Just Ask Me is an Elvis song! One I enjoy! But I cannot find a You Tube of it, so I just picked another one I like.
And I wholeheartedly agree with Dr. Veith here.
Oh -- but the title of the post. Yes. Yes.
I decided to play Heidi's game and allow questions in the comments section from readers of this blog. I'll attempt to answer them later this week.
If you want to play, too, just say so in your comments so I can visit your blog and ask you questions!
April 30, 2008
April 27, 2008
Are you ready?
It's been a while since I've shared my synopsis of our Pastor's sermons with y'all. So I submit the one from today, based on the epistle reading from 1 Peter 3:13-22.
Are you ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within you?
Sharing -- we learn from an early age about sharing. Our mothers teach us to share with our siblings, friends, etc.
The most important thing we can share with others, however, is the hope -- that is the propitiative death of our Savior, Jesus Christ, once for ALL, and His physical resurrection three days later -- that we have because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who came to us in our Baptism.
Are you ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within you?
Sharing -- we learn from an early age about sharing. Our mothers teach us to share with our siblings, friends, etc.
The most important thing we can share with others, however, is the hope -- that is the propitiative death of our Savior, Jesus Christ, once for ALL, and His physical resurrection three days later -- that we have because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who came to us in our Baptism.
April 26, 2008
Nuclear Fission or Fusion, Clearing Up the Confusion
Before I TELL you what significance this day has in history... the teacher in me is asking you to bring yourself back to 1986. (Of course the title of this entry is a huge hint!)
That's easy for me to do, and I remember the year well, as it's the year I was married. Of course, silly girl that I was, my world revolved around my husband-to-be, and at this point in the year we were not engaged "just" dating.
But this event transcended the dreamy nature of a girl whose heart and mind were focused elsewhere.
Have you figured out yet what it was that happened on this day?
It happened on another continent. It was shrouded in secrecy for quite some time, although its effects may have been global in nature.
Ok... so on this day in 1986 the Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor disaster occurred. This was the feared actual nuclear meltdown. The fallout was much greater than Hiroshima, estimates put it at around 40% more! Quite something to imagine! (I've been to Hiroshima and seen the damage.)
The disaster was something that could and should have been prevented. It was a result of man's arrogance over proven theories and procedures. Officially it was ruled as human error and faulty design.
This incident along with our country's own Three-Mile Island disaster did much to create fear about nuclear energy, which I believe may be a viable source to replace our dependence on oil. In light of that, I'd like to share a report our daughter did in 2005 that was the winner at our local science fair judged by local scientists.
I hope that it will give you reason to consider nuclear energy as a source for our country's energy.
It's called, Fission or Fusion, Clearing Up the Confusion
Introduction
Nuclear science has been around since 1913, although research leading up to the discovery of the atom and the structure of it had been occurring since the 1890s. Nuclear energy has powered electricity plants, bombs, submarines, ships and perhaps in the near future, cars. The energy produced as a result of fission and fusion is enormous. There is often confusion about the two processes that allow nuclear energy to be produced, however. The purpose of this report it to clarify the confusion and to shed light on this amazing source of power.
The History of Nuclear Science
The discovery of nuclear science occurred in 1895 when Wilhelm Roentgen discovered a new kind of ray he named “x-rays”. This discovery lead to others, such as the discovery of radioactivity in 1896 by Antoine Henri Becquerel, electrons by J.J. Thompson in 1897 and alpha and beta rays in 1899 by Ernest Rutherford. In 1900, Fredrick Soddy discovered the spontaneous decay of radioactive elements and called the byproducts “isotopes”. Albert Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity (relating to the famous equation E=mc2) was published in 1905.
Niels Bohr, in 1913, published a combination of nuclear and quantum theories that is generally accepted in the science community. Experiments pertaining to radioactivity, the structure of atoms, and quantum mechanics have continued to today.
The most important advances in the history of nuclear science were made during World War II. President Roosevelt initiated the Manhattan Project, originally called the Manhattan Engineering District, on December 6, 1941. The purpose of the Manhattan Project was to create an atomic weapon before Germany did. The main centers of this project were in Los Alamos, New Mexico, Oak Ridge, Tennessee and Hanford, Washington with many experiments occurring in the Metallurgical Laboratory at the University of Chicago in Illinois. J. Robert Oppenheimer and Brigadier General Leslie Groves were in charge of this project. The culmination of these efforts occurred on July 16, 1945 in Alamogordo, New Mexico with the Trinity Test, the first explosion of an atomic bomb in the world.
After this, two atomic bombs, both fission bombs, were dropped on Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945). The bomb dropped on Hiroshima is called “Little Boy”, and is a uranium bomb, and this caused between 80,000 and 140,000 deaths. A “Fat Man”, or plutonium, bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, killing around 74,000 people.
After the war, focus shifted to include the production of nuclear powered submarines, ships and power plants. Also, in 1950, President Truman authorized scientists to begin designing and building a hydrogen bomb, a fusion bomb, which was tested in 1954. The first nuclear power plant in the United States, built in Pennsylvania, began operations in 1957. Currently, there are 104 operating nuclear power plants in the United States.
Fission
Nuclear fission is the process by which nuclear reactors, bombs, ships and submarines are powered. It starts with either 235U (Uranium) or 239P (Plutonium), isotopes of the original element. Fission is the separation of one element, for example, Uranium, when it is struck by a free neutron and becomes unstable into two elements (such as 134Xe [Xenon] and 100Sr [Strontium]) with 1-3 free neutrons (in the case of 134Xe and 100Sr, there will be two neutrons), causing a chain reaction which can be controlled by what the reactor core is made out of. When controlled properly, fission creates a lot of energy (according to Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity) and thus creates power for electricity generation, submarines and ships.
There are two main kinds of fission reactors in the United States – Boiling Water Reactors (BWR) and Pressure Water Reactors (PWR). They operate slightly differently, but both are just as effective in producing electricity. A new kind of plant, called a Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR), is being currently tested in South Africa and Germany, and a kind of car engine using this idea is being built and tested in Holland.
For an atomic bomb, it is necessary to have a critical mass, and more importantly, a supercritical mass, for the bomb to explode. A critical mass is the minimum amount of fissionable material necessary to maintain a chain reaction under specified conditions. For an explosion to occur, the system must be supercritical, meaning that it exceeds the amount of a critical mass for the material and circumstances. A bomb is built so that when released, the critical masses will be pushed together, creating a supercritical mass and an inevitable explosion.
Fusion
Nuclear fusion is the process of creating the energy that powers all the stars, including our sun. As of today, fusion is not cost effective for mass electricity production, but ongoing experiments are being conducted to make it cost effective. To produce fusion, it takes two isotopes of hydrogen, an 2H atom, also called deuterium, and 3H atom, also called tritium, and with the addition of extreme heat and pressure, it fuses them together to create the unstable 5H atom. Because it is unstable, it releases a neutron, and you are left with a 4H atom, free neutron and masses of energy.
Hydrogen bombs are about ten thousand times more powerful than atomic bombs. They are built so that the nuclei of hydrogen are joined together in an uncontrolled fusion reaction to release massive amounts of energy. This process is actually started by nuclear fission of the element lithium deuteride to create tritium, which fuses with deuterium, and begins the fusion process, which happens very quickly creating energy and heat allowing the bomb to explode.
As I stated before, fusion is not cost effective today, and several experiments are being conducted to try and make it that way. There are five operating reactors for fusion, the oldest is in Culham, England (near Oxford) and is called Joint European Torus, or simply JET. It has been operating since 1983. Here, a constant temperature of 40-50 million degrees Celsius is maintained in the core, or tokomak, and temperatures of over 300 million degrees Celsius have been achieved. It uses plasma coils to maintain these high temperatures and a vacuum vessel maintains the constant pressure necessary for fusion to occur. The record for fusion power is held by JET and is 16 megawatts, achieved in 1997. The other fusion reactors are in Canada, Germany, Japan and the United States.
Conclusion
As nonrenewable energy sources are diminishing, nuclear energy will be able to sustain us because it is environmentally safe, is relatively inexpensive to operate, boosts our economy, provides for national security and is the solution to the energy crisis in America. Nuclear reactors release very few pollutants, therefore they are environmentally safe. Due to the inexpensive costs and reduced imports from other countries, increasing domestic production and adding jobs, nuclear reactors are a boost to our economy. National security is improved because we will be importing less from volatile regions in the world.
Recent advances in technology, and those to come, are driving down the operational costs and have drastically improved the safety of nuclear reactors. Terrorism is not a major threat to the power reactors because of the amounts of security at these reactors. Nuclear fission is already cost effective, and nuclear fusion is well on its way to becoming cost effective. Advances continue to improve our knowledge of these processes, and show us how wonderfully God made the earth, not ignoring any details.
Glossary
Boiling-Water Reactor (BWR) – A reactor in which water is boiled directly in the reactor vessel.
Chain Reaction – A process taking place during nuclear fission in which one fission event releases neutrons and energy, causing another.
Fissionable Material –Any element capable of nuclear fission, e.g., uranium or plutonium.
Isotope – The term isotope defines atoms that have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons; that is, they are atoms of the same element that have different masses.
Lithium Deuteride – Used as the fuel for the fusion bomb. A neutron is added to the lithium, producing tritium which is in turn fused with the deuteride and begins the chain reaction necessary for it to explode.
Nucleus – The nucleus is the center of an atom. It is composed of one or more protons and one or more neutrons. The plural form is nuclei.
Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) – This kind of reactor is a type of advanced reactor called a high temperature gas cooled reactor. The uranium, thorium or plutonium fuels are in oxides contained within spherical pebbles made of graphite and an inert gas, such as helium, nitrogen or carbon dioxide, then circulates through the spaces between the fuel pebbles, carrying the heat away from the reactor to an electricity generator.
Plasma Coils – Plasma coils are used in nuclear fusion reactors to produce the high temperatures necessary for fusion.
Pressurized-Water Reactor (PWR) – A reactor in which neutrons heat pressurized water, which is then used to produce steam to run a turbine.
Radioactivity – The spontaneous emission of radiation from the nuclei of an unstable isotope, and the results of this emission convert the radioactive isotope into the isotope of a different element which may or may not be unstable. Ultimately, as a result of one or more stages of radioactive decay, a stable end product is formed.
Reactor – A facility in which fissile material is used in self-sustaining chain reactions (nuclear fission), and a reactor includes fissionable material such as uranium or plutonium, a moderating material, a reflector to conserve escaping neutrons, provisions for heat removal, and measuring and control elements.
Bibliography
WEBSITES:
http://www.atomicarchive.com/index.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://www.jet.efda.org/index.html
http://www.nei.org/index.asp
http://www.nmcco.com/
http://www.atomicheritage.org/home.htm
http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Med/Med.html
http://www.iter.org/
http://www.romawa.nl/welcome.htmlhttp://www.atomicengines.com/
That's easy for me to do, and I remember the year well, as it's the year I was married. Of course, silly girl that I was, my world revolved around my husband-to-be, and at this point in the year we were not engaged "just" dating.
But this event transcended the dreamy nature of a girl whose heart and mind were focused elsewhere.
Have you figured out yet what it was that happened on this day?
It happened on another continent. It was shrouded in secrecy for quite some time, although its effects may have been global in nature.
Ok... so on this day in 1986 the Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor disaster occurred. This was the feared actual nuclear meltdown. The fallout was much greater than Hiroshima, estimates put it at around 40% more! Quite something to imagine! (I've been to Hiroshima and seen the damage.)
The disaster was something that could and should have been prevented. It was a result of man's arrogance over proven theories and procedures. Officially it was ruled as human error and faulty design.
This incident along with our country's own Three-Mile Island disaster did much to create fear about nuclear energy, which I believe may be a viable source to replace our dependence on oil. In light of that, I'd like to share a report our daughter did in 2005 that was the winner at our local science fair judged by local scientists.
I hope that it will give you reason to consider nuclear energy as a source for our country's energy.
It's called, Fission or Fusion, Clearing Up the Confusion
Introduction
Nuclear science has been around since 1913, although research leading up to the discovery of the atom and the structure of it had been occurring since the 1890s. Nuclear energy has powered electricity plants, bombs, submarines, ships and perhaps in the near future, cars. The energy produced as a result of fission and fusion is enormous. There is often confusion about the two processes that allow nuclear energy to be produced, however. The purpose of this report it to clarify the confusion and to shed light on this amazing source of power.
The History of Nuclear Science
The discovery of nuclear science occurred in 1895 when Wilhelm Roentgen discovered a new kind of ray he named “x-rays”. This discovery lead to others, such as the discovery of radioactivity in 1896 by Antoine Henri Becquerel, electrons by J.J. Thompson in 1897 and alpha and beta rays in 1899 by Ernest Rutherford. In 1900, Fredrick Soddy discovered the spontaneous decay of radioactive elements and called the byproducts “isotopes”. Albert Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity (relating to the famous equation E=mc2) was published in 1905.
Niels Bohr, in 1913, published a combination of nuclear and quantum theories that is generally accepted in the science community. Experiments pertaining to radioactivity, the structure of atoms, and quantum mechanics have continued to today.
The most important advances in the history of nuclear science were made during World War II. President Roosevelt initiated the Manhattan Project, originally called the Manhattan Engineering District, on December 6, 1941. The purpose of the Manhattan Project was to create an atomic weapon before Germany did. The main centers of this project were in Los Alamos, New Mexico, Oak Ridge, Tennessee and Hanford, Washington with many experiments occurring in the Metallurgical Laboratory at the University of Chicago in Illinois. J. Robert Oppenheimer and Brigadier General Leslie Groves were in charge of this project. The culmination of these efforts occurred on July 16, 1945 in Alamogordo, New Mexico with the Trinity Test, the first explosion of an atomic bomb in the world.
After this, two atomic bombs, both fission bombs, were dropped on Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945). The bomb dropped on Hiroshima is called “Little Boy”, and is a uranium bomb, and this caused between 80,000 and 140,000 deaths. A “Fat Man”, or plutonium, bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, killing around 74,000 people.
After the war, focus shifted to include the production of nuclear powered submarines, ships and power plants. Also, in 1950, President Truman authorized scientists to begin designing and building a hydrogen bomb, a fusion bomb, which was tested in 1954. The first nuclear power plant in the United States, built in Pennsylvania, began operations in 1957. Currently, there are 104 operating nuclear power plants in the United States.
Fission
Nuclear fission is the process by which nuclear reactors, bombs, ships and submarines are powered. It starts with either 235U (Uranium) or 239P (Plutonium), isotopes of the original element. Fission is the separation of one element, for example, Uranium, when it is struck by a free neutron and becomes unstable into two elements (such as 134Xe [Xenon] and 100Sr [Strontium]) with 1-3 free neutrons (in the case of 134Xe and 100Sr, there will be two neutrons), causing a chain reaction which can be controlled by what the reactor core is made out of. When controlled properly, fission creates a lot of energy (according to Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity) and thus creates power for electricity generation, submarines and ships.
There are two main kinds of fission reactors in the United States – Boiling Water Reactors (BWR) and Pressure Water Reactors (PWR). They operate slightly differently, but both are just as effective in producing electricity. A new kind of plant, called a Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR), is being currently tested in South Africa and Germany, and a kind of car engine using this idea is being built and tested in Holland.
For an atomic bomb, it is necessary to have a critical mass, and more importantly, a supercritical mass, for the bomb to explode. A critical mass is the minimum amount of fissionable material necessary to maintain a chain reaction under specified conditions. For an explosion to occur, the system must be supercritical, meaning that it exceeds the amount of a critical mass for the material and circumstances. A bomb is built so that when released, the critical masses will be pushed together, creating a supercritical mass and an inevitable explosion.
Fusion
Nuclear fusion is the process of creating the energy that powers all the stars, including our sun. As of today, fusion is not cost effective for mass electricity production, but ongoing experiments are being conducted to make it cost effective. To produce fusion, it takes two isotopes of hydrogen, an 2H atom, also called deuterium, and 3H atom, also called tritium, and with the addition of extreme heat and pressure, it fuses them together to create the unstable 5H atom. Because it is unstable, it releases a neutron, and you are left with a 4H atom, free neutron and masses of energy.
Hydrogen bombs are about ten thousand times more powerful than atomic bombs. They are built so that the nuclei of hydrogen are joined together in an uncontrolled fusion reaction to release massive amounts of energy. This process is actually started by nuclear fission of the element lithium deuteride to create tritium, which fuses with deuterium, and begins the fusion process, which happens very quickly creating energy and heat allowing the bomb to explode.
As I stated before, fusion is not cost effective today, and several experiments are being conducted to try and make it that way. There are five operating reactors for fusion, the oldest is in Culham, England (near Oxford) and is called Joint European Torus, or simply JET. It has been operating since 1983. Here, a constant temperature of 40-50 million degrees Celsius is maintained in the core, or tokomak, and temperatures of over 300 million degrees Celsius have been achieved. It uses plasma coils to maintain these high temperatures and a vacuum vessel maintains the constant pressure necessary for fusion to occur. The record for fusion power is held by JET and is 16 megawatts, achieved in 1997. The other fusion reactors are in Canada, Germany, Japan and the United States.
Conclusion
As nonrenewable energy sources are diminishing, nuclear energy will be able to sustain us because it is environmentally safe, is relatively inexpensive to operate, boosts our economy, provides for national security and is the solution to the energy crisis in America. Nuclear reactors release very few pollutants, therefore they are environmentally safe. Due to the inexpensive costs and reduced imports from other countries, increasing domestic production and adding jobs, nuclear reactors are a boost to our economy. National security is improved because we will be importing less from volatile regions in the world.
Recent advances in technology, and those to come, are driving down the operational costs and have drastically improved the safety of nuclear reactors. Terrorism is not a major threat to the power reactors because of the amounts of security at these reactors. Nuclear fission is already cost effective, and nuclear fusion is well on its way to becoming cost effective. Advances continue to improve our knowledge of these processes, and show us how wonderfully God made the earth, not ignoring any details.
Glossary
Boiling-Water Reactor (BWR) – A reactor in which water is boiled directly in the reactor vessel.
Chain Reaction – A process taking place during nuclear fission in which one fission event releases neutrons and energy, causing another.
Fissionable Material –Any element capable of nuclear fission, e.g., uranium or plutonium.
Isotope – The term isotope defines atoms that have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons; that is, they are atoms of the same element that have different masses.
Lithium Deuteride – Used as the fuel for the fusion bomb. A neutron is added to the lithium, producing tritium which is in turn fused with the deuteride and begins the chain reaction necessary for it to explode.
Nucleus – The nucleus is the center of an atom. It is composed of one or more protons and one or more neutrons. The plural form is nuclei.
Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) – This kind of reactor is a type of advanced reactor called a high temperature gas cooled reactor. The uranium, thorium or plutonium fuels are in oxides contained within spherical pebbles made of graphite and an inert gas, such as helium, nitrogen or carbon dioxide, then circulates through the spaces between the fuel pebbles, carrying the heat away from the reactor to an electricity generator.
Plasma Coils – Plasma coils are used in nuclear fusion reactors to produce the high temperatures necessary for fusion.
Pressurized-Water Reactor (PWR) – A reactor in which neutrons heat pressurized water, which is then used to produce steam to run a turbine.
Radioactivity – The spontaneous emission of radiation from the nuclei of an unstable isotope, and the results of this emission convert the radioactive isotope into the isotope of a different element which may or may not be unstable. Ultimately, as a result of one or more stages of radioactive decay, a stable end product is formed.
Reactor – A facility in which fissile material is used in self-sustaining chain reactions (nuclear fission), and a reactor includes fissionable material such as uranium or plutonium, a moderating material, a reflector to conserve escaping neutrons, provisions for heat removal, and measuring and control elements.
Bibliography
WEBSITES:
http://www.atomicarchive.com/index.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://www.jet.efda.org/index.html
http://www.nei.org/index.asp
http://www.nmcco.com/
http://www.atomicheritage.org/home.htm
http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Med/Med.html
http://www.iter.org/
http://www.romawa.nl/welcome.htmlhttp://www.atomicengines.com/
April 23, 2008
Expelled conversations
Some folks have been wondering where the Expelled conversations are from this blog.
They are in the comments sections of these posts:
From April 18, Expelled ... Simply Excellent
From April 19 Expelled, Thoughts
What's all the hub-bub about to the evolutionary crowd? If ID is such junk, then why go full blast against it? Does it deserve that amount of attention? Clearly somebody is afraid of something here ... wonder what it is?
Methinks that Ben Stein hit a raw nerve. Methinks that there must be truth in what the movie says -- that ideas are being systematically repressed and people persecuted for having them. This domination tactic shouldn't be well received by freedom-loving, thinking Americans.
They are in the comments sections of these posts:
From April 18, Expelled ... Simply Excellent
From April 19 Expelled, Thoughts
What's all the hub-bub about to the evolutionary crowd? If ID is such junk, then why go full blast against it? Does it deserve that amount of attention? Clearly somebody is afraid of something here ... wonder what it is?
Methinks that Ben Stein hit a raw nerve. Methinks that there must be truth in what the movie says -- that ideas are being systematically repressed and people persecuted for having them. This domination tactic shouldn't be well received by freedom-loving, thinking Americans.
Happy Birthday William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564.In honor of his birthday I invite you to leave your favorite quote or play in the comments section.
My favorite play is Hamlet, so it is from there that I draw my quote.
My words fly up, my thoughts remain below
Words without thoughts never to heaven go.
From Act 3, Scene 3.
It reminds me to think before I speak.
April 21, 2008
Another Review of Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
Wittenberg Trail is such a great resource of many things. Tonight while checking out Lutheran Resources I found this nugget.
Dr. Angus Menuge reviewed the movie, and I hope you'll take the time to visit and read all of the review. Meanwhile, I'll quote this:
Should Lutherans Care?
Historically, Lutherans have upheld creation as a fact discernible by natural reason (Rom. 1: 18-20; Psalm 19). Several of the great scientists at the forefront of the scientific revolution were Lutherans whose scientific work was guided by design, e.g. Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler, and Joachim Rheticus. According to historian of science Peter Barker, Kepler believed “he had discovered the part of God’s providential plan that embodies the pattern of the cosmos, and the divine laws by which God regulated its moving parts.” These scientists believed in coherent laws of nature and the rationality of their own minds because they believed this is a designed world.
Stein’s main point is not to advocate the specific version of design popular today. It is to remind us that science is supposed to be a free and open inquiry, willing to pursue the evidence wherever it leads. Sometimes the evidence may pose problems for thoughtful believers. Sometimes it may confirm belief in a higher intelligence. If science is to retain its reputation for objectivity, it must not be captive to any ideology.
The end of the review offered these helpful resources.
Expelled official movie site: http://www.expelledthemovie.com/
Nancy Bryson’s case. See: http://www.discovery.org/a/1389
Caroline Crocker’s case (and others). See: http://www.discovery.org/a/4485
William Dembski’s case. See: Angus Menuge, “Few Signs of Intelligence: The Saga of Bill Dembski at Baylor.” Touchstone Magazine, May 2001, 54-55.
Guillermo Gonzalez’s case. See: http://www.discovery.org/a/4464
Dean Kenyon’s case: Stephen Meyer. Danger: Indoctrination. A Scopes Trial for the ‘90s. The Wall Street Journal. Op. Ed (December 6th, 1993.): A14. Available on-line at: http://www.discovery.org/a/93
Richard Sternberg’s case. See: http://www.discovery.org/a/3833 .
Dr. Angus Menuge reviewed the movie, and I hope you'll take the time to visit and read all of the review. Meanwhile, I'll quote this:
Should Lutherans Care?
Historically, Lutherans have upheld creation as a fact discernible by natural reason (Rom. 1: 18-20; Psalm 19). Several of the great scientists at the forefront of the scientific revolution were Lutherans whose scientific work was guided by design, e.g. Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler, and Joachim Rheticus. According to historian of science Peter Barker, Kepler believed “he had discovered the part of God’s providential plan that embodies the pattern of the cosmos, and the divine laws by which God regulated its moving parts.” These scientists believed in coherent laws of nature and the rationality of their own minds because they believed this is a designed world.
Stein’s main point is not to advocate the specific version of design popular today. It is to remind us that science is supposed to be a free and open inquiry, willing to pursue the evidence wherever it leads. Sometimes the evidence may pose problems for thoughtful believers. Sometimes it may confirm belief in a higher intelligence. If science is to retain its reputation for objectivity, it must not be captive to any ideology.
The end of the review offered these helpful resources.
Expelled official movie site: http://www.expelledthemovie.com/
Nancy Bryson’s case. See: http://www.discovery.org/a/1389
Caroline Crocker’s case (and others). See: http://www.discovery.org/a/4485
William Dembski’s case. See: Angus Menuge, “Few Signs of Intelligence: The Saga of Bill Dembski at Baylor.” Touchstone Magazine, May 2001, 54-55.
Guillermo Gonzalez’s case. See: http://www.discovery.org/a/4464
Dean Kenyon’s case: Stephen Meyer. Danger: Indoctrination. A Scopes Trial for the ‘90s. The Wall Street Journal. Op. Ed (December 6th, 1993.): A14. Available on-line at: http://www.discovery.org/a/93
Richard Sternberg’s case. See: http://www.discovery.org/a/3833 .
April 20, 2008
A funny
I could say my oldest girlfriend sent me this in email... but that might make you think she's rather aged, and in fact, she's younger than me. By oldest I mean she and I have been friends for a long, long, time ... since we were teenagers -- before she could drive! We've known and loved each other since then, since before we knew our spouses, had our children, and suffered and survived the varieties of life. She's a sweet soul and I'm always glad to know she's my forever friend!
So, this tickled my funny bone, and I have no idea whom to credit for it. Perhaps you'll find it funny too!
COWS
Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that during the mad cow epidemic our government could track a single cow, born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she slept in the state of Washington? And, they tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our country. Maybe we should give each of them a cow.
THE CONSTITUTION
They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq. Why don't we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it has worked for over 200 years, and we're not using it anymore.
THE 10 COMMANDMENTS
The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments posted in a courthouse is this: You cannot post 'Thou Shalt Not Steal,' 'Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery,' and 'Thou Shall Not Lie' in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians. It creates a hostile work environment.
So, this tickled my funny bone, and I have no idea whom to credit for it. Perhaps you'll find it funny too!
COWS
Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that during the mad cow epidemic our government could track a single cow, born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she slept in the state of Washington? And, they tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our country. Maybe we should give each of them a cow.
THE CONSTITUTION
They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq. Why don't we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it has worked for over 200 years, and we're not using it anymore.
THE 10 COMMANDMENTS
The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments posted in a courthouse is this: You cannot post 'Thou Shalt Not Steal,' 'Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery,' and 'Thou Shall Not Lie' in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians. It creates a hostile work environment.
April 19, 2008
Expelled, thoughts...
I'm reading reviews of Expelled this morning and one thought that came to me was the overwhelming negativity that the main-stream media has concerning this movie. Their minds were made up before they saw the film.
IF those who opposed it saw it, I think if they were true to scholarship and scientific thought, they would respect Ben's argument that this is basically about freedom. This movie is about the suppression of thought and how systematically the freedom to explore Intelligent Design is shut down as if it is some kind of terrible threat.
IF it is the junk science that those in the places of power and position believe it to be, then bring it to the light of day and have at it! Wouldn't that be far more effective to those who believe otherwise? But then of course, in the spirit of true academia, we certainly should be able to have a discussion about alien seeds verses Intelligent Design, and the belief that life began on the backs of crystals.
WHY the huge effort to refute something that is not a threat? That isn't good science? That is just what "unintelligent" people believe. WHY the lies such as what Eugenia Scott purports when she says there is no peer reviewed refutation of evolution?
One man asks after a review in the comments section, "Doesn’t relentlessly whining about being persecuted instead of actively trying to bring accurate and credible evidence to the table count as standing up to scrutiny?"
H - E - L - L - O! Bueller!!! For goodness sake, that's what this whole movie is about -- NOT being able to bring the accurate, credible evidence to the table for scrutiny because it is being suppressed.
SHEESH -- some people just don't get it! Must we draw you a picture?
Here are several reviews I liked, not necessarily because they were in agreement with my review of the film, but because sometimes I think they adequately represent the thought police and the Darwin mindset.
Triblogue
Christian Skepticism
Richard Dawkins
God and Science
Plugged in Online
IF those who opposed it saw it, I think if they were true to scholarship and scientific thought, they would respect Ben's argument that this is basically about freedom. This movie is about the suppression of thought and how systematically the freedom to explore Intelligent Design is shut down as if it is some kind of terrible threat.
IF it is the junk science that those in the places of power and position believe it to be, then bring it to the light of day and have at it! Wouldn't that be far more effective to those who believe otherwise? But then of course, in the spirit of true academia, we certainly should be able to have a discussion about alien seeds verses Intelligent Design, and the belief that life began on the backs of crystals.
WHY the huge effort to refute something that is not a threat? That isn't good science? That is just what "unintelligent" people believe. WHY the lies such as what Eugenia Scott purports when she says there is no peer reviewed refutation of evolution?
One man asks after a review in the comments section, "Doesn’t relentlessly whining about being persecuted instead of actively trying to bring accurate and credible evidence to the table count as standing up to scrutiny?"
H - E - L - L - O! Bueller!!! For goodness sake, that's what this whole movie is about -- NOT being able to bring the accurate, credible evidence to the table for scrutiny because it is being suppressed.
SHEESH -- some people just don't get it! Must we draw you a picture?
Here are several reviews I liked, not necessarily because they were in agreement with my review of the film, but because sometimes I think they adequately represent the thought police and the Darwin mindset.
Triblogue
Christian Skepticism
Richard Dawkins
God and Science
Plugged in Online
Good Article on the Issue of Homeschooling in California
John Stossel is respected for his evenhanded reporting. His article on the California Appellete Court decision concerning homeschooling is spot on!
General Douglas MacArthur
On this day in 1951 General Douglas MacArthur retired over a difference of opinion with President Harry Truman about the way the Korean War should be fought. He was a controversial figure because of politics, not because of his military service, which was varied and outstanding. His retirement was announced before Congress in a joint session that included 30 breaks for applause. In this speech he said:
"Like the old soldier of that ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who has tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty."
In 1962, West Point honored MacArthur with the Sylvanus Thayer Award (an award for outstanding service to the nation). In accepting the award, MacArthur gave his last and possibly his best speech, in which he concluded:
"The shadows are lengthening for me. The twilight is here. My days of old have vanished, tone and tint. They have gone glimmering through the dreams of things that were. Their memory is one of wondrous beauty, watered by tears, and coaxed and caressed by the smiles of yesterday. I listen vainly, but with thirsty ears, for the witching melody of faint bugles blowing reveille, of far drums beating the long roll. In my dreams I hear again the crash of guns, the rattle of musketry, the strange, mournful mutter of the battlefield. But in the evening of my memory, always I come back to West Point. Always there echoes and re-echoes: Duty, Honor, Country. Today marks my final roll call with you, but I want you to know that when I cross the river my last conscious thoughts will be of The Corps, and The Corps, and The Corps. I bid you farewell."
As a military brat, however, in researching MacArthur as a junior high school student for a school report, this is what I remember and liked the best about MacArthur, who had one son:
"By profession I am a soldier and take pride in that fact. But I am prouder—infinitely prouder—to be a father. A soldier destroys in order to build; the father only builds, never destroys. The one has the potentiality of death; the other embodies creation and life. And while the hordes of death are mighty, the battalions of life are mightier still. It is my hope that my son, when I am gone, will remember me not from the battle but in the home repeating with him our simple daily prayer, 'Our Father who art in heaven.' "
"Like the old soldier of that ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who has tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty."
In 1962, West Point honored MacArthur with the Sylvanus Thayer Award (an award for outstanding service to the nation). In accepting the award, MacArthur gave his last and possibly his best speech, in which he concluded:
"The shadows are lengthening for me. The twilight is here. My days of old have vanished, tone and tint. They have gone glimmering through the dreams of things that were. Their memory is one of wondrous beauty, watered by tears, and coaxed and caressed by the smiles of yesterday. I listen vainly, but with thirsty ears, for the witching melody of faint bugles blowing reveille, of far drums beating the long roll. In my dreams I hear again the crash of guns, the rattle of musketry, the strange, mournful mutter of the battlefield. But in the evening of my memory, always I come back to West Point. Always there echoes and re-echoes: Duty, Honor, Country. Today marks my final roll call with you, but I want you to know that when I cross the river my last conscious thoughts will be of The Corps, and The Corps, and The Corps. I bid you farewell."
As a military brat, however, in researching MacArthur as a junior high school student for a school report, this is what I remember and liked the best about MacArthur, who had one son:
"By profession I am a soldier and take pride in that fact. But I am prouder—infinitely prouder—to be a father. A soldier destroys in order to build; the father only builds, never destroys. The one has the potentiality of death; the other embodies creation and life. And while the hordes of death are mighty, the battalions of life are mightier still. It is my hope that my son, when I am gone, will remember me not from the battle but in the home repeating with him our simple daily prayer, 'Our Father who art in heaven.' "
April 18, 2008
Expelled ... Simply Excellent
I knew that Ben Stein would find a way to discuss the subject of intellectual elitism in a way that was cerebral and humorous. My teenaged daughters and I went to see the movie Expelled tonight.
Simply put, the movie Expelled is excellent!
Its scholarship is excellent! This is not your usual defense of Intelligent Design. It's thoughtful, raises questions and then seeks to answer them.
The photography is stunning. The usage of old black and white footage is so completely apropos to the script! The visual imagery is very impactful.
The movie begins with stunning photos of the building of the Berlin wall. For those of us who are history buffs, we can begin to image from the start that this is an image of thought police whose duty it is to seclude certain ideas from seeing the light of day. But as the film progresses, this anaology is taken to a higher plane as the ideas that Darwinism spawns begin to have implications in Eugenics and the Holocaust (and I would add, though the film didn't go there, Bosnia, Dafur and the Forgotten Holocaust of Manchuria in the 1920's and 30's).
In their own words, evolutionary scientists will tell you, and believe, that life started here by being planted as seeds from an alien, or on the backs of crystals. Their suppositions are hilarious and have nothing to do with scientific thought, which is repeatable and observable.
This is a tremendous film that I pray everyone will go see and encourage all you know to see this intelligent, witty film.
What a blessing to have this to refer people to as we cannot all be so persuasive or convincing.
The audience I believe was mostly Christian guessing by their reaction to various points of the movie. It also got a standing ovation at the end. This audience really appreciated the movie.
After some sleep I'll probably update my comments, but these stand for now.
Simply put, the movie Expelled is excellent!
Its scholarship is excellent! This is not your usual defense of Intelligent Design. It's thoughtful, raises questions and then seeks to answer them.
The photography is stunning. The usage of old black and white footage is so completely apropos to the script! The visual imagery is very impactful.
The movie begins with stunning photos of the building of the Berlin wall. For those of us who are history buffs, we can begin to image from the start that this is an image of thought police whose duty it is to seclude certain ideas from seeing the light of day. But as the film progresses, this anaology is taken to a higher plane as the ideas that Darwinism spawns begin to have implications in Eugenics and the Holocaust (and I would add, though the film didn't go there, Bosnia, Dafur and the Forgotten Holocaust of Manchuria in the 1920's and 30's).
In their own words, evolutionary scientists will tell you, and believe, that life started here by being planted as seeds from an alien, or on the backs of crystals. Their suppositions are hilarious and have nothing to do with scientific thought, which is repeatable and observable.
This is a tremendous film that I pray everyone will go see and encourage all you know to see this intelligent, witty film.
What a blessing to have this to refer people to as we cannot all be so persuasive or convincing.
The audience I believe was mostly Christian guessing by their reaction to various points of the movie. It also got a standing ovation at the end. This audience really appreciated the movie.
After some sleep I'll probably update my comments, but these stand for now.
American Idol and Dancing with the Stars
Well, I think finally we're getting rid of the chaff now with Christy Lee's departure. Since I didn't like her anyway -- and agreed with Simon that she was nothing special -- Simon's rather curt comments on Wednesday evening were relished here.
No one here is rooting for David Archuleta. He's a nice enough kid, but all his renditions sound the same. Although he's a good singer, he's predictable and boring and he just isn't entertaining enough or talented enough to be the winner. I have friends who think he will be though...
Who are you wanting to see win?
As for dancing with the stars, again you have to wonder what is going through people's minds. Pricilla's dance on Tuesday was better than others who remain. Fame seems to change people though, and it's amazing to see the change in her since she came into notoriety as Elvis' girlfriend and then wife. (I pray the Lord will guide all those affected by notoriety as she certainly isn't the only one to suffer from it.)
We're off to see Expelled tonight! Looking forward to Ben Stein's intelligent humor and scholarship in this movie. Of course, I'll tell you about it later!
No one here is rooting for David Archuleta. He's a nice enough kid, but all his renditions sound the same. Although he's a good singer, he's predictable and boring and he just isn't entertaining enough or talented enough to be the winner. I have friends who think he will be though...
Who are you wanting to see win?
As for dancing with the stars, again you have to wonder what is going through people's minds. Pricilla's dance on Tuesday was better than others who remain. Fame seems to change people though, and it's amazing to see the change in her since she came into notoriety as Elvis' girlfriend and then wife. (I pray the Lord will guide all those affected by notoriety as she certainly isn't the only one to suffer from it.)
We're off to see Expelled tonight! Looking forward to Ben Stein's intelligent humor and scholarship in this movie. Of course, I'll tell you about it later!
Capitol, Museum, A Baby is Born
Trying to mellow out after that confluence of the four part-time jobs I hold... seems I was doing better (at blogging) during the busy-ness of it and have been rather shell shocked since. Recuperation at my age is taking longer than expected.Last Friday was a beautiful day! Three of us had to request the day off from our various jobs so that we could gather with about 2000 other homeschool families at the Colorado Capitol for CHEC's Homeschool Day at the Capitol. This annual event is meant to bring into focus of the legislators and other elected Colorado government officials the tremendous grassroots network of parents whose collective efforts through the years have preserved homeschool freedoms despite viscious attacks and parental freedoms. Treon Goossen, co-author of the Colorado Homeschool Law which went into effect on July 1, 1988, continues her legislative liaison position which has been and continues to be a blessing to us all! It is always good to see my dear friend there. The Day at the Capitol is the largest gathering of its type every year at the Colorado capitol.
Also, our co-laboror, Mike Cheney, was honored with the Ruth Beechick award. Mike's outstanding leadership in the CHEC organization has blessed countless thousands of homeschool families. His gentle yet unwaivering faith is quite an impressive example to those of us who know him.
Since we had the day off, and had braved the bracing snowstorm that greeted us between Monument and Castle Rock, we headed over to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
Their displays are impressive and not quite as littered with evolutionary theory as they might be. Still some de-programming is in order to refute their unproven assumptions, most especially in the gift shop which is rife with green earth propoganda.
My girls took lots of pictures which you can access here and here (for musuem visit) and here (for baby pictures).
We took this picture of our girls outside the museum.
And then, as if the day were not already filled with loving memories to be cherished, we had the distinguished honor of greeting my great nephew on the day he was born! Holding him close to our hearts, touching his precious newborn skin, kissing and smelling him was truly the highlight of the day!
Congratulations to my niece and her husband on the birth of another healthy son! They are just the most terrific parents and I'm so glad to call 'em all family!
April 10, 2008
WRONG!
It's so wrong that Michael Johns is going home from Idol.
All season long, Simon has been alluding to this becoming a popularity contest instead of a talent contest.
Given the contestants left, I would have to agree after tonight's elimination of Michael Johns. I look forward to hearing him sooner rather than later on the radio.
All season long, Simon has been alluding to this becoming a popularity contest instead of a talent contest.
Given the contestants left, I would have to agree after tonight's elimination of Michael Johns. I look forward to hearing him sooner rather than later on the radio.
The Church Militant
It's good I guess to be aware of what is out there. We watch so little daytime TV that I had no idea that Oprah had gotten so different/diverse/etc.
April 9, 2008
BOC
An elder in our church who plans to go to seminary upon completion of his AF duties is teaching a class on the Book of Concord. It's so amazing!
My older two daughters and I take it, and my husband does when he can (when work commitments don't interfere).
Tonight we were talking about baptism and it was so exciting to dig through His Word and realize what He says about it throughout Scripture!
I am so grateful to our teacher who really pours himself into research and to grounding everything in Scripture. (Of course, the confessions themselves are incredibly grounded in Scripture already...)
Anyways, I'm feeling tremendously grateful! So thanks, Paul!
My older two daughters and I take it, and my husband does when he can (when work commitments don't interfere).
Tonight we were talking about baptism and it was so exciting to dig through His Word and realize what He says about it throughout Scripture!
I am so grateful to our teacher who really pours himself into research and to grounding everything in Scripture. (Of course, the confessions themselves are incredibly grounded in Scripture already...)
Anyways, I'm feeling tremendously grateful! So thanks, Paul!
I love the way my daughter writes...
Just a link to my daughter's recent post.
I love her so much! And I'm proud of her, too.
And just an aside, that probably only my family will understand --
Silly girl, twits are for kids!
I love her so much! And I'm proud of her, too.
And just an aside, that probably only my family will understand --
Silly girl, twits are for kids!
Isagogics vs. Hermuneutics
I posted here about an update on the former Issues, Etc. radio program's sudden departure from the air waves. Within that post I referred to a book I was reading (A Seminary in Crisis by Paul Zimmerman).
One of the immediate concerns of what lead to the Seminex problem, most noted for the walk-out in 1974, was a difference in the way that Scripture was being interpreted.
Heidi wanted to know if isogagics was the same as hermuneutics.
Hermuneutics is the interpretation of Scripture. Isogagics is what the interpretation is based on. A small distinction, but an important one.
For instance, what was occurring at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, beginning as far back as post-WWII, was that professors at Concordia were basing their interpretation upon historical context, secular norms from the time of the Old and New Testament, and leaning unto man's interpretation of events from those times.
This is a huge distinction from former Lutheran thought (and probably other denominational thought, I'm just not certain) in that Lutheran's have always viewed the Bible above man's interpretation. It is taught (or should be) to all catechumens as they begin to understand their faith within the context of the Bible.
So the battle that was occurring within the LCMS was one of how to cling to God's Word: through the lens of man's interpretation or through the lens of trusting in God's Word. We can't and won't always understand everything, and I would posit that we aren't necessarily supposed to. Instead we are to cling to our faith and the simple Word of God via the help of the Holy Spirit.
A great discussion can be found in the Issues, Etc. archives site, from a program on February 7, 2007, hours 2 and 3. Thanks to Pastor's McCain's post that helped me find it!
One of the immediate concerns of what lead to the Seminex problem, most noted for the walk-out in 1974, was a difference in the way that Scripture was being interpreted.
Heidi wanted to know if isogagics was the same as hermuneutics.
Hermuneutics is the interpretation of Scripture. Isogagics is what the interpretation is based on. A small distinction, but an important one.
For instance, what was occurring at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, beginning as far back as post-WWII, was that professors at Concordia were basing their interpretation upon historical context, secular norms from the time of the Old and New Testament, and leaning unto man's interpretation of events from those times.
This is a huge distinction from former Lutheran thought (and probably other denominational thought, I'm just not certain) in that Lutheran's have always viewed the Bible above man's interpretation. It is taught (or should be) to all catechumens as they begin to understand their faith within the context of the Bible.
So the battle that was occurring within the LCMS was one of how to cling to God's Word: through the lens of man's interpretation or through the lens of trusting in God's Word. We can't and won't always understand everything, and I would posit that we aren't necessarily supposed to. Instead we are to cling to our faith and the simple Word of God via the help of the Holy Spirit.
A great discussion can be found in the Issues, Etc. archives site, from a program on February 7, 2007, hours 2 and 3. Thanks to Pastor's McCain's post that helped me find it!
April 8, 2008
Your Ear Worm of the Day
One of the ladies I work with likes to hum. She's been humming the same song for a few days now and I've suggested replacements to her, which didn't work. Until I suggested this one...
Now you can hum, or sing along too!
You've been warned!
Now you can hum, or sing along too!
You've been warned!
Freedom Doesn't Cry
Five for Fighting has some rather dramatic, and appropriate songs representing our current struggles.
Muddy Boots had us visit another person's blog for this song -- but that was a different video. Thanks, Melody, for bringing it to our attention.
Muddy Boots had us visit another person's blog for this song -- but that was a different video. Thanks, Melody, for bringing it to our attention.
Breast Cancer
My sister was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2005. It's been an ordeal, one that she says humbles her each time she goes to the cancer treatement center. At the CTC she receives a monthly shot to encourage early menopause as her cancer was estrogen related. At the CTC she sees many other folks going through radiation and chemotheraphy. My sister's cancer was caught early. Surgery and this shot are the treatment. She considers herself blessed.
I consider myself blessed to have her in my life. So this is my plea to not delay. Take advantage of the wonderful medical technology that's available and get your mammogram regularly as prescribed by your doctor. YOU ARE WORTH IT!!!
The previous video led me to this one on breast cancer, which really "hit" home with me.
I consider myself blessed to have her in my life. So this is my plea to not delay. Take advantage of the wonderful medical technology that's available and get your mammogram regularly as prescribed by your doctor. YOU ARE WORTH IT!!!
The previous video led me to this one on breast cancer, which really "hit" home with me.
This Video
This video made the rounds recently in my support group. I think it's a great reminder to parents, but especially moms!
April 7, 2008
WHEW!
The last few weeks saw the convergence of my four part-time jobs! It's been quite a ride!I'm just now coming up for air!
Two of these jobs are very part-time and only require my focus and attention and time and energy four times a year. However, all four of these jobs required that during these past two weeks and I didn't realize how pegged my stress-meter was until the end of it all on Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, our junior in our homeschool has completed her math and science requirements for graduation and is now focusing on literature and writing, history and the US Constitution to complete this year and I'm turning my focus onto what and how to finish her schooling next year.
Our 2nd grader is taking off in leaps and bounds in reading, writing and creative outlets such as drawing, painting, beading, spool knitting and Barbies. :-)
I am still exhausted from it all and trying to recuperate, although two of those jobs still require my regular attention most days of the workweek. Now I'm feeling a bit like this quilt block called a whirlwind, as I feel somewhat disjointed and yet connected, but still kind of pieced together.
JOY and Despair
Our youngest is so excited about Spring being here -- with the various opportunities to play outside, to collect bugs, to do chalk on the sidewalk, to ride her bike, to have a picnic! This kid *L*O*V*E*S* to play outside! So here's her take on that, from a picture taken last week:
Our oldest daughter has recently gone through a situation that is very hurtful. It crushes my mommy's heart to watch my children be in so much pain. It is such a feeling of helplessness.
Whenever our oldest daughter is hurting, the picture below comes to mind because it so clearly expresses her pain on her face. The picture was taken when she was almost 7 and getting her ears pierced. She's already had one ear done and her other ear is being prepared to be pierced.
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