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Hopes and Dreams in Martian Dust
Written by Chris
Thursday, 12 June 2008 03:37
2 Comments

In the movie “Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark” there is a graphic scene toward the end of the picture where the bad guys open the Ark of the Covenant only to find . . . dust. Moments later, the fireworks begin as all of the nefarious Nazis are swept up in a fiery mess.

Well . . . with the latest NASA exploration of Mars, expect a lot of dust, and little or no fireworks. Landers have been sent to Mars before. In recent years, it seems that Mars exploration has ramped up a little bit. One example of this is the humorous and slightly ironic landing of the “Beagle 2.” The British rover, obviously named for the ship of Darwin’s famous voyage on the HMS Beagle which inspired his work “The Origin of Species,” was a complete DUD. Due to land on Mars in 2003, it was ejected from the spacecraft that took it to Mars, and never heard of again. Even if it was successfully roaming around checking out the landscape, we would expect that its explorations would produce nothing like the things that Darwin observed and recorded, just vast, lifeless, rock and wasteland.

Interested or disinterested, here’s a link.

Mars is only interesting from a geological perspective, not a biological one. The planet is simply not suitable for life, even if you are a fan of Star Trek! Nevertheless, some scientists seem to be hopeful. That’s because many believe the genesis of life from lifeless matter is a foregone conclusion. Lately, two American “landers” are exploring the Martian landscape, and I have to admit they ARE very cool. But so far they’ve found, well . . . dust.

As we’ve always said, “Piles of bricks + millions/billions of years does not = life.” I’m sure we’ll be hearing oodles about Martian dust in the years to come. Maybe, just maybe, though, we’ll find some useful geologic information. Perhaps we can even apply all this Martian dust study to solving Global Warming on Mars and Earth! In the meantime, I’ll be wondering if there’s a Martian dust fan club we can all join?

Editor's Note: You can visit Chris at themuseandthescribe.com

 
The real legacy of Darwin should not be celebrated
Written by Chris
Friday, 06 June 2008 04:25
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In some circles today, Darwin is treated like a great celebrity. A recent article points out that there will be "scientific" meetings in Britain concerning the ideas of Darwin.

It seems, the man is framed by some science historians as an Einstein-like genius, though he wasn't. He did bring to the forefront of science some innovative ideas about adaptation. But his ideas failed to truly explain the origins of life and are claimed as science when they are really philosophy. Additionally, the philosophical implications of Darwinism applied to the real world have had horrific consequences.

The real reason Darwin is celebrated and championed in our age is because of the social consequences of his theory. The theory allows many to conveniently do away with various aspects of morality, while creating a new social order with dubious benefits.

This explains why many detractors of the Christian faith are themselves Darwinists. Naturally, they prefer to bring to the forefront abuses of the church (or of Christians themselves) in spite of the true nobility and grace of Christ’s original teachings. In sharp contrast, these same detractors do not bring to the fore the real and dark legacy of Darwin.

As secularists celebrate Darwin’s contributions to the world even while they denigrate Christ, ask yourself which of these men has had the greatest impact on planet earth?

Christ’s teachings still inspire noble acts of kindness and love, whereas Darwin’s teachings simply do not. That’s a fact.

Editor's note: visit Chris of themuseandthescribe.com; we do.

 
In the news: Global COOLING
Written by Chris
Thursday, 24 April 2008 03:45
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Fox News reported on a “controversial” new study which reveals that sunspots are not resuming, and may launch the world into a new ice age.

Obviously, this is causing quite a stir among global warming types who have been pushing the supposed connection between abrupt climate change and our “carbon footprints.” But if the scientist who did this study is right, maybe you shouldn’t stock up on carbon credits after-all! (A note to all lemmings out there: You shouldn’t have stocked up in the first place). Some scientists are, of course, disputing the data and considering the sun’s effect to be negligible, which is rather humorous when you think about it.

What this really demonstrates is how poorly we really understand cycles of weather in our world.

Aside from that, the human species would be better served if we adopted a more optimistic outlook when examining alleged global climate change. Think of it; global cooling, for example, might allow travel by automobile to locales which presently are only accessible by plane or boat. Think Bering Strait, frozen solid! Why, we might even be able to travel from mainland Europe to England, or even to Ireland without a boat!

Conversely, in the event of global warming, I think it highly demonstrable that previous ages provided earth’s inhabitants with lush tropical climates. Warmth is good! Whichever way the thermometer goes, mankind and the other inhabitants of earth are resilient, and can adapt.

Chris of themuseandthescribe.com

1. “ Scientist: Forget Global Warming, Prepare for New Ice Age.” Wed. April 23, 2008. Used by Fox News, courtesy of news.com.au