News to Note, September 26, 2009

1. Toy T. rex

Would a miniature T. rex be any less frightening than the real thing?

While newly studied fossil Raptorex kriegsteini shows the same menacing features as T. rex, in real life it would have been 90 times less massive than the iconic dinosaurs. Thus—and perhaps not surprisingly—it’s being dubbed a “missing link” between older dinosaurs and T. rex.

2. No Religion Rising

More and more Americans don’t identify with any religion. Are we to blame?

One critic emailed the linked article to us, claiming sarcastically, “Your support of ‘intelligent design’ seems to be effective at decreasing Christianity. Congrats!” We’ll have more on that in a moment, but first, what’s the news?

3. The Rusting Planet

What does the coloration of Mars say about its age?

Identification of Mars as “the Red Planet” is common knowledge even for non-astronomers, and its color is known to stand out to the sky gazer’s naked eye. But despite the association, Mars may not have always been red, researchers announce.

4. Exact Great Pyramid Construction Date

How could construction on Egypt’s Great Pyramid have begun in 2470 BC if the Flood reshaped the earth over a century later?

5. Darwin Movie Controversial

Is the new film Creation (the opposite of what it sounds like) too edgy for American audiences?

This month marks the release of the British film Creation, all about the life of Charles Darwin. But according to producer Jeremy Thomas, for a while the film was just too controversial for any U.S. distributor to touch.

6. And Don’t Miss . . .

• The “floppy” wings of many insects are actually a brilliant design—they lead to more efficient flight, reports ScienceNOW on a new study of the desert locust. The lessons of the study will be applied in designing flying robots.
• Those cute giant pandas—they should just die out, says evolutionist Chris Packham, who says the creatures have reached an “evolutionary cul-de-sac.” And indeed, why should any evolutionist care about natural selection driving other species extinct? Creation offers the genuine, unselfish reasons for conservation.
• New research from the University of Cambridge shows patients in a vegetative or minimally conscious state may actually be able to learn, at least in a Pavlovian sense. Perhaps this discovery will affect the discussion about appropriate care and expectations for patients in those circumstances.
• Scientists continue to reflect on the relationship between modern humans and Neanderthals—especially because researchers are moving toward a complete sequencing of the Neanderthal genome.
• A possible illustration of the fast growth of the human race after creation and after the Flood may be found in the obituary of Rachel Krishevsky, an Israeli woman who leaves behind an estimated 1,400 descendants.