Astronomy
Spirit
Finds Water-Signature Pasadena CA (JPL) Dec 17, 2004
Scientists have identified a water-signature mineral called goethite in
bedrock that the NASA's Mars rover Spirit examined in the "Columbia
Hills," one of the mission's surest indicators yet for a wet history
on Spirit's side of Mars. See
Cassini
sees changing weather on Titan
Huygens probe ready for dive through atmosphere. 17 December 2004.
New Evidence
That Saturn's Outer Rings Could Be Disappearing Boulder CO (SPX) Dec
17, 2004
A massive eruption of atomic oxygen from Saturn's outer rings, seen by Cassini's
ultraviolet camera as the spacecraft neared its destination, may be an indication
that the planet's wispy E ring is eroding so fast that it could disappear
within 100 million years if not replenished. See
Dusty discs
girdle distant solar systems
The circling debris has been found around stars in other solar systems with
planets for the first time.
Enigmatic Kuiper
Object Quaoar Might Be Outgassing Moscow, Russia (UPI) Dec 08, 2004
A giant rock spotted on the fringes of the Solar System has frozen water
crystals on its surface, an intriguing discovery that suggests it may harbour
volcanic activity, a study says. See
Aging Universe
May Still Be Spawning Massive Galaxies Pasadena CA (SPX) Dec 22, 2004
NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer has spotted what appear to be massive "baby"
galaxies in our corner of the universe. Previously, astronomers thought
the universe's birth rate had dramatically declined and only small galaxies
were forming. See
'Ultrasound'
May Explain Solar Weather Mystery
Astronomers have identified ultrasoundlike waves in our sun's atmosphere
that could explain some strange aspects of solar weather. An analysis of
data from NASA's TRACE spacecraft suggests that the waves could be responsible
for the star's unexplained extra heat.
Biology
Herbal
Remedies Found to Contain Toxic Heavy Metals
Some herbal remedies may do more harm than good. Researchers report that
20 percent of herbal medicine products sampled contained dangerous levels
of heavy metals.
In
Lieu of Vitamins
Who needs vitamin pills, when eating well will suffice, say nutrition experts
at Duke University Medical Center. The best vitamins may be found in the
produce aisle, they advise. See
Stressful deadlines
boost heart attack risk
The pressure of meeting a work deadline can mean a sixfold hike in the risk
of suffering an attack the very next day, a new study finds.
No
More Weight Control After Liposuction?
If you think fat removal via liposuction lets you off the hook when it comes
to diet and exercise, think again. In fact, liposuction patients are three
times more likely to gain weight if they stray from a proper diet, new research
finds. See
Creation/Evolution
Darwin
v. 'Design' in Dover
11 parents, ACLU sue, alleging religion in curriculum (The York Dispatch,
Pa.)
A who's who
of players in the battle of biology class
In the long battle over the teaching of evolution in American public schools,
activists Eugenie Scott and Bruce Chapman both like to claim the role of
underdog (The Christian Science Monitor).
Review
of Mark Perakh's "Unintelligent Design," by David J. Turell
"Atheists praise atheistic books and believers praise religious books.
There is almost no middle ground, essentially no books for agnostics. In
a sense, Unintelligent Design purports to be this book, according to Perakh,
without being that book."
Jerky
evolutionary change
Evidence that evolutionary change is not always a smooth process (The
Economist, U.K.)
Research
points to new theory driving evolutionary changes
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have used canine
DNA to identify a genetic mutation mechanism they believe is responsible
for rapid evolutionary changes in the physical appearance of many species.
See
Keeping
the faith in my doubt
My main objection to all these anti-religion, pro-science groups is that
they aren't addressing our basic problem, which is ideological self-righteousness
of any kind (John Horgan, The New York Times)
DINOSAUR ADVENTURE
LAND
Greg Martinez's "Stupid Dino Tricks," originally published in
the November 2004 article of Skeptical Inquirer, is now available on-line.
Martinez amusingly and incisively recounts his trip to Dinosaur Adventure
Land, a creationist playground in Pensacola, Florida, operated by the flamboyant
young-earth creationist Kent Hovind. See
Spite:
Evolution Finally Gets Nasty
Altruism's "neglected ugly sister" comes to the party (Stuart
Blackman).
Darwin
Meets Chomsky
Scientists converge in a multidisciplinary approach to understanding human
language (Nick Atkinson).
Earth Science
Major Climate
Change Occurred 5,200 Years Ago: History Could Repeat Itself Columbus
OH (SPX) Dec 16, 2004
Glaciologist Lonnie Thompson worries that he may have found clues that show
history repeating itself, and if he is right, the result could have important
implications to modern society. See
Analysis: No Doubt
Earth's Ice Is Melting San Francisco CA (UPI) Dec 15, 2004
For nearly 50 years, Greenland's Jakobshavn glacier inched inexorably toward
the sea at a stable and non-threatening rate. During the same time period,
glaciers in Alaska, in Patagonia and Antarctica proceeded steadily at well-established
rates. The polar ice cap that lay over most of the Arctic Ocean during winter
remained essentially unbroken. See
Catastrophic Flooding
from Ancient Lake May Have Triggered Cold Period San Francisco CA (SPX)
Dec 20, 2004
Imagine a lake three times the size of the present-day Lake Ontario breaking
through a dam and flooding down the Hudson River Valley past New York City
and into the North Atlantic. See
Shutdown
Of Circulation Pattern Could Be Disastrous: Researchers Champaign IL
(SPX) Dec 15, 2004
If global warming shuts down the thermohaline circulation in the North Atlantic
Ocean, the result could be catastrophic climate change. The environmental
effects, models indicate, depend upon whether the shutdown is reversible
or irreversible. See
Greenland Ice
Cores Offer Glimpse Of Weather System History
What Have Scientists
Learned Since Mount St. Helens Erupted Portland OR (SPX) Dec 09, 2004
When Mount St. Helen's blew its top in 1980, Charlie Crisafulli was 22 years
old and just beginning his career as a research ecologist. One of his first
assignments: travel to Mount St. Helens 2 months after the historic eruption
and study the aftermath. See
Study Resolves
Doubt About Origin Of Earth's Oldest Rocks Chicago IL (SPX) Dec 17,
2004
Experiments led by Nicolas Dauphas of the University of Chicago and Chicago's
Field Museum have validated some controversial rocks from Greenland as the
potential site for the earliest evidence of life on Earth. See
50,000-year-old
Plant May Warn Of The Death Of Tropical Ice Caps
A simple stroll after a full day of field research near a high Andean glacier
in Peru led glaciologist Lonnie Thompson to discover a bed of previously
hidden plants that date back at least 50,000 years.
Researchers
Discover First Evidence Of Microbes Living In A Rock Glacier Arlington
VA (SPX) Dec 15, 2004
Scientists have discovered evidence of microbial activity in a rock glacier
high above tree line in the Rocky Mountains, a barren environment previously
thought to be devoid of life. See
Physics
Snapshot
of an electron orbital
New technique could watch electrons' movements during chemical reactions.
Psychology
The
behavior of genes
Recent genetic studies go a long way toward resolving the nature-versus-nurture
debate (Gene Robinson, The New York Times).
Technology
Nanoelectronics
in 15 years New York (UPI) Dec 21, 2004
In order to keep computers advancing in power as they have for decades,
a new U.S. research initiative partnering industry, academia and government
has now launched to hunt in nanotechnology - science and engineering on
a molecular scale - for a successor to today's dominant chipmaking method.
See
The Future's Bright
For Diamond Dust Bristol, UK (SPX) Dec 22, 2004
Expensive, bulky TV screens could be a thing of the past thanks to a collaboration
between the University of Bristol and Advance Nanotech announced today to
develop new display technology made from diamond dust. See
Zoology
Discovered
New Species: A 'Faithful' Guinea Pig. Dec. 10, 2004
German scientists on Thursday hailed the discovery of a new species of guinea
pig in Bolivia, which differs from its cousins by remaining faithful to
one partner. See
New
species of monkey discovered in India
First macaque species added to list in over 100 years. 17 December 2004.