Posted on October 27, 2012
Radioactive Decay
In order to explain what I found while studying radioisotope dating for my geology presentation I need to explain some basics of how it all works. If you already know this stuff, just bear with me, we will get to the revolutionary findings. Like I said before, I want to try to make this as kid-friendly as possible, so please realize that I may explain some relatively simple concepts. First of all, to understand all of this amazing research, you need to have a basic understanding of radioactive decay and how it works. That will be the prime objective of this week’s Clue.
When many people hear the word “radioactive” they think about bombs, secret laboratories, and government conspiracies. In reality, radioactive decay, in the general sense, really is not that extravagant. Nuclear merely means about the nucleus of an atom. Radioactive decay is happening all around you all the time and even inside your body, although most of it isn’t very dangerous. An atom is the smallest possible bit of matter (matter is just stuff), but it can actually split up into three parts: the protons, neutrons, and elections. Protons, which have a positive charge, like a magnet, and the neutrons, which have no charge, are clumped together in the center, or nucleus, of an atom. Since the electrons have a negative charge, they are attracted to the positive charge of the protons in the nucleus. But, instead of sticking to the nucleus like a magnet would, the electrons spin around the nucleus of the atom.
Because neutrons are neutral, the number of neutrons in the same element can be different. The atomic number (e.g., Uranium-238) is calculated by adding the number of protons and the number of neutrons together. Carbon has several different isotopes, including Carbon-12 and Carbon-14. Both have 6 protons, making them Carbon, but C-12 has 6 neutrons and C-14 has 8 neutrons. Having more neutrons than protons can cause an atom to be unstable and it wants to lose one of its neutrons. An atom can do this shooting our, or emitting, two protons and two neutrons (which is the same a helium nucleus) called an alpha particle (α-particle). This is how alpha decay works, and although there are other types of radioactive decay, this is all you need to know about radioactive decay to understand what I want to tell you about. Please don’t be shy about asking questions that seem simple, because asking simple questions is how I was able to understand the much harder concepts.
Posted on October 19, 2012
The Magic Wand
Last week, I did a presentation for my geology class on radioisotope dating methods. Before presentation day though, I did a lot of research on this topic, so this Clue of the Week will be the first in a series about some of the things I learned from my research. This topic can get rather technical very quickly, but in these Clues, I will try my best to explain the things I learned as simply as I can. Since children’s’ ministry is the main focus of Creation Clues, I want to make these clues simple enough for children to understand them. I never like being told that I am too young or not knowledgeable enough to understand things in science that I’m curious about, so I at least want to give these kids a chance to try to understand radioisotope dating. I will be explaining a lot of background and basics, so if you already know these things, just bear with me, we will get to the new and exciting facts soon.
I picked radioisotope dating for my topic because billions of years are supposedly proved by radioisotope dating, but as you will see later, this is not the case. Billions of years are like the evolutionist’s magic wand: any problems with evolution, like a lack of transitional forms, for example, are waved away by the magic of billions of years – “given enough time, anything could happen”. If I recall correctly, a few months ago, there was an article in Answers Update about billions of years being the pet of evolutionists. Ken Ham wrote in this article that evolutionists get more defensive about billions of years than they do about evolution, because if you take away their billions of years, you take away the lifeline of evolution. Also, atheists do not mind if Christians believe in a specially created universe as long as Christians don’t try to take away their magic wand, billions of years. Atheists figure that if they can get Christians to doubt the Bible, and hence doubt God, by accepting billions of years, it’s just a matter of time or a few generations before we will accept evolution and atheism as well. Billions of years is the heart of evolution; that’s why I put so much time and effort into studying radioisotope dating. I hope you enjoy this series as much as I enjoyed doing the research for it.
Posted on October 12, 2012
Baffling Bones
There is an intricate, three-dimensional puzzle that fits together in such a way that it intrigues scientists to devote a lifetime’s worth of work into figuring out how all of these amazing pieces not only fit together, but also move smoothly and swiftly in their specific places. Yet, still, the greatest human minds are baffled by these puzzles. These mind-boggling puzzles are not at all rare; in fact, I am very close to one of these as a write this, as are you as you read it. So what is this marvelous, yet common mystery? They’re bones!
A couple of weeks ago, I got the chance to experience one of these grand mysteries myself, as I attempted to piece together mammoth foot bones. Before working on that unsorted box of bones, I had never taken any real notice of the feet on the mastodon displayed at the museum where I work (Mt. Blanco Fossil Museum). However, after spending several hours just trying to figure out where a few of the bones belong, and whether they were front, back, left, or right, I now have an entirely new appreciation for mammoth bones and bones in general.
There are so many different curves and edges on these bones that we generally just take for granted and simply don’t think about. Not only did each bone have to fit with just one other bone next to it, but it had to fit with bones above, bellow, on every side, and at even the smallest points of contact with just the corners touching (if they could even be thought of as simply corners). They were all kinds of shapes and sizes too; one of my favorites was heart shaped if you look at it from either the top or bottom side. These bones are a testimony to the fact that they were specifically designed by a God Who cares about even the smallest detail of how they fit together in such a way that they can move almost constantly, and yet still be together perfectly. There is no way that these bones could have evolved or “happen” to be put together in a way that works so beautifully. No, they are wonderfully and intricately designed – as are each and every one of us!
Posted on October 6, 2012
Disturbing discord
Have you ever noticed that sometimes the most difficult people to get along with are either family members or fellow Christians (especially those in one’s local body)? Unfortunately, I personally am not especially good at the art of getting along well all the time with others, so I speak from experience on this dreadful subject. I have sometimes wondered why the people we agree with fundamentally are so often our worst enemies. I have noticed that this is no different for creation scientists. I have never had the privilege of being in the company of a group of more than two creation scientists at once, but I can read between the lines and hear the way they talk about each other well enough to tell that there is a lot a disagreement among them.
I am a huge fan of the RATE (Radioisotopes and the Age of The Earth) group; a group of six creation scientists who made many monumental discoveries regarding modern dating methods. However, it was evident from merely reading the introduction in their book documenting their research that these six scientists really disagreed on a lot of the minor details, so much that they had to recruit a seventh creation scientist, Dr. Larry Vardiman, to moderate between them. I think that this is partially due to the fact that evolution and billions of years are the only things that these scientists are taught in college. I have seen for myself how hard it really is to have to re-interpret everything they are teaching us in schools. Creationists are rarely in classes together on a secular campus, so we sort of have to fend for ourselves and reconcile all the little things we learn in classes personally to fit our model. Interpretations of geologic layers is a very good example of this because all we are ever taught in geology classes is that it all the layers were gradually deposited over billions of years, but we individually have to try to figure out in our heads what layers were flood layers and which were from the ice age.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying that it we should always agree with each other. On the contrary, debating ideas is one of the only ways we will be able to make progress in our scientific and theological understanding. But, we should not hold these things against one another and start taking sides. As Jesus said in Matthew 12, every “house divided against itself shall not stand”. In all of our disagreements, don’t lose sight of the big picture, ask yourself it this will help or hurt the creation cause as a whole. Remember that we are in Spiritual warfare, and must help those who are fighting with us, just as Benjamin Franklin noted, “We must, indeed, all hang together, or we will most assuredly hang separately”. I really wish that all of the leading creation scientists would get along better, because for me, as a young aspiring creation scientist, it makes our task a lot harder when the people we look up to are in discord with one another. As a whole, remember 1John 3:16, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
Posted on September 28, 2012
Dying Daily
The dark, crowded prison smelled awful. She had walked for miles carrying a heavy basket loaded with as much food as she could obtain. She was expecting a child and due any day. She fought tirelessly throughout the day meeting with and pleading with influential people trying desperately to get her husband free from prison, or at least spared from execution. When her beloved husband was suddenly transported to a different prison, she carried her baby, following behind through rough ground and an icy creek. Alone in a new village she continued to care for her husband under even worse conditions than before until finally, he was released. By that time, the many years of sorrow and hardship had taken their toll on the frail young woman so she lived for a very short time in the happy life after those trials.
Ann Judson was an incredible woman, one whom I deeply admire. She and her husband, Adoniram Judson, were among the first missionaries to Burma. Her courage and undying love for both her God and her husband had incredible influence on the lives of many, although she did not get to see the mission work in Burma firmly established, nor did any of her children survive to the age of ten. Unlike most Christian martyrs, she was never faced directly with the choice of “deny Jesus or we’ll kill you”, rather she had to daily choose to continue to die to self and pour our all she could be into what she believed.
You might be wondering what in the world a young missionary woman has to do with creation science. It has absolutely everything to do with creation science. Of course, both she and creationists today strive to serve God and give glory to him, but most significantly, Ann Judson was willing to sacrifice her life daily for her God. Who are we to stand aside and let evolutionists try to tear glory away from our Blessed Creator, to Whom it rightfully belongs? We must follow in the steps of the heroes of our faith that came before us, like Ann Judson, and stand up for the truth, even if it means giving up our lives. Most of us will probably never have to literally die for the creation cause (in America at least), but can live for it, and choose every day to face the consequences of those sacrifices in our ordinary lives. Those sacrifices could mean being mocked, scoffed, given a bad grade, rejected, censored, or even fired. But, what is any of that in comparison to the daily sacrifices Ann Judson chose to make? Please, don’t just be willing to die once for what you believe, but be willing to live for it – to die to self every day rather than merely once in a lifetime.
Posted on September 21, 2012
Domino Effect
Many rectangular white pieces with specific arrangements of dots on either side of a lateral dark line splitting the domino in half are carefully balanced upright. One right after another, they stand in a line that curves around and forms an elaborate spiral. Someone touches the domino at the farthest edge of the spiral. It rocks back and forth – hesitates – then topples backwards on the next domino, which instantly falls on the next one, and in just seconds, the glorious flash of black and white swirling rapidly towards the center of the spiral reaches its final resting place and all is once again quite and still. This is the domino effect, and it all happened because that one domino fell.
I realized something rather horrifying recently; my decisions affect those around me, sometimes quite radically. It’s one thing when I suffer the consequences of making a bad (or even just slightly less than optimal) decision, but when innocent bystanders suffer as a result of something I’ve done, or neglected to do, that takes regret to a much more potent level. It does not necessarily take disobedience to start a domino effect; it can also happen when we delay our obedience. When Adam and Eve decided to disobey God in the garden and partake of the forbidden fruit, they started the first serious domino effect on mankind. Because they sinned, we all have a sinful nature and we are in need of a Savior. We are all guilty before God. God created everything perfect and declared it good, but when Adam and Eve sinned, they started a tragic domino effect on mankind, causing death, suffering, pain, and (most significantly) separation to enter into the universe. This is in stark contrast to evolution, which basically says that these things are normal, necessary for upward evolutionary progression (survival of the fittest), and even good. Just that it allegedly starts with the “Big Bang” tells us that it’s not in agreement with Scriptures.
Our actions, and even our ideas, have consequences. However, that does not mean that we are always bound to destroying things and causing a bad domino effect, because we can use that same influence for good instead of evil. Granted, it is much harder to start a forward fall than a backwards one, but with God’s help it is possible. No matter how far we fall backwards, there is always hope for redemption as long as we live. It is never easy to get back up when we fall, but with Jesus holding our hand and walking alongside us, we can; like it says in Psalm 37:23-24 “the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and He delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with His hand.”
Posted on September 14, 2012
Why Science?
This week, I have been doing some research for a presentation I am assigned to do for my geology class this semester. I plan to post at least some of what I find here on a later date. Some of the papers, articles, and books I’ve encountered have been fairly technical and really require me to think. The subject I picked is somewhat complicated as a whole. I am certain that I can’t possibly understand or know all there is to know about my subject, or really anything in science for that matter. No one can. So, then why do we study science? If we will never figure it all out, why even bother embarking on a seemingly endless journey?
Not all scientists have the same (or even remotely similar) answers to these questions. As a Christian and a creationist, I study science not only because it is God’s marvelous gift of our incredibly designed habitat and His creation full of intricate variety that demonstrate God’s sovereignty and omniscience, but also because He commanded us to study it. Science is part of the dominion mandate (Genesis 1:28) because exploring creation is absolutely necessary in order to have dominion over it. No European leader could rule over or have dominion over North American territories until after they sent explorers to figure out exactly what was across the ocean. It’s interesting to note that many of the original great scientists, like Galileo and Newton, were Christians who wanted to explore creation because of their faith, not in spite of it.
However, evolutionists really have no foundational reason for exploring science. In fact, studying science is actually not logical under evolutionary assumptions because it contradicts some of their foundational beliefs. There would be no reason for a person to do experiments and expect patterns (e.g. when I drop something, it falls, hence the law of gravity) if he or she believes everything is a result of accidents and random chance. Neither would they have any logically consistent reason to believe that their senses and memory are basically reliable or believe that laws of logic are universal and unchanging so that they could make a scientific conclusion from an experiment; those are all creationist assumptions that anyone must borrow in order to study science or even attempt to make a sound argument against creation. Furthermore, it would not be logically consistent for an evolutionist to try to convince a creationist of his or her position if they really believed evolution was true because it goes against their idea of survival of the fittest. Why should an evolutionist care if they believe I am wrong? Under their ideology, why disturb “Nature’s” work of natural selection? So you see, everyone can and does study science because our universe is a grand masterpiece, purposefully designed by our Creator, whether or not they believe that He created it all.
Posted on September 7, 2012
Case of the Accidental Stegosarus
Once upon a time, there was a small town museum. No one knew where it had come from, it was just there. On a bright sunny morning, there was a massive spontaneous explosion in the museum, and over a course of many years plaster, water, lacquer, paint, and foam all somehow formed from the debris produced by the explosion. Well, as the years progressed, some beams rotted and fell on a water bucket, pouring its contents into a container of dry plaster and a dust devil which happened to be in just the right place at just the right time mixed the plaster and laid it perfectly in some molds that happened to form nearby. Many years later, a tornado blew through the area, pulling the pieces carefully out of their molds and putting them together so that they just happened to be perfectly in line with each other. Years later, a strong wind splashed lacquer and paint in lovely patterns on the plaster form and – voila, there is a perfect life-size model of a Stegosaurus. It all came about by random chance.
I hope that you were not fooled for a minute by my little fairy tale. I know firsthand that the life-size Stegosaurus model was very carefully designed, plans were laid out, and molds were designed to fit perfectly together. It took only a few years of planned steps rather than many years of purposeless, arbitrary accidents. It is absurd to think that this lifeless model could have come about without a conscious builder, but how much more illogical is it to suppose that a real Stegosaurus with functioning organs, down to the order of each cell in its body, and an incredible symbiotic relationship with its habitat could have come about by mere chaos? Yet, that is exactly what evolution teaches.
According to the Big Bang theory, everything in the universe is a result of an explosion which originally came from the point they call the “singularity”. However, the question still remains of exactly where the singularity came from. I know that some Christians like to say that God caused the Big Bang, but the God the Bible teaches about is loving, just, omnipotent, and personal. There is no logical reason why that kind of God would start creation with destruction (an explosion); the Bible says that destruction is a result of man’s sin, not God’s perfect creation, as He stated that it was “good” many times throughout creation week. We were lovingly designed by our creator, we were not an accident. No sane person would die to save a bunch of flawed accidents, but a compassionate Creator would give His life for the ransom of His precious, purposefully designed children.
Posted on September 7, 2012
It’s Designed To Do What It Does Do Song
Posted on August 29, 2012
Heavenly Hope, Part 2
As we saw in the first part of this clue series, Charles Darwin had a rather sad childhood. In some ways, a person might think that Darwin had a fairly pleasant life. He was wealthy, well educated, successful, and full of fairly new and radical ideas. But something was missing in Darwin’s life; he had no hope. Darwin did most of the research for Origin of Species on his voyage on the Beagle which began in 1832, although the book was not published until 1859. Many people have pondered and speculated why there is such a large time lapse between Darwin’s voyage and the publishing of his work. I believe that the true reason is that Darwin had not completely dismissed the idea of God until his beloved daughter Annie died in 1851. She was only ten years old when she died, after suffering greatly for about a year. Since Darwin could not reconcile himself to a loving and just Creator who would let horrible things like that happen to “innocent” people like Annie, he rejected God.
Charles Darwin rejected the creation account in Genesis long before he published Origin of Species because he rejected the part about suffering and death being the result of man’s sin, not God’s creation. When God said that His creation was good, He was not referring to suffering, death, and pain; those are all consequences of man’s choice to sin. But, because we can trust the account of man’s sin in Genesis, we can also trust the gospel of salvation. Jesus was innocent and perfect, far better than Annie Darwin, but He chose to suffer unimaginable cruelty and suffering so that He can offer the gift of salvation to anyone who chooses to accept it. Those who choose to accept His gift will receive everlasting life in Heaven, where there is no suffering, tears, pain, parting, or death. I can live each day joyfully in the sunshine, with heavenly hope, because I know where I’m headed, thanks to Genesis and the rest of the Bible.
