News to Note, August 21, 2010

1. Mitochondrial Eve

When evolutionary scientists speak of “mitochondrial Eve,” they may be referencing the biblical Eve, but the woman they have in mind isn’t quite the same.

2. Bacteria’s Sense of Smell

Bacteria may seem like senseless life-forms, but researchers have discovered that the tiny organisms have a sense of smell.

3. Oldest Found Remains of Animals

Last week it was the oldest remains of the earth. This week, it’s the oldest remains of animals.

4. The Exodus of Youth from Church and “Wannabe Cool” Christianity

The exodus of youth from the church continues, but one evangelical casts doubt on the stopgap strategy of “wannabe cool” Christianity.

5. Creation Museum Causing “Discomfort” for Visitors?

While we know our Creation Museum may be something of a headache for many evolutionists, this is the first we’ve heard of the widely acclaimed museum causing “discomfort” for visitors.

6. And Don’t Miss . . .

• Scientists have discovered that a menacing ancient reptile—thought to be extinct before humans were on the scene—actually coexisted with humans for a time. No, it isn’t the dinosaur; it’s the giant turtle Meiolaniid.
• Disease: is it a product of evolution or does it stem from the corruption of God’s perfect design?
• News of mammoth ivory being used in lieu of (restricted) elephant ivory reminds us that the two creatures were most likely part of the same created kind. The ivory is recovered from “mass graves” of mammoths, which suggests a catastrophic demise.
• While we aren’t surprised that a paper about a passage of Scripture has been pulled from Virology Journal, the problems with it seem largely superficial. The paper claims that a scene in the Gospels is one of the earliest human recordings of influenza. But one pundit writes, “Had the researchers examined some newly found document, mummified body, or other forensic evidence, that would be one thing. But using the gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke in the New King James version of the Bible as the entire data set made ‘Virology Journal’ look like ‘Mad’ magazine or ‘The Onion.’” While it may be true that the paper did not meet the technical requirements for publication in the journal, the pundit seems to imply that any research that treats the Bible academically is off limits.
• We don’t know that this comic strip’s author is a creationist, but a humorous strip earlier this week gives us an opportunity to mention the clock in the rock.

Remember, if you see a news story that might merit some attention, let us know about it! (Note: if the story originates from the Associated Press, Fox News, MSNBC, the New York Times, or another major national media outlet, we will most likely have already heard about it.) And thanks to all of our readers who have submitted great news tips to us. If you didn’t catch last week’s News to Note, why not take a look at it now? See you next week!

(Please note that links will take you directly to the source. Answers in Genesis is not responsible for content on the websites to which we refer. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy.)