The Ark Encounter theme park in Kentucky is filled with signs and displays that promote young-earth interpretations of geology, astronomy, biology, archaeology and theology. I have critiqued many of these interpretations before (e.g. My Trip to the Ark Encounter and Depicting a Real Flood with Unrealistic Images). Today, I want to talk about one sign.... Continue Reading →
What is the origin of the Hawaiian Islands? The exploration of that question consumed my attention for several years. At that time—way back in the 1990s—I was a post-doctoral researcher at Southern Illinois University sequencing chloroplast genes from holoparasitic plants. At the same time I discovered list-serve discussion groups, I was given creation science literature... Continue Reading →
Everyday a new piece of earth's history is uncovered. And everyday those discoveries add a new puzzle piece for young-earth creationists to try to fit into their 6000-year picture of earth's biological and geology history. Yesterday's new puzzle piece comes in the form of seven large footprints on a slab of rock. They were found... Continue Reading →
How many animals did Noah preserve on the Ark? I often see critics of young-earth creationists (YECs) challenge Noah’s Ark with the question, how could Noah have fit all two million species on the ark?  When I see this challenge posed on Facebook or Twitter it is invariably coming from an individual that knows very... Continue Reading →
A committed young-earth creationist, Dr. Todd Wood, and an equally committed evolutionary creationist, Dr. Darrel Falk, spend time with each other.  At first both are suspicious of the other’s Christian credentials. One feels like he is thought to be a fool the other is concerned that he is looked down upon as a heretic. Through... Continue Reading →
Are modern horse species descendants of a small dog-sized common ancestor or do all fossil horse-like species represent unique creations? For many, this dichotomous choice may sound like a setup to test if a person is an atheist evolutionist or a bible believing Christian. However, we previously noted that this is a question that literal... Continue Reading →
"A horse is a horse, of course, of course, and no one can talk to a horse, of course, unless, of course, the horse, of course, is the famous Mr. Ed!" Â From the introduction to the 1960s TV show "Mr Ed" No one disputes that Mr. Ed was a horse but what about the plains... Continue Reading →
We are currently in the midst of an extinction crisis.  Species are disappearing at an ever-accelerating pace. It is striking that not long ago the idea that any species could go extinct was unthinkable.  Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1707-1788) was one of the first to suggest that extinction was a possibility. But during Leclerc’s... Continue Reading →
YEC, GT, AoA, OEC, ID, PC, EC, TE? These acronyms refer to theistic models of earth’s biological and physical history.  Do you know which models each of these letter combinations refer to? If so, do you know which one best characterizes your view? If you don’t—or if you don’t know, or are not sure, into... Continue Reading →
The satire site, The Babylon Bee, published a fiction piece earlier this year in which Ken Ham claimed that Mike Trout's amazing baseball abilities are the best evidence we have of intelligent design. The Bee’s clever satire got me thinking about the nature of God’s contingent actions in the world which have traditionally been identified... Continue Reading →
Creationist' literature can be baffling to read at times. It doesn't just contain common misunderstandings of science and theology but often it leaves you with the impression that they haven’t thought through the implications of what they have written. As a result, one article frequently contradicts the thesis, or even the facts, of another. Today’s... Continue Reading →
Cancers are composed of cells that have forgotten who they are supposed to be. They become independent brats in the body, hogging resources and dividing uncontrollably. From the cancers perspective the problem is that being a spoiled brat may bring short-term rewards, like lots of offspring and freedom from having to do the job they... Continue Reading →
Question: Â What kind of bird is flightless, waddles standing upright on the ground, is an excellent swimmer, breeds in colonies on rocky shores, lives on a diet of fish and has a white belly and black back, and most importantly is not a penguin? The answer: The extinct great auk. You can think of the... Continue Reading →
Birds, like all organisms, employ many strategies to ensure that their offspring will survive, thereby allowing the continued existence of the species. Some birds produce elaborate nests high in trees, on rocky ledges or even inside caves to protect them from ground-dwelling predators. Others, like penguins and many shorebirds, nest together, overwhelming predators by sheer... Continue Reading →
Ostriches are curious creatures. They are very large birds that, although they have large wings, are incapable of flight. They make themselves at home in some of the most inhospitable places.  They lay their eggs in simple dirt nests and behave in ways that have perplexed our ancestors since they first laid eyes on them. ... Continue Reading →
