Science Bites 2008

File (update 5/10/08)

More Science Bites

The Cosmos Microbiology Stem Cell Research

Climate Change Paleontology Fossil Evidence

Creation and Evolution are Complimentary!

The Cosmos

1. The overwhelming majority of galaxies are “clusters” from which the rest of the universe cannot be seen.

2. The earth is uniquely position on the edge of one spiral arm of our galaxy to uniquely view the rest of the universe and be protected from cosmic forces.

3. The Universe is expanding at an accelerated pace.

4. A Massive Void was discovered within the universe.

5. New Cosmological theories are gaining support and some indicate the universe could “pop” into being seemingly “out of nothing”.

6. An inordinate amount of research is being poured into finding “dark matter” in support of a theory that the universe is self-sustaining.

The evidence supporting a “self-sustaining”

universe still eludes man.

Microbiology

1. The human genome has been mapped 100% but only makes up 1.2% of our DNA and continues to “refined”.

2. An onion and grain of rice has much larger genome.

3. ~3% of the “Junk DNA” has now been found to be common amongst mammals.

4. Humans are less than 1% “Identical” to Chimpanzees while composed of 94% of the “Identical Genetic Material”.

5. The dramatic variability we see within species may be “pre-coded” within the remainder of the DNA and “turned-on” at various times.

6. The “genome” portion of the DNA codes for proteins, which are the fundamental building blocks of cells. There is no such thing as a “simple cell”.

7. Proteins are long chains of “left-handed” amino acids assembled by the RNA based on information in the DNA.

8. It is unclear how the regulatory process accesses the correct DNA segments to guide development of cells, blood, tissue, organs, limbs etc. to form an entire, coordinated “system”.

9. Got “God” in you? We are composed of billions of cells bound together by the protein Laminin. Through these interactions, laminins critically contribute to cell attachment and differentiation, cell shape and movement, maintenance of tissue phenotype, and promotion of tissue survival. Check out the Picture Watch this Perspective

Stem Cell Research

1. A rare form of malignant infantile osteoporosis was cured by using stem cells from the father’s blood.

2. A 58-year-old woman’s damaged heart was “renewed” using stem cells generated from her bone marrow with no “rejection factor” risk.

3. Additional means to produce long lasting stems cells lines that are malleable and highly replicating are being discovered on a regular basis: from your skin, the female “egg” cells; from sperm cells

Climate Change

1. The Hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica has closed 30%

2. If we do nothing about limiting our greenhouse gasses the surface ocean temperature will rise .5 degrees in 20 years. (New Scientist 2007)

3. If we stop all greenhouse gas production the surface ocean temperature will rise .5 degrees in 60 years.

4. Climate models have been being progressively refined and now show a 6”-18” potential ocean rise over 120 years. (New Scientist 2007)

5. Massive undersea vents have been discovered, 95% of the deep ocean floor is yet to be explored. (New Scientist 2007)

6. Greenhouse gasses contribute significantly to the warming of the ocean surface temperature.

7. Twenty-three massive “super-volcanoes” have been discovered which can project 10,000 times the ash and gasses of Mt. St. Helens. Yellowstone National Park sits on one whose magma chamber is estimated at 30km+ long, 27km wide and 10km deep, is growing and has erupted twice in the past. Discovery.com (Interactive Info)

Paleontology

1. Multiple fossil finds have been discovered and publicized related to the theory that dinosaurs had feathers and evolved into birds.

2. Studies are under-way to uncover how much species variety is “pre-coded” within the DNA

Is the high-order information for birds and dinosaurs already coded in the DNA with Evolutionary Natural Selection and Adaptation fine-tuning it into the many varieties?

Fossil Evidence

The fossil record “leaps” onto the geological stage during the Cambrian period in its fully developed form, many of which still exist today. The overwhelming majority is plant life.

Carbon-14 is used to date organic materials back to around 60,000 years. Salt water appears to skew the readings easily resulting in recent lava flows, mortar, and freshly killed seals to have artificially ancient dates.

Radiometric dating is used to date igneous rocks back to the hundreds of millions of years. They reportedly have an accuracy rating of 2%-4%. Samples co-located in adjacent strata from the Grand Canyon resulted in “ages” that differed by 52% to 143% of the “youngest” sample, 2 of which were from the same basalt flow and just 2 ft 9 in. from each other. Debate surrounding these results and other anomalies continues.

The media represents new fossil findings in illustrations that support the popular thinking of the day. Early representations are presented with much fan-fare and publicity. They then get dramatically revised or completely discounted quietly over subsequent years.

Man's Missing Link? Evidence of Man's missing links such as Java man have been consistently proven to be based on fragmentary evidence, incorrect and in several cases outright frauds. Most align strongly with the anatomical structure of Orangutans while also containing some resemblance to human anatomy.

Example: Interpretation of fossils to have had feathers, new illustrations of Velociraptor.

What follows are the artistic renderings and some actual fossils for comparison.

You decide if popular scientific thought is reading what it “wants” to see into the evidence!

#1: The “Claim” and “Artistic rendering”:

Jurassic Park's dino had feathers

Findings suggest Velociraptor looked liked very unusual bird

By Ker Than

Updated: 2:41 p.m. ET Sept 20, 2007 Tiny bumps on the fossilized arm bone of a Velociraptor specimen show that the carnivorous dinosaur — made infamous in the movie "Jurassic Park" — had feathers.

A & B = Actual Fossil

C - F = Turkey Vulture

Is B = C??

Velociraptor “New Pictures” (click for source):

Velociraptor “Traditional Pictures”:

“Big” Change from a few small bumps”??

How accurate are the publicized artistic renderings versus the fossil evidence for feathers?

How pronounced is the evidence? Where are the skeptics?

Are there other ways to interpret “feathered” evidence?

Other info:

"The lack of quill knobs does not necessarily mean that a dinosaur did not have feathers," said lead author of the study Alan Turner.

Check out Wikipedia on Velociprators, Feathered Dinosaurs – then search the web to find images of the actual evidence and compare them to the artistic renderings.

Did Dinosaurs evolve into birds or were the “feathered” varieties disadvantaged and experience extinction faster?

Is the high-order information already coded into the DNA waiting to be “turned-on” by “yet-to-be-understood” regulatory processes triggered by evolutionary adaptation and natural selection?

#2: The “Claim” and “Artistic rendering”:

Massive dinosaur bird discovered in China

Creature's tall stature, up to 16 feet, surprises scientists

The “Actual Fossil”:

"We thought previously that we had a relatively simple pattern—as dinosaurs became smaller in size they became more birdlike," Xu said. "Now, after the discovery of Gigantoraptor, things get more complicated.

"That doesn't mean birds aren't descended from dinosaurs, but the transition is very complicated," Xu added.

There is much room for scientific debate! It is not surprising that initial reports frequently get proven to be “something else”!

Scipionyx is the “Best” finding near Naples which includes images of organs, initially interpreted as avian then dinosaur, cold-blooded, warm-blooded etc.