Phosphorus plays a crucial role in life chemistry. Phosphates serve as the backbone for all nucleic acids and are the major repository of chemical energy for metabolism. The human body contains about 11,000 parts per million of phosphorus by weight.
Extra-Terrestrials & UFOs |
Habitable PlanetsA Spectrum of Views on ETI
4/1/1998 The “Christian position” on extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) has been a matter of debate since the time of Thomas Aquinas.1, 2 Scholars have taken sides for various biblical reasons. Those who believe ETI exists see it as a display of God’s omnipotence and creativity. A Twin or Not a Twin?
4/1/1999 All the star-planet systems discovered so far represent extremely hostile environments for life. GAS GIANTS such as Jupiter lack the capacity to support life. Aliens From Another World? Getting Here From There
4/1/2001 A rising challenge to Christianity, both within and beyond the borders of America, springs from the popular obsession with UFOs (unidentified flying objects) and ETI (extraterrestrial intelligent life). Continental Landmass Growth and the Genesis 1 Chronology
10/8/2007 Thanks to a spectacular new discovery concerning the geophysical history of the earth, one more detail in biblical author Moses’ chronology of Earth’s creation history has been scientifically verified. The breakthrough yields yet more evidence for the divine inspiration of the Bible’s words and message. First, let me offer some personal background for this discovery. Cosmic Creation Model and the First Stars
3/10/2008 In attempting to achieve a comprehensive validation of the biblically predicted big bang creation model1 the greatest challenge for astronomers has been assembling a detailed history for the formation of the universe’s first stars. One problem is that such stars are extremely difficult to observe. A second problem is that theoretical models for explaining the physics of star formation during the universe’s early history are notoriously difficult to formulate. Design of the Solar System’s Gas Giants
8/11/2008 New understanding of the solar system by team of five theoreticians from three different continents has produced even more evidence for the design of the solar system’s gas giant planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) for the benefit of advanced life on Earth. The masses and orbits of the solar system’s four gas giant planets are crucial for life on planet Earth. Does the Probability for ETI = 1?
12/3/2007 Earlier this fall (September 25) I had a three-minute debate on Mancow’s Morning Madhouse, a nationally syndicated radio show, on the topic “Is there scientific evidence for intelligent life in the universe?” My debate opponent was Amir Aczel, a nationally known mathematician and best-selling author. Effect of Distant Orbiters on Habitability
6/4/2007 Distant bodies in a planetary system are like some distant in-laws. Even when they live far away and never visit they can still cause lots of problems. Exotic Life Sites: The Feasibility of Far-Out Habitats
10/1/2001 People often joke about the certainty of death and taxes. Astronomers can add another certainty to that short list: Sooner or later someone will ask, “What do you think about the possibility of life out there?” First Detection of Earth-sized Planet?
10/1/2000 A team of 41 astronomers from Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States took advantage of a naturally occurring telescope to image a small planet orbiting a star somewhere between us and the Galactic Bulge (the dense concentration of stars that exists at the core of our Milky Way galaxy). Follow the Water...to Life?
1/1/2004 Astrobiology, the search for life beyond Earth, is the fastest growing scientific discipline, at least in terms of increased government funding. However, despite a quadrupling of funds in just six years (compared to a vastly smaller increase for all the other sciences) and despite decades of diligent searching, no one has found any evidence for life beyond planet Earth. Is Life Possible on a Moon?
12/10/2007 A team of American astronomers recently announced the discovery of the first known planet outside our solar system to spend its entire orbit within the “habitable zone.”1 When astronomers talk about a habitable zone for a planet they simply mean that the planet is orbiting within that distance from its star where surface liquid water would be possible–assuming the atmosphere of the planet is fine-tuned so as to trap the just right amount of heat from the planet’s star. Life Zones in Space
10/1/1999 Life is hardy, but it needs some basics—conditions which can only be found in systems of planets orbiting stars. No wonder these systems hold such fascination for scientists, for everyone! In October 1999, Science focused an entire edition on planetary systems. Live Here or Nowhere
10/1/1999 In the latter half of this decade, science revealed the importance of our solar system’s position in the galaxy between two spiral arms, where certain life-disturbing phenomena rarely occur and where our view of the galaxy and of the universe beyond is unobstructed.1 A new piece of research by two Russian astronomers shows that our position is special in yet another respect.2 Our sun and its satellites stay between the spiral arms. Martian Climate Instabilities Compared to Earth’s
7/28/2008 Sometimes the shortest path to learn about the scientific details of our planet Earth is to study similar details on other planets where the phenomena under investigation are simpler to investigate and understand. Mars is a good example of such a pathway. It also is a good example of how the study of other planets can expose hidden evidences for supernatural design in our own planet. Milky Way Galaxy’s Tiny Black Hole
9/1/2008 Through a variety of means astronomers have determined that a black hole exists at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The latest and most definitive measurement puts the mass of that black hole at 3,6000,000 times the mass of the Sun. More Evidence for the Design of Earthquake Activity
8/18/2008 Stanford University geophysicists Norman H. Sleep and Mark D. Zoback note that the higher tectonic activity during Earth's early history could have played a key role in cycling critically important nutrients and energy sources for life Planet Migration Tests Solar System Design
10/29/2007 Astronomers have discovered over 250 planets outside of our solar system residing in over 200 different planetary systems. However, all of these extrasolar planets exhibit characteristics that would eliminate the possibility of another planet residing in the same planetary system that could possibly support advanced life for a brief time or even primitive life for a long time. Planet Rotation Design
10/1/2007 Scientists have recognized for some time that the rotation rate of a planet must be fine-tuned to make advanced life on that planet possible. If the planet rotates too slowly, the temperature differences between day and night will become too extreme. If the planet rotates too quickly, the jet streams will become too laminar and too stable, causing parts of the planet to be too wet and the rest to be bone dry. Rare Solar System Location
10/20/2008 Many astronomers have noted that the present solar system environment is amazingly benign for advanced life. The solar system’s current position (in between two nearby exceptionally symmetrical and widely separated spiral arms that are devoid of any significant spurs or feathers) keeps the solar system’s planets well-protected from gravitational interactions with stars and dense molecular clouds. Search for Planets Draws a Blank
4/1/2001 Is the universe really rife with life sites, as Carl Sagan asserted? Research data continues to shape an answer to this question, but the weight of evidence falls, thus far, on the negative side. The ever-optimistic naturalist must work harder and more imaginatively to keep up appearances—and hope. Search for the Sun’s Twin
3/17/2008 The conclusion that Earth displays many unique, apparently designed, features that enable it to support life, and, in particular advanced life (known as the rare planet doctrine) is now well established within the scientific community. The discovery of over 270 extrasolar planets, combined with spacecraft missions to explore the outer solar system, likewise is beginning to establish the rare planetary system doctrine. Searching for Earths
10/1/2007 I once saw a toy that served as a visual example of the saying "one in a million". It consisted of a clear plastic ball about 4 inches in diameter filled with literally a million little plastic cubes. All were painted silver but one, which was painted red. The object was to find the red cube! Needless to say, finding it was no mean task. Strangulation Efficiency in Galaxy Clusters
2/18/2008 Astronomers Daisuke Kawata and John Mulchaey have uncovered features of star formation in galaxies that also provide one more design characteristic to add to a list of several hundred indicating the supernatural, super-intelligent design of our planet and galaxy for the support of life, human beings in particular. Kawata and Mulchaey’s discovery arose from a detailed chemodynamical simulation of how neighboring galaxies and gas clouds impact the star formation history of a disk galaxy. The Heavens Resound with a Message for Mankind
1/1/1999 Three astronomers have discovered yet another of the many delicate balances operating in our solar system, balances that protect life on this planet. Their investigation of planetary resonances (the intensification of gravitational effects resulting from orbital patterns and repeated, regular planetary alignments) indicates that without an Earth-Moon system just like ours, Too Much Sulfur
10/6/2008 Recent studies conducted on Venus and Mars illustrate just how carefully fine-tuned a planet’s abundance of sulfur must be for life to be possible. Sulfur plays a crucial role in life chemistry. This fact became personal for me a year ago when I was diagnosed as sulfur deficient. Many protein functions crucially depend on sulfur. Fortunately, most agricultural soils contain plenty of sulfur that vegetables, like onions and garlic, readily absorb. Why Jupiter and Saturn Have No Twins
9/29/2008 The rare planet doctrine—the conclusion that Earth has many unique, apparently designed, features that enable it to support life and in particular advanced life—is now well established within the scientific community. Why We Need to Return to the Moon
5/28/2007 I vividly recall sitting up all night with a dozen other astronomy students as we watched live on television the first men walk on the moon. The Apollo missions were more than just television spectaculars, however. The Apollo program helped us solve the mystery of the moon’s origin and helped establish how amazingly designed the moon is for the support of advanced life on Earth. Our books The Creator and the Cosmos and Origins of Life tell the story. Habitable PlanetsApologetic Reasoning
Dave Rogstad, Jeff Zweerink, and Kenneth Samples The Best of Science News Flash
Hugh Ross, Fuz Rana, Jeff Zweerink, and Joe Aguirre Habitable Planets |