The big bang creation event—as taught by the Bible for centuries — now stands well established by astronomers' observations of the universe.
TCM - Cosmic DesignA Beginner's-and Expert's-Guide to the Big Bang: Sifting Facts from Fictions
7/1/2000 Big bang cosmology is an explosive topic. Heated reactions—and bitter resistance—have arisen from opposite directions in the last century but, ironically, for the same type of reasons: religious reasons. One group of big bang opponents includes those who understand the theory’s implications, and the other, those who misunderstand them. A Bright Young Sun
10/1/2003 Caltech astrophysicists Juliana Sackmann and Arnold Boothroyd have achieved a breakthrough. In spring 2003, they unveiled a new and more accurate model for the Sun’s life cycle, a model that addresses and may help resolve “the faint Sun paradox.” This new model has significant implications for God’s involvement in life’s origin on Earth—as well as for the subsequent history of life, including human life. A Dark Galaxy: Finding the "Missing" Dark Stuff
10/27/2008 Many independent sets of observations confirm that only about six percent of all the ordinary matter (neutrons and protons) in the universe is made up of stars and stellar remnants.1 The other 94 percent is dark. While astronomers have verified that enormous quantities of ordinary dark matter exist as dispersed intergalactic gas, they have yet to positively identify a totally dark structure of galactic proportions. A Dime's Worth of Difference
10/1/2006 The universe is incredibly massive. Nevertheless, its mass must be spectacularly fine-tuned for life to be possible. Exactly how massive the universe is remained unknown until astronomers focused the Hubble Space Telescope on a patch of sky no bigger than a tenth the Moon's (angular) diameter, and held it there for some 278 hours. A New Kind of Star Solves an Old Problem
7/9/2007 It is not every day that Hollywood discovers a new star that stands apart from all their other stars. The same is true for astronomers. Only rarely do they discover a new kind of star that is unlike any they have seen before. When they do make such a discovery, however, it typically reveals new insights into how the universe was exquisitely designed to provide a home for life and for humanity in particular.by Hugh Ross 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. Anthropic Principle: A Precise Plan for Humanity
1/1/2002 Human beings climb. Always have, always will. First hills, then mountains, then pinnacles so high they're called "death zones." That's as high as legs could carry them, but not high enough. So people invented balloons, blimps, airplanes, and spacecraft, the higher the better—to a point. Astronomical Evidences for the God of the Bible
1/1/1992 If the universe is created and the creator is impersonal, then love, compassion, and care are merely illusions. On the other hand, if the Creator is personal, then these attributes and others such as beauty, altruism, mercy, and justice are real and meaningful. Beginning and End of Cosmology
7/16/2007 The irony of modern-day astrophysics is that the more astronomers study the light of the universe the darker the universe appears. Study of the brightest galaxies in the universe persuaded astronomers that 99 percent of the matter in the universe was dark. And measurements of the brightest stars convinced astronomers that three times as much dark energy existed as did dark matter. Big Bang - The Bible Taught It First!
7/1/2000 Most science textbooks that address cosmology credit Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson with the discovery that the universe arose from a hot big bang creation event. While it is true that they were the first (1965) to detect the radiation left over from the creation event Black Holes Provide More Evidence for Strings
10/15/2007 Arguably the most hotly debated theory in physics is string theory, the concept that at the core of every fundamental particle resides a tiny string or loop of energy that vibrates in nine different dimensions of space. Black Holes, Singularities, and Wormholes
4/1/2001 From a realistic rather than science fiction perspective, the wormhole question is moot. Since black holes are relatively rare, the probability that the singularities of two spatially distant black holes would come into contact is virtually zero, as is the probability that any possible wormhole would lie in a location useful for alien space travel. Buttressing the Distance Ladder Foundation for Cosmic Creation
7/1/2007 Not until Albert Einstein produced his theory of general relativity in 1916 did scientists even consider the possibility that the cosmos continually expands. And yet five ancient writers-Job, David, Isaiah, Jerehiah, and Zechariah-all described this expansion more than two thousand years ago. For centuries the Bible stood alone as the only text making such a claim about the universe. Close Encounters of a Deadly Kind
4/1/2000 Recent studies of the Edgeworth-Kuiper asteroid belt reveal the “amazing circumstances” required to make our solar system a suitable place for life.1 The belt itself is a recent discovery. It consists of thousands of asteroids orbiting beyond Neptune. In January 2000, an international team of astronomers recognized that the orbits of these asteroids faithfully record our sun’s close encounters with other stars over the past 4.6 billion years. Coreless Terrestrial Planets
1/19/2009 It is now obvious to all planetary scientists that Earth possesses many apparently designed features that have enabled it to support life for billions of years, and to support advanced life in particular. As I described in last week’s Today’s New Reasons To Believe, two MIT planetary scientists added to the list of these features. Cosmic Brane Scans
7/1/2002 As physicians use scanning devices to view the hidden structures and activities of the brain, astronomers can now use distant supernovae and high-resolution cosmic background radiation maps to scan the structures and properties of “branes.” 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. Creation vs. Evolution: Why a Model Is Essential
8/25/2008 The public debate about teaching intelligent design has exposed widespread confusion both inside and outside the church about how the scientific enterprise operates. One of the most frequent complaints scientists make about the Intelligent Design movement is that their brand of intelligent design is not testable, falsifiable, or predictive. 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. Dietary Differences Separate Neanderthals from Humans
10/1/2001 You are what you eat. Paleoanthropologists from the United Kingdom and the United States recently used this principle to study the dietary habits of Neandertals and the earliest modern humans. 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. Extending the Reach of Cosmic Creation Measures
6/25/2007 Continual cosmic expansion under fixed physical laws from an actual beginning of matter, energy, space, and time is the heart and soul of the biblical cosmic creation model. Moreover, the physical constants that govern cosmic expansion, namely dark energy and the cosmic mass density, provide the most spectacular confirmed scientific evidence for the supernatural design of the universe for the benefit of humanity. Facing Up to Big Bang Challenges
1/1/2001 What danger lurks in associating big bang cosmology with biblical cosmology? Most Christian physicists, astronomers, and other scientists would say, “None.” Many Christian philosophers, theologians, pastors, and other nonscientists would say, “A big one.” 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). Fundamental Forces Show Greater Fine-Tuning
10/1/2000 A team of Austrian, German, and Hungarian astrophysicists has recently added evidence to the case for divine design, sweeping aside a recent challenge to the design argument I present in The Creator and the Cosmos.1 Galaxy Morphology and Structure Design
3/24/2008 In a recent meeting with insurance agents I learned that it is no longer politically correct to refer to an employee as overweight. The proper terminology is to say that someone is not tall enough for his or her weight. This description illustrates the difference between morphology and structure. A person’s rotundity is an example of a morphological feature. Someone’s skeletal dimensions exemplify structure. Gravitational Lens Measurements Yield New Cosmic Creation Test
6/18/2007 The heart and soul of the biblical cosmic creation model calls for continual cosmic expansion under fixed physical laws from an actual beginning of matter, energy, space, and time. For over two thousand years the Bible stood alone as the only text making such claims about the universe. Not until Albert Einstein produced his theory of general relativity in 1916 did scientists even consider the possibility of continual cosmic expansion. Gravitational Lens Test for Creation
10/1/2008 How Far Tells How Old
7/1/2000 The strength of cosmologists’ model for the origin and development of the universe rests in part on the certainty of astronomers’ distance measurements to stars and galaxies. The only direct measurements researchers have had for stellar distances are those based on trigonometry (specifically, a method called “trigonometric parallaxes”). 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. Jupiter's Migration Miracle
1/1/2002 A few years ago, a probe sent on a self-destruct mission into the interior of Jupiter revealed that Jupiter’s atmosphere grew dark and dry very soon after its formation.1 Continuing analysis of the data from that probe shows that Jupiter must have formed in a much colder place than where it now resides. The movement of Jupiter from its birth site to its present location, ideal for life on Earth, gives one more piece of evidence for the divine design of the solar system. Life on Mars
1/1/2004 It is not a matter of if, but a matter of when, the remains of life will be discovered on Mars. Will such a discovery shake the foundations of Christian faith? The answer lies in the difference between the words indigenous and transported. I reported sixteen years ago1 and in all three editions of The Creator and the Cosmos,2 that the nature and longevity of life on Earth makes the existence of Earth-life's remains on Mars and other solar system bodies a foregone conclusion. 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. Metal Matters
4/1/2001 Uranium and thorium play a vital role in the plate tectonics and volcanism of planets. Consequently, the amount of these two metallic elements influences the ability of any planet to support advanced life. 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. Missing Solar Neutrinos Found
4/1/2002 What makes the Sun shine? Where does Earth’s life-sustaining radiation originate? Astronomers answered these questions in part with the discovery of nuclear fusion, the same process that powers the hydrogen bomb. More Evidence for Supernatural Creation and Design of the Universe
1/5/2009 Important decisions in life, like whom to marry, are best made in the context of multiple independent confirmations along with efforts to improve their reliability. When all possible confirming efforts say she or he is the right one, one can be confident that the right decision has been made. 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 Most Accurate Distances Shore Up Creation History
3/3/2008 Opponents of big bang cosmology, both atheists and young-earth creationists, frequently attempt to push aside very compelling and overwhelming physical evidence in favor of this biblically predicted model1 by picking apart the limiting factor in determining the details of the cosmic creation story. This limiting factor is the ability of astronomers to determine accurate distances to other galaxies. Most Detailed Map of Cosmic Background Radiation Confirms Biblical Creation Model
7/1/2006 A team of American and Canadian astronomers dramatically strengthened the case for a big bang creation (thoroughly biblical1) when they released the latest map of radiation left over from the cosmic origin event.2 The team made public their analysis based on three years' continuous observations of that cosmic background radiation via satellite-the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP). Multifaceted Design of the Strong Nuclear Force
5/14/2007 Protons and neutrons are like people. There is a just-right separation distance between them to foster the best possible chemistry. Put them either too close or too far apart and their capacity to interact with one another will sharply diminish. To get the just-right interactions between protons and neutrons so that stable atoms, molecules, and chemistry are possible, it is critical that the strong nuclear force be exquisitely fine-tuned in several different ways. New Astronomical Proofs for the Existence of God
1/1/1998 "It really does matter, and matters very much, how we think about the cosmos," declares historian and college president Dr. George Roche. Immanual Kant, for example, posited an infinitely old and infinitely large universe. Such a universe Kant reasoned might permit an infinite number of random chances. Thus even such highly improbable events as atoms self-assembling into human beings might be possible. God, then, becomes unnecessary. Planet Formation: Problems with Water, Carbon, and Air
1/12/2009 Thanks to a study from two MIT planetary scientists, the rare planet doctrine now finds additional support. This is the conclusion that Earth has many unique, apparently designed features that enable it to support life and, in particular, advanced 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 Quest- A Recent Success
4/1/2000 Using the world’s largest optical telescope, the 400-inch KECK, three American astronomers recently discovered two Saturn-sized planets outside our solar system. Both orbit “main sequence” stars (stable, hydrogen-burning stars) like our sun.1 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. Predictive Power: Confirming Cosmic Creation
4/1/2002 Scientists focus enormous effort on turning detections (observations and measurements) into predictions. Meteorologists use data to predict temperatures, wind, and precipitation. Astronomers use data to predict meteor showers and eclipses. Primordial Helium Abundance Test of Big Bang Cosmology
11/26/2007 It is hard to exaggerate the theological significance of big bang cosmology. Until the twentieth century the Bible was the only “text” explicitly describing the fundamentals of big bang cosmology—a Causal Agent beyond space and time, a beginning of space and time, a beginning of matter and energy, continuous cosmic expansion, and constant laws of physics Putting the Big Bang to the Test
3/14/2003 In 1989 John Maddox, the physics editor for the prestigious journal, Nature, wrote an editorial entitled, “Down With the Big Bang,” in which he (a self-declared atheist) predicted that the big bang theory would not survive even the initial observations coming from the Hubble Space Telescope. Puzzling Rocks
3/9/2008 Imagine working a puzzle with pieces made by machines using different scales. It’d be like attempting to fit a child’s ten-piece puzzle with the tiny pieces of a complex jigsaw puzzle. While the pictures might be the same, pieces made using a 2:1 scale would never fit with pieces made using a 3:1 scale. 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. Rare Sun
4/1/2002 How often have you heard that “the Sun is just an average star?” If you’ve watched many TV documentaries or read introductory astronomy books, chances are you’ve heard it more than once. In fact, even most astronomers still believe the Sun is just an average star. 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. Speed of Gravity Measured, Scripture Validated
4/1/2003 General relativity and the biblical creation model received yet another boost on January 8, 2003, at the 201st meeting of the American Astronomical Society. The boost came from an announcement of the first-ever measurement of the speed of gravity.1 Spiral Galaxies: Too Frayed for Life?
1/1/2007 Spiral galaxies are like people: they fray as they age. As people gradually sag and wrinkle, so too a young galaxy's elegant spiral structure frays into myriad substructures-spurs, feathers, and filaments-branching off from the main spiral arms. These substructures interfere with the needs of advanced life. Star Formation in Dwarf Galaxies As a Test of Big Bang Cosmology
12/15/2008 Astronomers’ observations1 of the universe continue to support big bang cosmology–which the Bible has taught for centuries.2 The evidence shows, among other things, that the universe is predominantly comprised of dark energy (energy embedded in the space surface of the universe that causes the cosmic surface to expand faster and faster as the universe ages) and cold exotic dark matter (slow moving particles that weakly interact with photons). Star Formation Tests Big Bang
12/14/2008 Astronomers’ observations1 of the universe continue to support big bang cosmology–which the Bible has taught for centuries.2 The evidence shows, among other things, that the universe is predominantly comprised of dark energy (energy embedded in the space surface of the universe that causes the cosmic surface to expand faster and faster as the universe ages) and cold exotic dark matter (slow moving particles that weakly interact with photons). 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. Stronger Evidence for the Supernatural Creation and Design of the Universe
7/2/2007 Important decisions in life—like who to marry, what job to take, and what home to buy—are best made in the context of multiple independent confirmations. When every possible confirming source identifies the same choice, you can be confident you have made the correct decision. Summary of Reasons To Believe's Testable Creation Model
2/7/2000 One reason we evangelicals have had so little impact on secular society with our creation teachings is that we try to teach Genesis without presenting a testable creation model. We either focus all of our guns on what is wrong with naturalism or we duck the issue by claiming that Genesis presents no specific creation model. Thus, we are perceived by society as either negative or cowardly. Testing Cosmic Creation Models, Part 1
4/21/2008 At two different outreach events this past month I met both atheists and young-earth creationists who expressed skepticism concerning the evidence I presented for the biblically predicted big bang creation model. Testing Cosmic Creation Models, Part 2
4/28/2008 In my previous contribution to Today’s New Reason To Believe I described how Bayesian statistical analysis by two Polish researchers on the latest measurements defining the history of the universe had yielded additional scientific evidence for the biblically predicted big bang creation model. The Faint Sun Paradox
7/1/2002 Debates over global warming—how to measure it, the causes and effects, what to do about it and when—have raged for decades, with no resolution yet in view. Huge media coverage and multiplied millions of research dollars have focused on the possible impact of a fraction-of-a-degree average temperature increase worldwide over the span of a century or so. 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, The Measurability of the Universe––a Record of the Creator’s Design
10/1/2000 If the universe were not measurable, scientific study would be impossible. Astronomy, biology, chemistry, cosmology, geology, physics, and the other disciplines of science would be no less quixotic than alchemy or astrology. Science would not—could not—shed much light in the cosmic darkness. The Milky Way: An Exceptional Galaxy
7/30/2007 The rare Earth doctrine, the conclusion that Earth has many unique features that enable it to support life and, in particular, advanced life, is well established within the scientific community. The discovery of about 250 extrasolar planets, combined with spacecraft missions to explore the outer solar system, likewise is beginning to establish the rare solar system doctrine. Now, a new doctrine is emerging to complement the others—the rare Milky Way Galaxy doctrine. The Sun's Stable Diameter
10/1/2001 The Sun has the reputation of being the most stable burning star that astronomers observe. Its extreme stability allows humans to exist on Earth. Variations in its burning, periods of significantly greater intensity followed by periods of lesser intensity would render advanced life impossible. The Unraveling of Starlight and Time
3/22/1999 In 1994 a physicist who is prominent in the young-earth movement, Dr. D. Russell Humphreys, unveiled a proposed alternative cosmology1 which, it was claimed, resolved a long-standing problem for the young-earth movement --- how light could travel billions of light years from distant galaxies during the passage of only a few thousand years of Earth time... Time Dilation Attests Cosmic Creation Models
10/1/2003 The biblical creation model—starting with a universe that began transcendently, then continually expands and cools through time1 (popularly known as the big bang)—has passed yet another crucial scientific test, the time dilation test. Here’s some background: If the universe is expanding from a big bang creation event, the most distant objects observable must be moving away from Earth-bound observers at very high speed, as fast as 10 to 80 percent the velocity of light. 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. Water on Mars: What Does It Mean?
7/1/2000 On June 22, NASA astronomers held a press conference to announce their discovery of “recently” cut gullies, indicators of flowing water, on the Martian surface.1, 2 The discovery stirred excitement for several reasons—some practical, some ideological, and some (perhaps) political. Where Did Earth Get Its Phosphorus?
10/13/2008 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. Where Is the Cosmic Density Fine-Tuning?
7/23/2007 In addressing audiences about the fine-tuning of the cosmic expansion rate, I have used the illustration that adding or subtracting a single dime to the mass of the observable universe would be enough of a change to make physical life impossible. WMAP Offers Spectacular Proof of Creation Events
4/1/2003 Preliminary results from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) have stirred great excitement among physicists.1 Radiometers on board the satellite are sending NASA researchers by far the most detailed maps to date of the radiation left over from the cosmic creation event—specifically of the temperature fluctuations in that radiation. TCM - Cosmic DesignBig Bang Test/Homochirality
Author: Hugh Ross, Fuz Rana, and Joe Aguirre Death in the Deep: Volcanoes Blamed for Mass Extinction
Author: Dr. Jeff Zweerink Expansion of the Universe and DNA Barcoding
Author: Hugh Ross, Fuz Rana, Kenneth Samples, and Joe Aguirre Hubble Telescope Captures Crashing Galaxies
Author: Dr. Jeff Zweerink Intermittent Plate Tectonics Beneficial for Life
Author: Hugh Ross, Jeff Zweerink, Kenneth Samples, and Joe Aguirre Old Rocks Affirm Creation Model
Fuz Rana, Ken Samples, Jeff Zweerink, and Joe Aguirre Search for a Solar Twin?
Author: Hugh Ross, Dave Rogstad, Kenneth Samples, and Joe Aguirre The Cosmos and Christ
Hugh Ross, Jeff Zweerink, and Ken Samples Unique Universe
Author: Hugh Ross, Jeff Zweerink, and Kenneth Samples TCM - Cosmic Design |