News to Note, October 13, 2012

1. Building a Beak

There’s more than one way to build a beak.

2. Mamba Venom Derives from Gene Duplication

Venomous variations of nontoxic proteins and a potent painkiller in mamba venom point to variability available within created kinds.

3. Extinct Marine Crocodiles Resemble Killer Whales

Extinct marine crocodiles resemble killer whales

4. The First Amendment and Abortion

First amendment hangs in the balance.

5. Evolutionary Teaching Creates Stumbling Block to Savior

Congressman shares belief that evolutionary teaching creates a stumbling block to understanding our need for our Savior.

And Don’t Miss . . .

• Serial ultrasounds of a pregnant chimpanzee reveal that chimpanzee brains, like those of humans, grow rapidly until 22 weeks gestation. Human brain size continues to increase rapidly, but a chimp’s does not. New Scientist reports, “This suggests that as the brain of modern humans rapidly evolved, differences between the two species emerged before birth as well as afterwards.” Of course, the comparative ultrasounds only “suggest” that if you already believe humans evolved from ape-like ancestors. Comparing humans and apes cannot demonstrate common ancestry. The fossil record, genomic analyses, intellectual comparisons, cute monkey movies, and comparative ultrasounds can only reveal similarities and differences, not origins. Origins are past and cannot be tested or observed scientifically. Differences do not demonstrate evolutionary divergence; they’re just differences in design. God did not create humans from animal raw material but as fully mature and perfect beings, made in His image. God created Adam and Eve about 6,000 years ago on the same day as apes, but not from them—we have the Creator’s Word on it.