News to Note, September 12, 2009

1. Skull Rewrites the Book

The history of human evolution is clear: we all came from Africa the Middle East Europe.

Recently discovered fossils from Tbilisi, Georgia, may rewrite the prevailing evolutionary ideas about human origins.

2. Evolution Leads to Tooth Decay

Tooth loss and molecular decay purportedly prove Charles Darwin right. Does that mean brushing twice a day keeps evolution away?

3. Another Bad Idea

It’s a zinc world after all?

When the Miller-Urey experiment was performed in 1953, the two scientists generated amino acids in an environment they believed was much like the early earth (a “reducing” atmosphere of methane, hydrogen, ammonia, and water vapor). However, the problem is that the conditions they used are no longer considered to be accurate for when life supposedly arose on earth.

4. What They Didn't Find

The scene is reminiscent of a movie: intrepid explorers pierce the wilderness and stumble upon a trove of amazing species rarely—if ever—seen before.

5. What Came From Fat?

As far back as 2001, creationists pointed to liposuctioned fat as a source of stem cells that didn’t require the destruction of embryonic human life. Good to see secular scientists catching on.

6. And Don’t Miss . . .

• Get ready for more Darwin at the box office. The curiously titled Creation features “Charles Darwin’s learned struggle to trace our arrogant species back to its humble origins.” With a script that sets the stage by claiming, “Science is at war with religion,” we can imagine who the “hero” is.
• Congratulations to Dr. Kurt Wise, who recently joined the staff of Truett-McConnell College in Cleveland, Georgia, as a professor of natural sciences. Thanks to his appointment, the college has also established the Creation Research Center with Dr. Wise (who holds a PhD from Harvard) as the center’s director. We thank God for the increasing interest in creation research in colleges and universities across America.
• The Hubble Space Telescope showed off its latest “makeover” with stunning images of galaxies, stars, Jupiter, and other beautiful features of our universe. Although many secular astronomers claim Hubble will give them a look at the first stars from “more than 13 billion years ago,” the Bible—and science—reveal another story.
• Scientists have discovered how one species of cactus (Pachycereus pringlei) manages to grow out of bare rock: rock-dissolving bacteria live on the cactus’s roots. As creationist Paul Garner points out, this symbiotic relationship teaches us a great deal about the role of microorganisms in creation.
• On the other hand, however, the Fall has disrupted the perfect balance that once existed, which is why many bacteria and viruses now cause diseases. New research on XMRV (Xenotropic murine leukemia virus (MLV)-related virus) suggests a link to prostate cancer. Many symbiotic relationships (such as the rock-destroying bacteria) continue to function, but some (such as XMRV) have become corrupted.

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