Category: News & Pop Culture

Fossils challenge evolutionary record

From the BBC:

Two hominid fossils discovered in Kenya are challenging a long-held view of human evolution.

According to the article,the hominid Homo habilis was previously thought to have evolved into the more advanced Homo erectus, which evolved into us.
Now, habilis and erectus are thought to be sister species that overlapped in time.

“Their co-existence makes it unlikely that Homo erectus evolved from Homo habilis,” said co-author Professor Meave Leakey, palaeontologist and co-director of the Koobi Fora Research Project.

It is still widely believed by evolutionists that the Homo sapien (modern man) evolved from Homo erectus.
The new Homo habilis find was dated to nearly 1.44 million years ago.
Yet, here’s an interesting Q&A from the Creation Evidence Museum in Glenrose:

Q: If fossils are dated, by Carbon 14 decay, to be millions of years old how can homo sapiens be contemporary with a species such a ‘carcharodon megalodon’ or any other prehistoric creature?

Answer: Acceptance of the Gap Theory or any other compromise position between the divinely-inspired creation account of Genesis and the fallible evolutionary assumptions of man is really a question of ultimate authority–God’s Word or man’s word (see Rom. 3:4).
In response to the above question, let me state the scientific truths that: (1) the Carbon-14 dating method is not used–especially by evolutionists(!)–to date fossils which they would consider millions of years old, because it is accurate only to about 4,500 years ago (the calibration range given by the bristlecone pine tree) due to C-14’s relatively short half-life of 5,730 years; and (2) no fossil has ever been scientifically proven empirically to be millions of years old. These supposed absolute dates are founded upon well-known and publicized errors which plague all radiometric-dating techniques, including the unobserved assumptions of no original daughter isotope, a constant decay rate, and a closed system (i.e., nothing entering in or leaching out of the rock sample at all).
David V. Bassett, M.S.
CEM Staff Writer

First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don’t see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God’s Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss…
God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, and, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.”
God created human beings; he created them godlike, reflecting God’s nature.
He created them male and female.
God blessed them:
“Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth.”

Bonds has the juice

The San Fransisco Chronicle added an interactive story element to their coverage of Barry Bonds breaking Hank Aaron’s homerun record (bore…. Bonds, not the interactive element).
The paper asked readers what their opening sentence would be if they were covering the story.
I think that’s a great idea – but not as great as this suggested opening…

“Bonds showed the world he has the juice as he cleared 755 and creamed nay-sayers.” – Claudia Bodmer (San Mateo)

What should a camp do?


With cell phones, text messaging and more how do kids and families adapt to a week away at camp with no electronic connections?
Maybe the camps adapt instead.
Camp Chinqueka in Connecticut offered computers as part of a journalism program last year, but now they’ve taken them away. “The girls were staying indoors too much.”
Instead the camp now offers photos and information online for parents to check in on their kids (password protected of course). Other camps are offering services like podcasts and live video streaming
NPR has information on the camp and the online services the camp and others are offering.
One thing that intrigues me though is the idea of camp lasting more than one week. Apparently it’s more common than I would have thought – but growing up we were never at camp more than four or five days a week.
What about you? Did you stay longer than a week? What were the advantages or disadvantages?

Local columnist on the I-35W bridge collapse

A local columnist, Nathalie Guyol, had this to say about the I-35W bridge collapse.:

This week President Bush offered his condolences and prayers to victims of the I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis. He assured the citizens of that city that the federal government would see that the bridge is rebuilt as soon as possible.
“We in the federal government must respond, and respond robustly, to help the people there not only recover, but to make sure that lifeline of activity — that bridge — gets rebuilt as quickly as possible,” he said.

Meanwhile, back in New Orleans . . .

Implant restores function in barely conscious man

By implanting electrodes into a man who has been in a limited conscious state for the last six years, doctors and scientists have now been able to restore function in the man.
From NPR:

Doctors tried the experimental treatment on a man left severely brain damaged after an assault more than six years ago. For years, the man barely interacted with people, only sometimes nodding yes or shaking his head no. Sometimes he would mouth a single word. Now, he can speak in phrases and even recited part of the Pledge of Allegiance.

Listen to the story online.
According to the story, some of his memory is still gone but his mother is thrilled that he can say “Mommy” and “Pop” and say “I love you Mommy.”
A similar implant did not help Terry Schiavo before she was removed from life support.
Speaking of medicine – 15 more minutes till I can take some more steroids. Let’s see if we can get some miraculous results from these pills as well.

Obama lays out plans for terrorism

This is a couple days old, but Barack Obama laid out his vision for fighting terrorism Wednesday, saying he was prepared to send troops into Pakistan if the threat warranted.
“We’ve got a color coded politics of fear.”
Obama maintains that the war in Iraq should have never been launched.
“Just because the President misrepresent our enemy does not mean we don’t have enemies… the threat is real.”
He also said the US should have all combat brigades out of Iraq by next Spring and the US should focus back on Afghanistan and possibly Pakistan where Al Quida is being safely harbored.
Hear the report from NPR.