Today's New Reason To Believe Archives
July 2003
Today’s New Reason To Believe - Thursday, July 31, 2003
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Discovery of the Day: This study provides evidence that the four-letter genetic
alphabet found ubiquitously in nature is optimal compared to two-, six- and
eight- letter alphabets. The optimization of the cell’s chemical systems
indicates the existence of a Creator.
- Paul P. Gardner, et al., “Optimal Alphabets for an RNA World,” Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 270 (2003), 1177-1182.
- Related Resource: “Evolving” Robots Challenge Evolution, by Dr. Fazale “Fuz” Rana
- Product Spotlight: Chaos Theory Tamed, by Garnett Williams
Today’s New Reason To Believe - Wednesday, July 30, 2003
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Discovery of the Day: This report describes how greater insight into the
mechanism of gecko foot-hair adhesion inspired scientists to develop a
prototype for dry adhesive. This highlights the superior designs found in
nature and is consistent with life being the work of a Creator’s hand.
- A. K. Geim, et al., “Microfabricated Adhesive Mimicking Gecko Foot-Hair,” Nature Materials2 (2003), 461-463.
- Related Resource: Creation Update, air-date 09-03-2002
- Product Spotlight: 20 Compelling Evidences that God Exists, by Robert Bowman and Ken Boa
Today’s New Reason To Believe - Tuesday, July 29, 2003
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Discovery of the Day: Large bright solar surface features called faculae are
now known to cause most of the variation in the sun’s radiation. To keep this
variability down to 0.1% (essential for life) even for a period as brief as
100,000 years requires exquisite fine-tuning of several solar characteristics.
- Stephen R. Walton, Dora G. Preminger, and Gary A. Chapman, "The Contribution of Faculae and Network to Long-Term Changes in the Total Solar Irradiance," The Astrophysical Journal 590 (2003), 1088-1094.
- Related Resource: Rare Sun, by Dr. Guillermo Gonzalez
- Product Spotlight: The Creator and the Cosmos, by Dr. Hugh Ross
Today’s New Reason To Believe - Monday, July 28, 2003
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Discovery of the Day: The maidenhair tree (or ginkgo) shows no significant
change in any of its structural characteristics over the past 100 million years
despite major environmental pressures, including the giant asteroid collision
of 65 million years ago. Such stasis challenges some central evolutionist
assumptions.
- Zhiyan Zhou and Shaolin Zheng, "Paleobiology: The Missing Link in Ginkgo Evolution," Nature 423 (2003), 821-822.
- Related Resource: Convergence: Evidence for a Single Creator, by Dr. Fazale “Fuz” Rana
- Product Spotlight: Biological Convergence: 2003 RTB Conference Message, by Dr. Fazale “Fuz” Rana
Today’s New Reason To Believe - Sunday, July 27, 2003
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Discovery of the Day: Research provides new insight into the remarkable
machine-like properties of DNA polymerase, a key enzyme in DNA replication.
This study adds to the weight of evidence that a Creator must be responsible
for life’s chemistry.
- Anita Goel et al., “Tuning and Switching a DNA Polymerase Motor with Mechanical Tension”, PNAS, USA 100 (2003), PNAS early edition.
- NEED WEB ABSTRACT
- Related Resource: Deciphering Design in the Genetic Code, by Dr. Fazale “Fuz” Rana
- Product Spotlight: Unlocking the Mystery of Life (VHS or DVD)
Today’s New Reason To Believe - Saturday, July 26, 2003
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Discovery of the Day: The radiation profile of the nearest neutron star (about
a thousand light years away) shows that it would likely have posed a serious
threat to human life had it formed during the human era rather than some 50,000
to 500,000 years before humanity came on the scene. In astronomical terms,
that’s a close call.
- D.L. Kaplan, et al., “The Nearby Neutron Star RX J0720.4-3125 from Radio to X-Rays,” The Astrophysical Journal 590 (2003), 1008-1019.
- Product Spotlight: The Genesis Question, by Hugh Ross
Today’s New Reason To Believe - Friday, July 25, 2003
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Discovery of the Day: This study provides additional confirmation that
biodiversity is more extensive in the recent past than originally thought. This
finding is consistent with RTB’s creation model that suggests the last 550
million years of life’s history is part of God’s plan to make an abundance of
biodeposits available for man.
- James S. Crampton, et al., “Estimating the Rock Volume Bias in Palebiodiversity Studies,” Science 301 (2003), 358-360. View abstract (free registration required).
- Andrew B. Smith, “Making the Best of a Patchy Fossil Record,” Science 301 (2003), 321-322. View abstract (free registration required).
- Related Resource: Biodiversity Peaked Early, by Dr. Fazale “Fuz” Rana
- Product Spotlight: Evolution: A Theory in Crisis, by Michael Denton
Today’s New Reason To Believe - Thursday, July 24, 2003
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Discovery of the Day: Research demonstrates that ions dissolved in water
do not affect water’s bulk properties. This adds to the long list of water’s
remarkable features that make it uniquely suited as a life-support solvent.
- Anne Willem Omta, et al., “Negligible Effect of Ions on the Hydrogen-Bond Structure of Liquid Water,” Science 301 (2003), 347-349. View abstract (free registration required).
- Related Resource: More Than Intelligent Design, by Hugh Ross
- Product Spotlight: Journey Toward Creation, 2nd edition
Today’s New Reason To Believe - Wednesday, July 23, 2003
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Discovery of the Day: This genetic analysis comports with the biblical
description that modern humans (H. sapiens sapiens) have a recent origin
arising from a small population. These results are generally consistent with a
myriad of previous genetic studies (mtDNA, Y-Chromosomal DNA, etc.).
- Christine Lonjou, et al. "Linkage Disequilibrium in Human Populations" PNAS, USA 100 (2003), 6069-6074.
- Related Resource: New Y Chromosome Studies Continue to Support a Recent Origin and Spread of Humanity, by Dr. Fazale “Fuz” Rana
- Product Spotlight: Who Was Adam?
Today’s New Reason To Believe - Tuesday, July 22, 2003
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Discovery of the Day: The Hubble Space Telescope sends new confirmation (via a
“coronagraph” image) that quasars truly are extremely powerful energy sources
residing in the nuclei of huge young galaxies. As such, quasars help establish
the big bang model and many design features of the universe.
- A.R. Martel, et al., “Coronagraphic Imaging of 3C 273 with the Advanced Camera for Surveys,” The Astronomical Journal 125 (2003), 2964-2974.
- Related Resource: Design and the Anthropic Principle, by Dr. Hugh Ross
- Product Spotlight: The Creator and the Cosmos, by Dr. Hugh Ross
Today’s New Reason To Believe - Monday, July 21, 2003
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Discovery of the Day: Chemists have assembled a man-made molecular rotary motor
in an attempt to mimic the elegant molecular motors found inside the cell. This
work required extensive effort and is a real credit to these chemists. Even so,
the rotation of the man-made motor is simplistic and cumbersome in comparison
to the complex and elegant molecular rotary motors found “naturally” inside
cellular motors. Is it reasonable to conclude that such multifaceted cellular
motors resulted from blind random processes when the man-made mimics require so
much effort to produce and are arguably inferior in comparison?
- David A. Leigh, et al., "Unidirectional Rotation in a Mechanically Interlocked Molecular Motor", Nature 424(2003), 174-179.
- Related Resource: Nanodevices Make Megascopic Statement, by Dr. Fazale “Fuz” Rana
- Product Spotlight: Travels to the Nanoworld
Nothing was posted for Saturday, July 19, 2003 and Sunday, July 20, 2003
Today’s New Reason To Believe - Friday, July 18, 2003
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Discovery of the Day: Study reveals that fetuses in the womb recognize
and respond to their mother’s voice, and then prefer it after birth. These
findings are consistent with the biblical view that in-utero fetuses are full
persons.
- Barbara Kisilevsky, et al. "Effects of Experience on Fetal Voice Recognition," Psychological Science 14 (May 2003), 220-225.
- Related Resource: Argument for the Silent: A Biblical Case Against Abortion, by Robert M. Bowman, Jr.
- Product Spotlight: Love Your God with All Your Mind, by J.P. Moreland
Today’s New Reason To Believe - Thursday, July 17, 2003
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Discovery of the Day: Study uncovers another example of molecular fine-tuning,
critical for protein structure and function. This fine-tuning indicates that
life’s biochemical systems were produced by the work of a Creator.
- Tinatin I. Brelidze et al., “A Ring of Eight Conserved Negatively Charged Amino Acids Doubles the Conductance of BK Channels and Prevents Inward Rectification”, PNAS, USA 100 (2003) early edition.
- Related Resource: Protein Structures Reveal Even More Evidence for Design, by Dr. Fazale “Fuz” Rana
- Product Spotlight: Unlocking the Mystery of Life (VHS or DVD)
Today’s New Reason To Believe - Wednesday, July 16, 2003
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Discovery of the Day: Astronomers discover a supernova light curve
characteristic that permits to measure supernovae distances with greater
precision. This technique will help refine existing measurements for mass and
dark energy densities, the age of the universe, and the histories of star
formation. We expect that this research to reveal even more evidence for
supernatural design.
- Lifan Wang, et al., “Multicolor Light Curves of Type Ia Supernovae on the Color-Magnitude Diagram: A Novel Step Toward More Precise Distance and Extinction Estimates,” Astrophysical Journal 590 (2003), 944-970.
- Related Resource: Predictive Power: Confirming Cosmic Creation, by Dr. Hugh Ross
- Product Spotlight: The Creator and The Cosmos, by Dr. Hugh Ross
Today’s New Reason To Believe - Tuesday, July 15, 2003
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Discovery of the Day: Researchers discover that the value of the fine structure
constant must be fine-tuned to within 0.05 percent of its actual value in order
for big bang physics to pave the way for later star formation, that in turn
produces all the elements necessary for physical life.
- Kazuhide Ichikawa and M. Kawasaki, “Constraining the Variation of the Coupling Constants with Big Bang Nucleosynthesis,” Physical Review D 65 (2002), id 123511.
- Related Resource: A Precise Plan for Humanity, by Dr. Hugh Ross
- Product Spotlight: Journey Toward Creation (video documentary)
- Astronomy Picture of the Day
Today’s New Reason To Believe - Monday, July 14, 2003
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Discovery of the Day: DNA breakthrough may open up new window for studying the
remains of bi-pedal primates. This will provide new and more powerful ways to
test and compare evolutionary models with RTB’s model for human origins.
- Hendrik Poinar, et al., “Nuclear Gene Sequences from a Late Pleistocene Sloth Coprolite,” Current Biology 13 (2003), 1150-1152.
- Related Resource: Chromosome Study Stuns Evolutionists, by Dr. Hugh Ross
- Product Spotlight: Who Was Adam? (video series)
- Astronomy Picture of the Day
Nothing was posted for Saturday, July 12, 2003 and Sunday, July 13, 2003
Today’s New Reason To Believe - Friday, July 11, 2003
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Discovery of the Day: Newly recognize potential source for stem cells may make
embryo destruction unnecessary.
- Markus Hengstschläger, et al., “Oct-4-expressingcells in human amniotic fluid: a new source for stem cell research?” Human Reproduction 18 (June 30, 2003), 1489-1493.
- Related Resource: Promising Advances in the Use of Adult Stem Cells, Creation Update, 7-23-2002 broadcast
- Product Spotlight: A Christian Perspective on Biotechnology, by Dr. Fazale “Fuz” Rana
- Astronomy Picture of the Day
Today’s New Reason To Believe - Thursday, July 10, 2003
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Discovery of the Day: Advances in genetics make the long-life spans described
in Genesis scientifically plausible.
- Cornelia Bargmann, Steven McCaroll, et al.,“Genes that act downstream of DAF-16 to influence the lifespan of Caenorhabditiselegans,” Nature (2003), online edition.
- Related Resource: Long Life Spans: Adam lived 930 years and then he died, by Dr. Fazale “Fuz” Rana, Dr. Hugh Ross and Richard Deem
- Product Spotlight: The Genesis Question, by Hugh Ross
- Astronomy Picture of the Day
Today’s New Reason To Believe - Wednesday, July 9, 2003
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Discovery of the Day: New affirmation of the existence of urochordates in the
early Cambrian period. This research presents another piece of evidence that
echinoderms, urochordates, cephalochordates, hemichordates and jawless
vertebrates all appear simultaneously in the Cambrian explosion rather than
sequentially in a tree of life.
- Jun-Yuan Chen, et al., “The first tunicate from the Early Cambrian of South China,” PNAS (2003), online edition.
- Related Resource: Chordate Fossils Foil Theory, by Dr. Fazale “Fuz” Rana
- Product Spotlight: Evolution: A Theory in Crisis, by Michael Denton
- Astronomy Picture of the Day
Today’s New Reason To Believe - Tuesday, July 8, 2003
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Discovery of the Day: Series of articles demonstrates that certain species of
birds and lizards exhibit complex altruistic behavior. This research provides a
severe challenge to evolution’s “survival of the fittest” model.
- Vittorio Baglione, et al., “Kin Selection in Cooperative Alliances of Carrion Crows,” Science 300 (2003), 1947-1949.
- Barry Sinervo and Jean Clobert, “Morphs, Dispersal Behavior, Genetic Similarity, and the Evolution of Cooperation,” Science 300 (2003), 1949-1951.
- Janis L. Dickinson and Walter D. Koenig,“Desperately Seeking Similarity,” Science 300 (2003), 1887-1889.
- Related Resource: Convergence: Evidence for a Single Creator, by Dr. Fazale “Fuz” Rana
- Product Spotlight: Evolution: A Theory in Crisis, by Michael Denton
Today’s New Reason To Believe - Monday, July 7, 2003
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Discovery of the Day: Biochemists successfully mapped the entire structure of a
potassium ion channel gate which enabled them to observe how molecular
components within the structure receive gating signals and how the gate itself
regulates the flow of chemicals throughout the membrane. Such structures and
regulators demonstrate exquisite design.
- Anling Kuo, et al., “Crystal Structure of the Potassium Channel KirBac 1.1 in the Closed State,” Science 300 (2003), 1922-1926.
- Related Resource: Bionic Borders: Cell Membranes Under Scrutiny, by Dr. Fazale “Fuz” Rana
- Product Spotlight: Darwin’s Black Box, by Michael Behe
Nothing was posted for Saturday, July 5, 2003 and Sunday, July 6, 2003
Today’s New Reason To Believe - Friday, July 4, 2003
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Discovery of the Day: Breakthrough technology allows biochemists to literally
observe the protein as it performs its function. This new technology should
result in a dramatic increase in the case for supernatural design at the
molecular level in the months and years to come.
- Friedrich Schotte, et al., “Watching a Protein as it Functions with 150-ps Time-Resolved X-ray Crystallography,” Science 300 (2003), 1944-1946.
- Related Resource: Protein Structures Reveal Even More Evidence for Design, by Dr. Fazale “Fuz” Rana
- Product Spotlight: Unlocking the Mystery of Life (VHS or DVD)
Today’s New Reason To Believe - Thursday, July 3, 2003
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Discovery of the Day: New confirmation of our sun’s extreme stability puts
upper limits of .0003 percent on variations in its diameter. This stable
luminosity enables human civilization to survive and also contradicts the
young-earth claims that the sun experiences significant on-going shrinking.
- H.M. Antia, “Does the Sun Shrink With Increasing Magnetic Activity?” The Astrophysical Journal 590 (2003), 567-572.
- Related Resource: Missing Solar Neutrinos Found, by Dr. Hugh Ross and The Faint Sun Paradox, by Dr. Hugh Ross
- Product Spotlight: The Creator and the Cosmos, by Dr. Hugh Ross
Today’s New Reason To Believe - Wednesday, July 2, 2003
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Discovery of the Day: Genetic profile of the JCV virus supports RTB’s model for
humanity’s spread from a single region and also tracks human migrations into
the Americas, challenging the migration scenario described in the Book of
Mormon.
- Angelo Pavesi, “African Origin of Polyomavirus JC and Implications for Prehistoric Human Migrations,” Journal of Molecular Evolution (2003), online edition.
- Huai-Ying Zheng, “Phylogenetic Relationships Among JC Virus Strains in Japanese/Koreans and Native Americans Speaking Amerind or Na-Dene,” Journal of Molecular Evolution (2003), online edition.
- Related Resource: Putting Mormonism to the Test
- Product Spotlight: The Genesis Question, by Dr. Hugh Ross
Today’s New Reason To Believe – Tuesday, July 1, 2003
- Discovery of the Day: New insights reveal remarkable internal organization inside bacteria, the simplest life forms. This is another link in the chain for the cumulative case for biochemical design.
- Related Article: Origin-of-Life Predictions Face Off, by Fuz Rana
- Product Spotlight: Beyond Irreducible Complexity, by Fuz Rana
- Astronomy Picture of the Day
