Items Posted In February, 2021

Repetitive DNA

Posted on February 27, 2021 by

Categories: Biology, Science

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Much of the non-protein-coding portions of DNA consists of repetitive DNA sequences.  This seemingly wasteful repetition of DNA sequences has been taken as support for evolution.  Certainly, a wise and intelligent designer would not have included nonsensical repetitive sequences of nucleic acids in the DNA molecule. This support for evolution was proposed by Kenneth Miller when he noted that, the human genome is littered with so many repeated copies of pointless DNA sequences that it cannot be attributed to anything that resembles [an] intelligent design. Francis Collins, an evangelical Christian and believer in theistic evolution, acknowledge this DNA feature in… Read More »

Willful Blindness

RNA and DNA are very similar in structure although they perform different functions in the cell.

Willful Blindness Preconceived notions can prevent otherwise intelligent and discerning people from recognizing the obvious. The editor of an obscure journal Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington decided to publish a paper making the case for intelligent design.  Intelligent design is a controversial theory that suggests that life is too complex to have been self-assembled by accident.  Instead – as with all extremely complex machines that perform a function – it was put together by an intelligent designer. The Smithsonian Institute helps to fund and run this journal and, within hours voiced its intense displeasure that any favor would… Read More »

Restoration of Israel

Jerusalem has been conquered many times through history; in this blog it was conquered in 586 BC by the Babylonians who destroyed the city and Temple.

Posted on February 18, 2021 by

Categories: Biblical History, Historical Evidence

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The restoration of Israel is one of the most important Biblical prophecies to be fulfilled.  Israel had been destroyed centuries earlier by the Romans and its people dispersed throughout the world.  Jerusalem – the capital city – was destroyed. The Romans wished to destroy all memory of the ancient city of Jerusalem that was renamed Aelia Capitolina and then rebuilt in the style of a typical Roman town.  The new Roman city would be inhabited by Romans, and the city dedicated to Jupiter – one of the Roman gods. The Roman emperor had become so enraged with the Jewish revolts… Read More »

Pseudogenes

The chemical pathways for the production of DNA, RNA, proteins, and other life molecules is unknown.

Posted on February 17, 2021 by

Categories: Biology, Science

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Pseudogenes have been a hot topic for discussion since their original discovery about fifty years ago.  They were originally found in frog DNA and were found to be apparently inactive copies of genes found elsewhere. They were called “pseudogenes” as they were thought to not make active proteins but represented mutated trash.  Thousands of other pseudogenes were subsequently found in humans and many other animals and plants.  Many mammals have now been found to have as many pseudogenes as actual protein-coding genes. Importance in Evolution Evolutionists jumped on the pseudogenes as showing changes consistent with natural evolution, and inconsistent with… Read More »

Junk DNA

RNA and DNA are very similar in structure although they perform different functions in the cell.

Posted on February 14, 2021 by

Categories: Biology, Science

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Finding Junk DNA in your DNA Watson and Crick discovered the chemical structure of the DNA molecule.  These brilliant scientists were able to determine the structure consisted of two complementary strands wrapped around each other, with one strand going in one direction while the other strand went in the other direction. Each of these strands was composed of subunits called “nucleotides,” each strand containing a sugar molecule (deoxyribose in the case of DNA) attached to a phosphate group and one of four bases: adenine, thymine, cytosine, or guanine. The Code for Life DNA is really an immensely complicated code for… Read More »

Irreducible Complexity

The evolution of new enzymes by bacteria is discussed.

Posted on February 1, 2021 by

Categories: Biology, Science

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Irreducible Complexity The theory of natural selection proposes that small changes over millions of years can gradually produce increasing amounts of complexity through the gradual accumulation of beneficial mutations. The incremental accumulation of beneficial mutations gradually producing increasingly complex structures or pathways.  Those mutations which are not beneficial will lessen the organism’s ability to survive and will be gradually bred out. The gradual accumulation of increasingly complex functionality might produce some beneficial changes over long time frames – theoretically. The atheist Richard Dawkins has attempted to provide computer evidence that evolution could spontaneously produce new information in a closed system…. Read More »