Issues – Page 196

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Lamarckism: Dead but Useful

May 11, 2012

Lamarck's theory of evolution was supposed to have died in 1859 when Darwin published his theory of natural selection. Despite textbook depictions of Lamarckism as obsolete, Lamarckian language still surfaces from time to time, even in prestigious journals.

Bible and Theology

From Toxin to Medicine

May 10, 2012

Botulinum toxin (botox) is now big business in health and fashion, but few may remember it derives from one of the deadliest substances known in nature. Other examples show that some forms of "natural evil" can be seen in a different light.

Darwin and Evolution

Evolution for Men and Women

May 8, 2012

Two recent entries in the evolution literature have application to one sex or the other.

Amazing Facts

Stem Cells Getting Healthier

May 6, 2012

Over the past decade, stem cells have been a hot news item. Here are some late breaking news stories about them.

Bible and Theology

We Became Human by Mistake

May 5, 2012

A new theme in human evolution is making the rounds. According to the story, a mistake led to the human brain, and the rest is history.

Dating Methods

Planetary Radiometric Dates 1/3 Younger

May 1, 2012

The half-lives of radioactive isotopes may not be as well-known as thought. One decay rate frequently used to date solar system objects had to be adjusted down to 66% of its former assumed value, impacting theories of planet formation.

Birds

Questioning the Dino-Bird Hypothesis

April 27, 2012

The scientific consensus has pretty much declared it a fact of natural history that birds evolved from dinosaurs. One evolutionary professor remains a gadfly, though. He contests the evidence on which the hypothesis is based, and also believes his maverick position is growing.

Astronomy

Planet Theories vs. the Evidence

April 26, 2012

Planet theorists are putting up a valiant fight against new findings, but in some cases, the evidence seems to be winning.

Bible and Theology

King David Ruled Cities, Not Shepherds

April 24, 2012

Ongoing archaeological finds from Khirbet Qeiyafa in ancient Judah now show conclusively that the site had fortified walls with gates, administrative buildings, bronze and iron objects, and artifacts suggesting extensive trade with foreign powers. These discoveries cast doubt on the "minimalist" chronology of some liberal scholars who claim that King David, even if he existed, was a tribal chief over pastoralists.

Dating Methods

Paradigm Shift: Impact Didn't Kill Dinosaurs

April 24, 2012

A new study casts doubt on whether asteroid impacts led to extinctions. It's based on re-interpreting geological evidence used to identify impacts. This finding, if sustained, would undermine the theory that an impact killed off the dinosaurs and a later impact led to the extinction of many large mammals. Even more significant, an overturn of the impact hypothesis would illustrate that scientists are capable of going off on wrong tangents for decades.

Astronomy

Wernher von Braun Remembered

April 20, 2012

Wernher von Braun (1912-1977) would have turned 100 on March 23. His name is almost synonymous with "rocket scientist" to many. Father of the American space program, including the first American satellite, the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs, the moon landings and Skylab, von Braun left an indelible mark on America and the world.

Darwin and Evolution

More Reasons to Doubt Scientific Pronouncements

February 11, 2012

It’s unsettling to hear scientists say that long-held beliefs might be wrong, but that’s the nature of science. Scientific “findings” are tentative, not absolute. Some see this as a strength of science, but unless actual progress is demonstrated, that strength is called into question. Recent news casts doubt on various scientific methods and beliefs that had been trusted for a long time.

Bible and Theology

Rethinking Parasitism

February 4, 2012

Parasitism is bad. Parasitism is evil. Parasites wage war against innocent hosts. This is our mindset. What if parasites can do good? This change of heart seems to be happening for one case, the case of transposable genetic elements. If they are only doing harm to the host, why did some biologists find that “positive selection” seems to be maintaining them? That makes it sound like the cells need them.

Awards

Mouse to Elephant? Just Add Time

January 30, 2012

How do you evolve a mouse into an elephant? Just add 24 million generations. But you can shrink it back down in just 100,000 generations. This and other eyebrow-raising stories have been told in the secular science media recently.

Astronomy

Lunar Upsets Challenge Paradigms

January 27, 2012

Forty years after the last moonwalkers came home, new discoveries about the moon are calling into question what scientists know about our celestial partner. But is it legitimate for scientists to invoke mystery forces when a favored theory faces falsifying evidence?

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