Today's New Reason To Believe Archives

July 2004

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Today’s New Reason To Believe – Saturday, July 31, 2004

• A team of biologists, geneticists, and biochemists have discovered another example of irreducible complexity in the hearing mechanism of animals. An irreducibly complex system is composed of several well-matched, interacting parts that contribute to the basic function, and where function ceases if any part is removed. They identified for the first time five different complex proteins that operate together to perform a process called mechanotransduction, by which cells convert mechanical stimuli into electrical signals. This conversion is the first step in sending a signal to the brain of how much and in what way a stereocilium (a hair-like filament that is the main sound detector in the inner ear) has been disturbed by the propagation of a sound wave. The team found that if any one of the five proteins is disabled or disturbed the stereocilia fall apart and the organism becomes deaf.  Evolution cannot explain how all five proteins would arise through natural assembly at the right time, place, and configuration. A supernatural Creator seems necessary.
  • J. Siemens et al., “Cadherin 23 Is a Component of the Tip Link in Hair-Cell Sterocilia,” Nature 428 (2004): 950-55.
  • Christian Söllner et al., “Mutations in Cadherin 23 Affect Tip Links in Zebrafish Sensory Hair Cells,” Nature 428 (2004): 955-59.
  • David R. Corey and Marcos Sotomayor, “Tightrope Act,” Nature 428 (2004): 901-03.
• Related Resource: Biochemistry and the Bible: Collaborators in Design, by Joe Aguirre
• Related Product: Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution, by Michael Behe

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Friday, July 30, 2004

• A newly discovered feature of the solar system provides more evidence that our planetary system is fine-tuned to support life. An astronomer found that the photoevaporative wind loss (the “loss” is a reduction in the size of forming planets and an alteration in their atmospheres and oceans due to the star’s luminosity and wind) by the parent star during planetary formation plays a role in determining how many and what kinds of planets will form. Depending on the planetary system in question, the photoevaporative wind loss cannot be too great or too small or the system will not support life. Such fine-tuning points to a supernatural Creator.
  • Steven P. Ruden, “Evolution of Photoevaporating Protoplanetary Disks,” Astrophysical Journal 605 (2004): 880-91.
• Related Resource: A Precise Plan for Humanity, by Hugh Ross
• Product Spotlight: Journey Toward Creation, 2^nd edition (VHS or DVD)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Thursday, July 29, 2004

• The most spectacular evidences for the supernatural design of the universe for the support of life arise from the maps of the cosmic background radiation anisotropy. In recent years these maps have strengthened the case for the big bang and affirmed the Bible. A large team of astrophysicists cross-correlated the results from the two highest quality maps that were achieved with different instruments and using different measuring techniques. The team concluded that for both maps systematic errors were negligible and, therefore, both maps had accurately measured the cosmic background radiation anisotropy. Consequently, astronomers have every reason to be confident about their spectacular evidences for a supernatural Designer crafting the universe for the benefit of life.
  • M. E. Abroe et al., “Correlations Between the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe and MAXIMA Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropy Maps,” Astrophysical Journal 605 (2004): 607-13.
• Related Resource: WMAP Offers Spectacular Proofs of Creation Event, by Hugh Ross
• Product Spotlight: Top 10 Scientific Discoveries of 2003, Creation Update. Call 800-482-7836 to order.

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Wednesday, July 28, 2004

• Given its mechanism, evolution should not produce the same outcome repeatedly. Yet this study shows that this occurred. The authors of this research describe the repeated, independent origins of variable lymphocyte receptors (which comprise part of the immune system) in lampreys (agnathans) and all other vertebrates (gnathostomes). The independent, multiple origins of this complex feature of the immune system challenge the veracity of the theory of evolution, but find ready explanation if a Creator repeatedly used the same good designs as He brought life into existence.
  • Zeev Pancer et al., “Somatic Diversification of Variable Lymphocyte Receptors in the Agnathan Sea Lamprey,” Nature 430 (2004): 174-80.
• Related Resource: Convergence: Evidence for a Single Creator, by Fazale “Fuz” Rana
• Product Spotlight: Biological Convergence (audiotape from the 2003 Conference: Who is the Designer?)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Tuesday, July 27, 2004

• Only ten years ago, microbiologists viewed bacteria as a “container” of haphazardly arranged molecules. Recent advances indicate that this view is incorrect. Microbiologists now understand these simplest of life forms to possess a remarkable degree of internal organization at the molecular level. This article adds to this new understanding by describing the role that the Noc (YyaA) protein plays in the cell division process of gram positive bacteria. This protein must be specifically localized in the cell for cell division to occur properly. The internal organization of the simplest life forms serves as a marker for biochemical design andis expected if a Creator is responsible for life.
  • Ling Juan Wu and Jeff Errington, “Coordination of Cell Division and Chromosome Segregation by a Nucleoid Occlusion Protein in Bacillus subtilis,” Cell 117 (2004): 915-25.
• Related Resource: Origin-of-Life Predictions Face Off: Evolution Vs Biblical Creation, Fazale R. Rana
• Product Spotlight: Origins of Life: Biblical and Evolutionary Models Face Off, by Fazale Rana and Hugh Ross

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Monday, July 26, 2004

• Well-designed systems include quality control checkpoints at critical junctures to ensure efficient production of high quality products. Many biochemical operations inside the cell employ quality control procedure, and hence appear to be designed. This new research characterizes one of the quality control systems used by archaea during protein synthesis. As biochemists continue to characterize the cell’s chemical systems, the evidence for design mounts and with it evidence that life is the product of a Creator.
  • Dragana Korencic et al., “A Freestanding Proofreading Domain is Required for Protein Synthesis Quality Control in Archaea,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 101 (2004): 10260-65.
• Related Resource: Biochemistry and the Bible: Collaborators in Design, by Joe Aguirre
• Related Product: Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution, by Michael Behe

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Sunday, July 25, 2004

• The discovery of evidence for ancient water in a meteorite from the asteroid Vesta (located in the inner solar system) increases the evidence for the supernatural design of the solar system so that advanced life on Earth would be possible. Astronomers found a quartz veinlet in the meteorite that demonstrates that liquid water must have been present on Vesta previous to 4.40 billion years ago. The only possible source of that water would be cometary delivery. Such delivery implies that comets must have distributed huge quantities of water (through collisions) to all the inner solar system bodies. Therefore, Earth would have required amazingly fine-tuned early collision events to remove the just-right amount of water from the planet so as not to inundate or dehydrate future advanced life. Plus, any deviation from this fine-tuning would have disturbed Earth’s physical and atmospheric conditions enough to make advanced life impossible.
  • Allan H. Treiman, Antonio Lanzirotti, and Dimitrios Xirouchakis, “Ancient Water on Asteroid 4 Vesta: Evidence from a Quartz Veinlet in the Serra de Magé Eucrite Meteorite,” Earth and Planetary Science Letters 219 (2004): 189-99.
• Related Resource: The Faint Sun Paradox, by Hugh Ross
• Product Spotlight: Journey Toward Creation, 2nd edition (VHS
• or DVD)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Saturday, July 24, 2004

• As astronomers continue to study the sky, they discover more evidence for supernatural creation. Researchers used new measurements from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to strengthen the evidence for the biblically predicted big bang creation event and for the supernatural design of the universe. They used accurate measurements in three dimensions of the positions, distances, and velocities of 205,000 galaxies to determine the cosmic mass density (sum of the ordinary matter density and the exotic matter density). They found that the total cosmic mass density was equal to 30 percent (with a 3 percent error bar) of the density required for a perfectly flat geometry universe. These results are remarkably consistent with those obtained from the Two-Degree Field Survey, the WMAP satellite, type Ia supernova measurements, and the x-ray profiles of large, dynamically relaxed galaxy clusters. This measurement confirms an important prediction of the big bang creation model and demonstrates a level of cosmic fine-tuning at least 10³⁷ times superior to the best example of human engineering design.
  • Max Tegmark et al., “The Three-Dimensional Power Spectrum of Galaxies From the Sloan Digital Sky Survey,” Astrophysical Journal 606 (2004): 702-40.
  • Adrian C. Pope et al., “Cosmological Parameters from Eigenmode Analysis of Sloan Digital Sky Survey Galaxy Redshifts,” Astrophysical Journal 607 (2004): 655-60.
• Related Resource: Big Bang - The Bible Taught it First! by John Rea and Hugh Ross
• Product Spotlight: A Matter of Days, by Hugh Ross

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Friday, July 23, 2004

• Origin-of-life researchers have discovered a new challenge to a naturalistic explanation of life’s origin. In a naturalistic scenario, hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor have been proposed as sites for the synthesis of proteins by nonliving (abiotic) means to bring about simple life forms. However, amino acids found to exist at 308°C (586°F) near a deep ocean hydrothermal vent prove not to be abiotically synthesized. Rather, an adjacent microbial oasis contaminated the hot water with the decay products of once-living organisms. Consequently, the discovered amino acids provide no support for the hypothesis that simple compounds can assemble themselves under hot abiotic conditions into proteins. Thus, it still stands that the only possible cause for life’s origin is a supernatural Creator.
  • Yoshimori Takano et al., “Amino Acids in the 308°C Deep-Sea Hydrothermal System of the Suiyo Seamount, Izu-Bonin Arc, Pacific Ocean,” Earth and Planetary Science Letters 219 (2004): 147-53.
• Related Resource: Origin-of-Life Predictions Face Off: Evolution Vs Biblical Creation, Fazale R. Rana
• Product Spotlight: Origins of Life: Biblical and Evolutionary Models Face Off, by Fazale Rana and Hugh Ross

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Thursday, July 22, 2004

• A new, independent measurement of the cosmic dark energy density has strengthened the evidence for the supernatural design of the universe. Dark energy may account for the accelerating universe as well as a significant portion of the universe’s mass. Astronomers used the most extensive survey to date of gravitational lenses at cosmological distances to independently establish a measure of the cosmic dark energy density. Though less accurate than measurements based on type Ia supernovae, the WMAP data, x-ray profiles of large galaxy clusters, and redshift surveys of hundreds of thousands of galaxies, the gravitational lensing-based results are entirely consistent with those measures. Therefore, the evidence for the big bang creation event and for the supernatural design of the dark energy factor continues to mount.
  • Kyu-Hyun Chae et al., “Constraints on Scalar-Field Dark Energy from the Cosmic Lens All-Sky Survey Gravitational Lens Statistics,” Astrophysical Journal Letters 607 (2004): L71-74.
• Related Resource: Big Bang - The Bible Taught it First! by John Rea and Hugh Ross
• Product Spotlight: A Matter of Days, by Hugh Ross

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Wednesday, July 21, 2004

• One of the necessary steps in all evolutionary origin-of-life scenarios is the emergence of homochirality in amino acids and sugars. Researchers have been unable to identify any chemical or physical mechanism that can produce 100% chiral enrichment. One recent attempt to resolve this conundrum appeals to asymmetric autocatalysis. This process was proposed in the 1950s.  In the mid 1990s researchers discovered the first and only example of this type of reaction (called the Soai reaction). While this reaction can yield a nearly 100% chiral excess, it requires highly specific chemical reactants and relies on an unusual chemical mechanism that renders it irrelevant to the origin-of-life question. This new report describes the second example of an asymmetric autocatalysis. In this instance the amino acid proline mediates the reaction. Like the Soai reaction, the proline-mediate reaction relies on highly specific chemical conditions that likely did not exist on early Earth. Also, it turns out that the chiral excess generated by this approach is temporary, decaying after the reaction reaches equilibrium. To date, all attempts to explain the origin of homochirality have failed. If this necessary chemical property of life cannot be accounted for by natural processes, then evolutionary explanations for the origin of life cannot be valid.
  • Suju P. Mathew et al., “Amplification of Enantiomeric Excess in a Proline-Mediated Reaction,” Angewandte Chemie International Edition 43 (2004): 3317-21.
• Related Resource: Homochirality Problem Still a Problem, Creation Update (airdate 02-24-2004)
• Product Spotlight: Origins of Life: Biblical and Evolutionary Models Face Off, by Fazale Rana and Hugh Ross

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Tuesday, July 20, 2004

• Experience teaches that intelligible messages—information—come from intelligent sources. The cell’s biochemical machinery (proteins, DNA, RNA, and oligosaccharides) is information-based. This indicates that life stems from an Intelligent Designer. This report affirms this conclusion. These researchers provide new mechanistic insight into another biochemical information system, one that controls the flow of information between cells. Effective cell-cell communication is an essential feature of complex multicellular organisms. The elegant information-rich biochemical systems of the cell point to the source of life’s information--the Creator described in the Bible.
  • Bing-Hao Luo et al., “A Specific Interface between Integrin Transmembrane Helices and Affinity for Ligand,” PLOS Biology 2 (2004): 0776-86.
  • http://biology.plosjournals.org
• Related Resource: FYI: I.D. in DNA: Deciphering Design in the Genetic Code, by Fazale “Fuz” Rana
• Related Product: Travels to the Nanoworld, by Michael Gross

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Monday, July 19, 2004

• Recently Nancy Reagan called for the federal restrictions on embryonic stem cell research (ESCR) to be relaxed. She hopes that ESCR will lead to effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. Many, however, are troubled by ESCR, since this research involves the destruction of human embryos. This report indicates that Mrs. Reagan’s demands are completely misguided. The authors demonstrate that a significant part of the etiology of Alzheimer’s disease centers on the reduced expression of genes in the frontal cortex that are involved in learning, memory, and neuron survival. This reduced gene expression results from long-term oxidative damage to DNA. The long-term pervasive reduction in gene expression makes it unlikely that ESC’s can ever serve as a viable therapy for Alzheimer’s disease. Research into the cause and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease should be stepped up, but ESCR should not be part of this effort.
  • Tao Lu et al., “Gene Regulation and DNA Damage in the Ageing Human Brain,” Nature 429 (2004): 883-91.
• Related Resource: A New Direction for Stem Cell Research, by Fazale “Fuz” Rana
• Product Spotlight: Moral Choices, by Scott Rae

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Sunday, July 18, 2004

• Well-designed systems include quality control checkpoints at critical junctures to ensure efficient production of high quality products. Many biochemical operations inside the cell employ quality control procedures, and hence appear to be designed. These two research papers provide new insight into the mechanism used to destroy misfolded proteins before they are secreted from the cell. As biochemists continue to characterize the cell’s chemical systems, the evidence for design mounts and with it evidence that life is the product of a Creator.
  • Yihong Ye et al., “A Membrane Protein Complex Mediates Retro-translocation from the ER Lumen into the Cytosol,” Nature 429 (2004): 841-47.
  • Brendan N. Lilley and Hidde L. Ploegh, “A Membrane Protein Required for Dislocation of Misfolded Proteins from the ER,” Nature 429 (2004): 834-40.
• Related Resource: Biochemistry and the Bible: Collaborators in Design, by Joe Aguirre
• Related Product: Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution, by Michael Behe

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Saturday, July 17, 2004

• Advances in ancient DNA analysis hold the promise to provide powerful new ways to test and compare evolutionary models with RTB’s creation model. In this study, the researchers demonstrate that ancient DNA can survive up to 64,000 years in hair. This result extends the utility of ancient DNA analysis and provides a window into the biology of past organisms.
  • M. Thomas et al., “Ancient Mitochondrial DNA from Hair,” Current Biology 14 (2004): R463-R464.
• Related Resource: “Ancient DNA and Protein Studies to Aid Scientific Advance,” Creation Update (air-date 05-13-2003).
• Product Spotlight: Creation Update, MP3 CD-ROM

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Friday, July 16, 2004

• Once again, elegant designs in nature challenge a naturalistic paradigm. Using extremely high resolution x-ray crystallography, a team of molecular biologists discovered an amazing design feature in an oxygen-activating metallo enzyme. They found an electrical triggering device that takes advantage of the unique properties of dioxygen. The device prevents the binding and activation of oxygen unless catalysis (stimulation of the particular chemical reaction) is primed or prepared to proceed. This molecular device limits the premature release of harmful reduced oxygen. The complexity and functionality of the device rivals the best achievements in comparable humanly designed electronics.
  • Sean T. Prigge et al., “Dioxygen Binds End-On to Mononuclear Copper in a Precatalytic Enzyme Complex,” Science 304 (2004): 864-67.
  • Nermeen W. Adoelella, Anne M. Reynolds, and William B. Tolman, “Catching Copper in the Act,” Science 304 (2004): 836-37.
• Related Resource: Origin-of-Life Predictions Face Off: Evolution Vs Biblical Creation, Fazale R. Rana
• Product Spotlight: Origins of Life: Biblical and Evolutionary Models Face Off, by Fazale Rana and Hugh Ross

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Thursday, July 15, 2004

• A German paleontologist uncovered a challenge to Darwinian evolution when he discovered a 30-million-year-old hummingbird fossil. This hummingbird appeared identical to modern hummingbirds, which indicates that either hummingbirds experienced little noticeable evolution during the past 30 million years or they went extinct and reappeared in essentially the same form. This ancient find also establishes that plants adapted for hovering bird pollination and hummingbirds appeared at the same time. All three of these conclusions severely challenge a Darwinian model but are compatible with a biblical creation model.
  • Gerald Mayr, “Old World Fossil Record of Modern-Type Hummingbirds,” Science 304 (2004): 861-64.
  • Erik Stokstad, “Surprise Hummingbird Fossil Sets Experts Abuzz,” Science 304 (2004): 810-11.
• Related Resource: Convergence: Evidence for a Single Creator, by Fazale “Fuz” Rana
• Product Spotlight: Biological Convergence (audiotape from the 2003 Conference: Who is the Designer?)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Wednesday, July 14, 2004

• A proposed test for Darwin’s theory of evolution and for the existence of extraterrestrial intelligent life (ETI) may help both ideas die a natural death. Instead of looking for signals from ETI, an Italian theoretical physicist suggests astrobiologists should look for the biosignatures (residual signs of life) of ion channels. From a naturalistic perspective, the evolution of ion channels in the membranes of microorganisms will occur in the earliest stages of biological evolution and, thus, would be the most pervasive and abundant evidence for extraterrestrial life. He reasons that if astrobiologists fail to find any evidence for these biosignatures, then one could securely conclude that ETI does not exist and that Darwin’s theory is incorrect.
  • J. Chela-Flores, “Testing Evolutionary Convergence on Europa,” International Journal of Astrobiology 2 (2003): 307-12.
  • Edward J. Garnero, “A New Paradigm for Earth’s Core-Mantle Boundary,” Science 304 (2004): 834-35.
• Related Resource: Origin-of-Life Predictions Face Off: Evolution Vs Biblical Creation, Fazale R. Rana
• Product Spotlight: Origins of Life: Biblical and Evolutionary Models Face Off, by Fazale Rana and Hugh Ross

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Tuesday, July 13, 2004

• A study of Earth’s mantle provides more evidence for supernatural design. Japanese geophysicists have discovered the fundamental reason for the anisotropy (departure from uniformity) of the lower mantle’s main constituent, namely silicate perovskite. They found that under the pressure conditions existing at the core-mantle boundary of the earth, perovskite undergoes a phase transition where it adopts a different crystal structure and a density increase of 1.0 to 1.2 percent. Such a transition explains the deep mantle anisotropy. This irregularity then determines the just-right flow of large-scale mantle eddies that, in turn, provide the just-right level of plate tectonics for the long-term maintenance of the Earth surface conditions necessary for advanced life.
  • Motohiko Murakami et al., “Post-Perovskite Phase Transition in MgSiO3,” Science 304 (2004): 855-58.
  • Edward J. Garnero, “A New Paradigm for Earth’s Core-Mantle Boundary,” Science 304 (2004): 834-35.
• Related Resource: The Faint Sun Paradox, by Hugh Ross
• Product Spotlight: Journey Toward Creation, 2nd edition (VHS or DVD)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Monday, July 12, 2004

• RTB’s biblical creation model for humanity has received another boost. Geologists have discovered more evidence for the supernatural timing of humanity’s appearance and for the recent time gap in bipedal primate populations. They found evidence for two major extraterrestrial impact events (asteroid collisions with Earth): one date at 445,000 years ago and the other at 230,000 years ago. These events would help explain the time gap between the last known Homo erectus specimen (~500,000 years ago) and the first known specimens of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens idaltu (~150,000 years ago). Such a gap would be catastrophic to evolutionary models because hominid speciation would be impossible, but is well explained by a Creator possessing foreknowledge and Who creates new species after extinction events.
  • Peter H. Schultz et al., “The Quaternary Impact Record from the Pampas, Argentina,” Earth and Planetary Science Letters 219 (2004): 221-38.
• Related Resource: The Unreliability of Hominid Phylogenetic Analysis Challenges The Human Evolutionary Paradigm, by Fazale “Fuz” Rana
• Product Spotlight: Who Was Adam? (video series)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Sunday, July 11, 2004

• Exploration of Earth’s upper mantle continues to uncover evidence for supernatural design. Geologists and chemists discovered the sources for variations in the viscosity of the upper mantle: water concentration and mantle temperature. Since the level of variations in upper mantle viscosity must be carefully fine-tuned in order to get the plate tectonics that makes the long-term survival of advanced life possible, such fine-tuning implies additional fine-tuning in the geographical distribution of plate subduction rates and plate boundaries. All of this exquisite fine-tuning of Earth’s mantle is readily explained by an intelligent, supernatural Designer.
  • Jacqueline E. Dixon et al., “Lateral Variation in Upper Mantle Viscosity: Role of Water,” Earth and Planetary Science Letters 222 (2004): 451-67.
• Related Resource: The Faint Sun Paradox, by Hugh Ross
• Product Spotlight: Journey Toward Creation, 2nd edition (VHS or DVD)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Saturday, July 10, 2004

• RTB’s creation model for humanity’s origin regards Neanderthals and other extinct hominids found in the fossil record as nonhuman primates who lacked spiritual capacity. This recent study powerfully confirms this view. This report demonstrates, based on mitochondrial DNA sequences, that Neanderthals and ancient modern humans were not only genetically, and hence evolutionarily distinct, but that they never interbred. The scientific evidence continues to indicate that modern humans were clearly distinct from Neanderthals, and other hominids (Homo erectus, Homo antecessor, Homo heidelbergensis and Homo rhodesensis) in line with RTB’s explanation for the hominid fossil record.
  • Alan Cooper et al., “Ancient DNA: Would the Real Neandertal Please Stand Up”, Current Biology 14 (2002): R431-R433.
• Related Resource: Neanderthal-to-Human Link Severed, by Fazale “Fuz” Rana
• Product Spotlight: Who was Adam? (video)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Friday, July 9, 2004

• For many skeptics, the long life spans recorded in Genesis 5 and 11 seem absurd. Recent advances in the biochemistry of aging, however, make these long life spans scientifically plausible. In this study, researchers demonstrate that overexpression of a single gene (dFOXO) in fruit flies dramatically increases their life span by about 20-50%. This provides a biochemical means for the Creator to permit long life spans (through increased gene activity) and, in turn, to shorten them (through decreased gene activity) at the time of the Flood. In light of this study, long human life spans described in Genesis are scientifically reasonable.
  • Marie E. Giannakou et al., “Long-Lived Drosophila with Overexpressed dFOXO in Adult Fat Body,” Science (2004), preprint.
• Related Resource: Long Life Spans: Adam Lived 930 Years and Then He Died: New Discoveries in the Biochemistry of Aging Support the Biblical Record, by Fazale R. Rana, Hugh Ross, and Richard Deem
• Related Product: The Genesis Question, by Hugh Ross

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Thursday, July 8, 2004

• Given its mechanism, evolution should not repeatedly produce the same outcome. Yet this study shows that this occurred. The authors of this research describe the repeated, independent origin of hermaphroditism in the nematode Caenorhabditis. The independent, multiple origins of a complex anatomical and behavioral feature challenge the veracity of the theory of evolution, but find ready explanation if a Creator repeatedly used the same good designs as He brought life into existence.
  • Karin Kiontke et al., “Caenorhabditis Phylogeny Predicts Convergence of Hermaphroditism and Extensive Intron Loss,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 101 (2004): 9003-08.
• Related Resource: Convergence: Evidence for a Single Creator, by Fazale “Fuz” Rana
• Product Spotlight: Biological Convergence (audiotape from the 2003 Conference: Who is the Designer?)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Wednesday, July 7, 2004

• Even though embryonic stem cell research holds the promise to effectively treat several horrible debilitating diseases and injuries, many are troubled by it, since this research involves the destruction of human embryos. This report announces a significant breakthrough. It turns out that adult stem cells from fat (adipose) tissue can be transformed into two types of nerve cells: neurons and glial cells. These cells would be suitable for transplantation into diseased and damaged brain tissue. Adult stem cells are not derived from embryos and do not involve the destruction of a human fetus. Scientific advance may provide the way out of the ethical dilemma created by emerging biotechnologies.
  • “Cells from Fat Tissue Turned into Functional Nerve Cells,” ScienceDaily.com.
• Related Resource: A New Direction for Stem Cell Research, by Fazale “Fuz” Rana
• Product Spotlight: Moral Choices, by Scott Rae

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Tuesday, July 6, 2004

• Scientific advance continues to affirm that our solar system is designed for human life. Astronomers have found more support—within the context of big bang cosmology—for the formation of the solar system with all of its outstanding features so as to permit the existence of advanced life. Those features require the solar system to form adjacent to several unusual and powerful supernova events (exploding stars). Some have doubted whether such tumultuous circumstances would even allow stars and planets to form. Those doubts have been assuaged by the discovery of the first direct evidence of ongoing star formation by accretion (whereby a clump of matter attracts molecules of interstellar gas) in the inferno known as the Axis of Evil in the Carina Nebula. This nebula has been scorched by intense ultraviolet radiation from several of the hottest and most massive stars known in our Galaxy. This discovery confirms evidence for design of the star formation history of our Galaxy as well as for the multi-faceted design of the solar system.
  • Nathan Smith, John Bally, and Kate J. Brooks, “HH 666: The Axis of Evil in the Carina Nebula,” Astronomical Journal 127 (2004): 2793-2808.
• Related Resource: Rare Sun, by Guillermo Gonzalez
• Product Spotlight: Journey Toward Creation, 2nd edition (VHS or DVD)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Monday, July 5, 2004

• Although some Christians and atheists still question the veracity of the big bang, it continues to receive a steady stream of confirmations. One point of controversy has revolved around so-called “missing” or exotic dark matter. But astronomers have now successfully distinguished the concentrations of exotic dark matter from the concentrations of ordinary matter in large clusters of galaxies. This study, based on gravitational lensing and velocity dispersion measurements, confirms an earlier result based on x-ray measurements that shows much of the dark matter in the galaxy clusters is located in “cusps” while the stellar component is not. Therefore, there is no basis for doubting that the universe contains a matter component that is different (exotic) in nature from ordinary matter. These measurements confirm an important prediction of the big bang creation model and establish a level of cosmic fine-tuning at least 10³⁷ times superior to the best example of human engineering design.
  • Amr A. El-Zant et al., “Flat-Cored Dark Matter in Cuspy Clusters of Galaxies,” Astrophysical Journal Letters 607 (2004): L75-L78.
• Related Resource: Predictive Power: Confirming Cosmic Creation, by Hugh Ross
• Product Spotlight: A Matter of Days, by Hugh Ross

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Sunday, July 4, 2004

• Although some Christians and atheists remain skeptical about the veracity of the big bang creation model, a new measurement for the universe’s birth date provides it with yet another confirmation. The age of the universe is foundational for the physics of both the big bang creation event and for the histories of stellar burning. One traditional method for quantifying the universe’s birth date involves measuring the burning time of globular cluster stars (dense clusters of stars) in the Milky Way Galaxy. This method raises the question, however, of whether our galaxy’s globular clusters are typical of globular clusters in other galaxies. A team of astronomers has added six major galaxies in the Sculptor group (which is relatively nearby our local group) to the growing list of galaxies that astronomers have studied. They verify that the oldest globular clusters in other galaxies indeed reveal spectroscopic ages entirely consistent with spectroscopic ages of the Milky Way Galaxy’s oldest globular clusters. Such consistency not only affirms the big bang, but also provides some of the strongest scientific evidences for the existence of God.
  • Knut A. G. Olsen et al., “The Globular Cluster Systems of the Sculptor Group,” Astronomical Journal 127 (2004): 2674-93.
• Related Resource: Big Bang - The Bible Taught it First! by John Rea and Hugh Ross
• Product Spotlight: A Matter of Days, by Hugh Ross

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Saturday, July 3, 2004

• Paley’s classic Watchmaker argument is thought by many atheists to have been discredited by the work of 18th century skeptic, David Hume. However, the eerie resemblance between biomolecular machines in the cell and man-made devices revitalizes this powerful argument for Intelligent Design. Adding to the growing list of literal machines inside the cell is the sliding clamp protein complex. This study describes new insight into the structure and mechanical operation of this complex. The elegant design and stark resemblance to man-made motors indicate that these biomolecular machines, and all of life’s chemistry, must be the work of a divine "Motor Maker."
  • Gregory D. Bowman et al., “Structural Analysis of a Eukaryotic Sliding DNA Clamp-Clamp Loader Complex,” Nature 429 (2004): 724-30.
• Related Resource: Fazale R. Rana, “Nanodevices Make Megascopic Statement”
• Related Product:  Michael Gross, Travels to the Nanoworld

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Friday, July 2, 2004

• Paley’s classic Watchmaker argument is thought by many atheists to have been discredited by the work of 18th century skeptic, David Hume. However, the eerie resemblance between biomolecular machines in the cell and man-made devices revitalizes this powerful argument for Intelligent Design. Adding to the growing list of literal machines inside the cell is myosin, literally a linear motor replete with a lever arm. This study adds new insight into the mechanical operation of this motor protein. The elegant design and stark resemblance to man-made motors indicate that these biomolecular machines, and all of life’s chemistry, must be the work of a divine "Motor Maker."
  • Tomonobu M. Watanabe et al., “A One-Headed Class V Myosin Molecule Develops Multiple Large (≈ 32-nm) Steps Successively,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 101 (2004): 9630-35.
• Related Resource: Fazale R. Rana, “Nanodevices Make Megascopic Statement”
• Related Product:  Michael Gross, Travels to the Nanoworld

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Thursday, July 1, 2004

• Many consider the 99% genetic similarity between humans and chimpanzees to be incontrovertible evidence for evolution. This study demonstrates that while a high degree of genetic similarity exists, genetic differences are found as well. These researchers discovered that chimpanzees lack a recombination hotspot that corresponds to the human recombination hotspot, TAP2. This means that the dynamic characteristics of the human and chimpanzee genomes differ. From a biblical perspective, this data could be understood to indicate that the Creator made the human genome with different properties than the chimpanzee genome. This genetic difference may well play a role in establishing the significant biological differences between humans and chimpanzees.
  • Susan E. Ptak et al., “Absence of the TAP2 Human Recombination Hotspot in Chimpanzee,” PLOS Biology 2 (2004): 0849-54.
• Related Resource: “Human/chimp DNA Comparisons,” Creation Update (air-date 12-16-2003)
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