Color Means Everything to Butterflies!

Do you know how this butterfly got its spots? I didn't, but the answer is surprising!

Most of the world’s 17,000 species of butterflies are delicate, colorful creatures. Geneticists have been studying the various patterns found on their wings, hoping to relate their findings to evolution. But so far, all their findings have failed to support evolution, and some even contradict evolution.

Butterfly wings are covered with small scales. Some butterflies have scales containing molecular structures that look like tiny Christmas trees; these structures bend the light to create those iridescent colors.

Other butterflies have scales containing pigment that produce the insects’ various colors and patterns. But color has another function.

Clouded Sulfur butterflies are found at various altitudes in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Females of this species are generally darker than the males. In fact, the females tend to become darker in color as the altitude of their habitat rises. This has survival value because darker colors absorb more heat from the sun in the cooler, higher altitudes, enabling the normal rate of metabolism to be retained.

However, the male butterflies prefer the lighter-colored females. This means that the advantage of having a darker color at higher altitudes would not be passed on to another generation. This is simply an example of rapid adaptation and is of no value to the theory of evolution.

As Scripture says, the foolishness of God is greater than man’s wisdom.

Notes: Science News

2010 Christian Nature

But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision. Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defense.”
Psalm 59:8-9

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Frog Resurrected!

There are actually frogs that produce antifreeze in the winter. But the Wood Frog is the absolute champion at surviving below-freezing temperatures, due to their ability to be resurrected.

Most frogs that survive northern winters cannot withstand more than a few degrees below freezing before they begin to suffer cell damage. Researchers placed Wood Frogs into an industrial freezer where they became stiff and hard on the outside, and partially liquid on the inside. The frogs’ metabolism stopped, and they became brain-dead.

When they were thawed out, however, they returned to life as if nothing had ever happened. Resurrected!

Wood Frogs avoid cell damage caused by the formation of ice crystals by generating glucose – a highly effective antifreeze. Other species of frogs produce glycerol, a less-effective type of antifreeze. However, the levels of glucose generated by the Wood Frog would cause cell damage in most other frogs, but these frogs limit the damage by shutting off their metabolism.

What’s more, should the Wood Frog suffer any cell damage by ice crystal formation, its blood contains a special fibrinogen that seals any leaks in its cell walls.

It is unlikely that all these different systems would evolve perfectly all at the same time. The Wood Frog is an example of a creature where everything had to work perfectly the first time – a testimony to our Creator.

Notes: Discover

2010 Christian Nature

From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens? Job 38:29

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Secret Courtship Dance of Swordtails

If I say I know a 'secret' does your mind automatically wait for gossip or some other pernicious piece of news?

The Bible most frequently associates the idea of secret communications with something evil. But sometimes, God uses secret communication for His purpose, as He did when Joseph of Arimathea secretly went to Pilate to secure the body of Jesus.

God has also given some animals the ability to communicate secretly. Take, for example, the Swordtail fish – like the one you might have in your aquarium. In the wild, this fish has a problem. They share their habitat with the Mexican tetras that are an aggressive predator and favor a meal of Swordtail.

Yet, like many other fish, the male Swordtail must conduct a conspicuous male courting dance to mate. Even so, at mating time while the male is conducting his dance, the aggressive tetras pay no extra attention to his show.

Researchers were puzzled until they discovered that the Swordtail conducts his mating communication on a secure channel that the tetras cannot see. They found that Swordtails have a stripe down the length of their body that reflects ultraviolet light essential to their mating communications. Examination of the tetras’ eye lenses show that they cannot see ultraviolet light. So the tetras miss the whole show. Yes!

Now that the Swordtails’ secret is revealed, we have additional reason to appreciate the work of our Creator. Thankfully, He has revealed to those with eyes to see His greatest secret: Salvation.

Notes: Science News

2010 Christian Nature

And after this Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus....
John 19:38

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'Cave Men' Schnizzlemen!

I have never understood the typical drawings of Stone Age men - sort of half monkey and half man, grunting their way through a sad existence. Ask most people what they think of when you say 'Stone Age People' and the likely answer will be 'caves'. But that's not how the Bible describes the first people!

Here's how Genesis 4:17 describes them:

And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he built a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

They were creative city-dwellers!

Scientists had always assumed that four Neolithic stone axe blades discovered in China had been polished smooth with quartz. However, one researcher decided to study the axe heads in more detail. As he did so, he marveled at the high degree of polish on the axe surfaces and noted that these surfaces were as smooth as the silicon wafers on which we etch electronic circuits.

The axe blades turned out to be made of corundum – a form of aluminum oxide, the second hardest mineral on earth. Quartz was far too soft to have polished these axes! Only diamond could do the job.

It turns out that there are two known diamond deposits within 200 miles of where the axes were found. To prove his theory, he cut some material from one of the axes and polished it with three different materials, including diamond. Careful measurements by an atomic force microscope showed that only diamond could duplicate the smooth surface of the axes.

These axes show that so-called Stone Age man had a sophisticated knowledge of materials, even using diamond to polish the second-hardest material on Earth – exactly what might be expected of creative city-dwellers.
Notes: Science News

2010 Christian Nature

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Which Pollutes More - Cars or Trees?

Anyone who reads my blog knows how I feel about trees - I love them! I love the bark, especially, because it's 'autobiographical'. It tells us what that tree has been through in its lifetime. So, if I were to ask you which pollutes most - cars or trees - you would think I was crazy, right? We all know trees are healthy for the environment.

We have long been led to believe that the automobile and the power stations are the primary source of hydrocarbons and nitrous oxide pollutants in our atmosphere. On the other hand, the trees clean up the air. Now – surprise, surprise – the oak trees in California’s Sierra Nevada have been found to release hydrocarbons into the air!

Scientists have also discovered that Scotch pine trees in southern Finland emit nitrogen oxides. These oxides react with atmospheric hydrocarbons to make nitric acid, a component of acid rain. Nitrogen oxides can also help make ozone, the primary part of smog.

This discovery was made accidentally as researchers investigated whether the trees used nitrogen from the air. As part of their research, they sealed living tree branches in plastic bags and measured the changes in the air inside the bags. They expected to see a decrease in the amount of nitrogen. To their amazement, they saw the amount of nitrogen double!

Some scientists estimate that the amount of nitrogen oxides produced by such northern forests may be as much, if not more than, the amounts produced by all of man’s industry.

This is shocking! It makes me look forward with even more anticipation to Christ's return when He will give us a new earth! He promised it, I believe Him.

notes: Science News

2010 Christian Nature

I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. Isaiah 65:17

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Fish Who Decorate for Mates

What woman would not like to be wooed by a male considerate enough to decorate an entire home for her? It would be something she would like, so it would be in good taste!

The male bower bird is not the only creature who decorates his nest to attract a female mate. Biologists have discovered that male three-spined sticklebacks decorate their nests to attract females. What’s more, the females appear to like a well-decorated nest.

Male sticklebacks build their nests and then wait for a female to stop by and lay eggs. Typically, their nests are built of algae. It has long been thought that fish, including sticklebacks, build their nests in such a way as to be hidden from predators. But researchers in Norway noticed that some sticklebacks placed red algae around the door to their nests. Some used red algae that had died and turned orange.

This observation caused the scientists to wonder if the fish were actually decorating their nests and whether this attracted females. So they cut some small foil strips and put them into their research aquarium. They offered the fish five different colors of foil. They also offered the fish some sequins.

The fish quickly collected foil strips, especially red ones, for their nests but showed no interest in the sequins. Follow-up research showed that females preferred the most brightly decorated nests.

Beauty and the love of beauty is also evidence of our Creator, for Scripture links beauty with His holiness. How could anyone believe that God doesn't like beauty? Look around you at His creation! Nothing but beauty!

Notes: Science News

2010 Christian Nature

“God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars.” Martin Luther

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What Was 'His Star in the East'?

Matthew 2:2 adds a detail that has baffled and intrigued Bible scholars and astronomers for 2,000 years: "We have seen His star in the east, and have come to worship him." What was "his star in the east"?

Over the years there have been four main theories:

1. Halley's Comet: Unfortunately, the nearest appearance was in 11 B.C., which is simply too early for the birth of Christ.
2. Supernova: This is an exploding star that suddenly fills the sky with light in a brilliant, blinding flash of light. These are unpredictable and very rare, and there is no record in any astronomical records of a supernova in the years surrounding the birth of Christ.
   
3. Conjunction of Planets: This is probably the most popular theory. One version suggests that in 7 B.C. Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn came together in a very rare conjunction that only occurs once every 125 years. Another possibility is a conjunction of Jupiter and Venus in 2 B.C. (This last possibility is the one suggested by the "Star of Wonder" presentation at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago.)
4. The conjunction theory has this to favor it: It would explain why the Magi saw it and the people of Israel didn't. Conjunctions don't attract the attention of people who don't normally watch the skies. They aren't highly-visible phenomena like comets or supernovas or meteor showers. But to anyone who watched the stars regularly, a "triangular" conjunction like the one in 7 B.C. would certainly attract extraordinary attention.
   
5. A Supernatural Light: This theory suggests that the "star" was not a natural phenomena at all, but rather was a light placed by God in the atmosphere especially for the Magi to see. Those who hold this view (which I myself lean to) point to the shekinah glory of God in the Old Testament. At certain points in history God revealed himself as a bright light in order to guide his people. In this context, we might think of the pillar of fire with which God led Israel in the wilderness.

By Ray Pritchard Excerpted from "We Three Kings" from Keep Believing Ministries (used by permission).

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Holiday Hazards for Pets - How to Prevent Them

Lights, decorations, good food…every year, as we celebrate the holidays, we fill our homes with seasonal cheer for ourselves and our families. However, what may seem beautiful and harmless to us may pose hidden dangers to our pets. Don't let an emergency spoil the festivities!

Below are some common holiday hazards for dogs and how to prevent them.

Holiday hazard	How to keep your pet safe
Electric cords	Keep all electric cords securely taped down or out of reach of your pet. Dogs and cats may chew dangling wires and be burned or electrocuted.
Ornaments	Hang ornaments out of reach of your pet. Dogs, especially, may eat ornaments or wire hangers, which can get caught in the stomach and intestines.
Chocolate	Keep all holiday foods away from your pet. Chocolate contains ingredients (e.g., caffeine) that can be lethal to dogs and cats.
Tinsel, ribbon, and string	Make sure these are kept out of reach and properly disposed of. If swallowed, any of these can require emergency surgery to remove. Tinsel also has sharp edges that can cut the mouth.
Lilies, other flowers, and houseplants	Prevent your pets from eating plants or flower arrangements. Lilies are very poisonous to cats.
Christmas tree	Put the tree in a pet-safe room or monitor your pet when he or she is around the tree. Dogs and cats may eat the needles (even from artificial trees) or drink the water at the base of the tree, which can be toxic (especially if it contains preservatives).

In many cases, if your pet has eaten or drunk something toxic, warning signs will include gastrointestinal problems, such as vomiting and diarrhea. Other signs may include tiredness and lack of appetite, especially in cats that have eaten lilies. If your pet shows any of these signs, or if you think he or she has eaten something dangerous but is not showing any signs yet, please call us right away. Treating your pet as soon as possible is essential!

2010 Christian Nature

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Beautiful Stacks of Tiles and Glue

I'll bet you never though tiles and glue could be beautiful. But they can! And women will pay a pretty penny for them!

The mother-of-pearl found in abalone shells is both beautiful and exceptionally strong. Scientists wanted to find out how the shell formed in the hope that they could discover the secret of the shell’s strength.
Researchers invented a clever way to do this, using only a couple of abalones growing in saltwater tanks. They placed a number of glass slides on the growing abalone shells. The new shell material thus formed on the glass slides as the abalones grew.

Researchers removed a slide at intervals to study it using an electron microscope, leaving the remaining slides to collect more shell material. The microscope showed the well-known six-sided calcium carbonate tiles stacked like bricks. These tiles are cemented together with a protein. However, they found that the protein “cement” did not continue right to the edges of the stacks of “tiles.”

Unlike normal cement, the protein “cement” stretches, and this permits the stacks to slide sideways rather than shattering when, say, a predator tries to break the shell. The shell can thus absorb a great deal of force without breaking, and this is the secret of its strength.

The ordered structure of the abalone shell is difficult to explain as the result of unordered chance. The intricate genius of not gluing the edges of the stacked tiles to add strength to this design points directly to our Creator.

Notes: Science News

2010 Christian Nature

Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman wakes but in vain. Psalm 127:1

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Quotes About God's Gift of Nature - Pet Dogs

I'm a dog person. From the time I was very young, I have always had a dog to love and be loved by, too. I wouldn't know how to live without a dog by my side! I consider dogs as one of God's nature gifts to me, so I like reading what other dog-lovers have said about their dogs!

His ears were often the first thing to catch my tears.
- Elizabeth Barrett Browning, referring to her cocker spaniel, Flush

The misery of keeping a dog is his dying so soon. But, to be sure, if he lived for fifty years and then died, what would become of me?
- Sir Walter Scott

A dog is the only thing on this earth that loves you more than he loves himself.
- Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)

This soldier, I realized, must have had friends at home and in his regiment; yet he lay there deserted by all except his dog. I looked on, unmoved, at battles which decided the future of nations. Tearless, I had given orders which brought death to thousands. Yet here I was stirred, profoundly stirred, stirred to tears. And by what? By the grief of one dog.
- Napoleon Bonaparte, on finding a dog beside the body of his dead master, licking his face and howling, on a moonlit field after a battle. Napoleon was haunted by this scene until his own death.

Dogs don't know about beginnings, and they don't speculate
on matters that occurred before their time. Dogs also don't know — or at least don't accept — the concept of death. With no concept of beginnings or endings dogs probably don't know that for people having a dog as a life companion provides a streak of light between two eternities of darkness.
- Stanley Coren

I class myself with Rin Tin Tin. At the end of the Depression, people were perhaps looking for something to cheer them up. The fell in love with a dog, and with a little girl.
- Shirley Temple

He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.
- Unknown Author

One reason a dog can be such a comfort when you're feeling blue is that he doesn't try to find out why.
- Unknown Author

I can still see my first dog. For six years he met me at the same place after school and convoyed me home — a service he thought up himself. A boy doesn't forget that sort of association.
- E.B. White

They give unconditional love and undying loyalty in return for
regular meals and an occasional pat on the head.
- Jon Winokur

One of the happiest sights in the world comes when a lost dog is reunited with a master he loves. You just haven't seen joy till you have seen that.
- Eldon Roark

A dog doesn't care if you're rich or poor, big or small, young or old. He doesn't care if you're not smart, not popular, not a good joke-teller, not the best athlete, nor the best-looking person. To your dog, you are the greatest, the smartest, the nicest human being who was ever born. You are his friend and protector.
- Louis Sabin, All About Dogs As Pets

There's just something about dogs that makes you feel good. You come home; they're thrilled to see you. They're good for the ego.
- Janet Schulman

Getting a dog is like getting married. It teaches you to be less self-centered, to accept sudden, surprising outbursts of affection, and not to be upset by a few scratches on your car.
- Will Stanton

Many people have heard the remarkable example of devotion involving a Skye terrier dog who worked for a Scottish shepherd named Old Jock. In 1858, the day after Jock was buried (with almost nobody present to mourn him except his shaggy dog) in the churchyard at Greyfriars Abbey in Edinburgh, Bobby was found sleeping on his master's grave, where he continue to sleep every night for fourteen years.
- Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson

Of all the animals, surely the dog is the only one that really shares our life, helps in our work, and has a place in our recreation. It is the only one that becomes so fond of us that sometimes it cannot go on living after its master dies.
- Fernand Mercy

To come: more quotes about God's gift of nature to me, dogs as pets and friends.

2010 Christian Nature

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The Snail With No Name Who Doesn't Eat!

Yep, there's an unnamed 'belly-footed animal' (snail) that lives without eating. Oh, he's one of the armor-plated snails with a scaled foot, but he does not have his own name. Poor baby!

Some of the strangest creatures you can possibly imagine live around undersea hydrothermal vents known as “smokers” that spew out volcanically heated water and minerals. One of the most unusual creatures is an armor-plated snail that never needs to eat!

The as-yet-unnamed snail was discovered in the Indian Ocean. The sides of the snail’s foot have overlapping scales. Like the rest of the shell, these scales are coated in iron sulfide. This coating is the result of bacteria that, it is thought, deposit the iron sulfide on all outer shell surfaces. Most mollusks have a gland in their esophagus that contain symbiotic bacteria. These bacteria turn sulfides in the water passing through the snail’s gills into nutrition for the snail.

However, in all mollusks known until the discovery of this snail, the mollusks must still eat to have enough nutrition to live. This newly discovered snail has a gland that is 100 times larger than any other snail. It provides the snail with all the nutrition it needs, so it never needs to eat.

This newly discovered snail once again shows us that God’s wisdom and power are unlimited. This is comforting, for we are reminded that His greatest wisdom and power are seen through His love toward us in the Gospel. His plan of salvation for us reflects His greatest wisdom and power.

Notes: Science News, 11/8/03, p. 291, S. Perkins, “Cast-Iron Foot.”

2010 Christian Nature

So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. Psalm 104:25

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Christians Value Accurate Knowledge of God's Creation

Most people know it was Galileo who realized that the Earth revolves around the Sun. Christians have always valued accurate knowledge about God’s creation.

One doesn’t have to study the history of science very long before one learns of the Roman Catholic Church’s persecution of Galileo when he publicly declared that the Earth revolves about the sun. However, the Church of that day was not as ignorant as we have been led to believe. In fact, many churches of Rome in Galileo’s day had long had their own astronomical observatories.

On the practical side, the Church of Rome had a great need to keep its liturgical calendar accurate, since many important church festivals, like Easter, depend on the phases of the moon.

It is not generally known that the circular pavement in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome is actually the largest sundial in the world.

The church of St. Mary of the Angels and Martyrs has an intricate brass sundial 144 feet long that tells both the date and the time.

The roof of St. Ignatius in Rome houses the observatory where Angelo Secchi, the father of astrophysics, discovered a dark spot on Mars called Syrtis Major.

Galileo’s final words of protest when placed under house arrest – “and it still moves” – are inscribed on the sundial at Collegio Romano where the Pope asked his astronomers to confirm Galileo’s conclusions.

Despite some errors in judgment, which are common to man, Christians have always valued accurate knowledge about God’s creation.

Notes: Discover, 3/05, p. 79, Joseph D’Agnese and Denise Kiernan, “Heavenly Astronomy.”

2010 Christian Nature

And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. Genesis 1:16

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What You May Not Know About Poinsettias

My twenty-five years in the horticulture business taught me a lot about poinsettias! Each September 1st, I started hand-wrapping Poinsettias of all sizes, making huge bows, and getting them ready for my corporate customers. So by the time Christmas arrived, I was totally burned out on Poinsettias!

There's a lot people don't know about Poinsettias. Let's start with pronunciation. It's a four-syllable word: Poin-sett-i-a, not three-syllable word: Poin-sett-a. But it wasn't always called by that name.

Way back in 1829, Dr Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was America's first Ambassador to Mexico (1825-1829), noticed these plants along the road in Mexico. Since he was a curious scientist, he brought some of these plants back to Charleston, South Carolina and began to grow them in his greenhouse. The plant was named in his honor in 1836.

The Latin name is Euphorbia pulcherrima (the most beautiful Euphorbia), but it has been called by several other common names in America: 'painted leaf', 'Mexican fire plant', 'Oak Leaf' and 'Crown of Thorns' until it was named Poinsettias PULCHERRIMA, or 'Poinsettia' in honor of its discoverer, Dr. Poinsett.

He was the founder of the National Institute for the Promotion of Science and the Useful Arts, predecessor of the Smithsonian Institution.

By the early 1900’s, they were sold as potted plants in California. Many poinsettias are still raised in the state, especially for use as Christmas gifts and decorations. The city of Ventura, California is even known as the 'Poinsettia City'. (My neighborhood!)

You can drive down almost any street in Ventura and see Poinsettias as major landscape plants (as tall as 12 feet), outside most houses. Most homeowners plant the poinsettias after Christmas, and because Ventura is truly a 70-degree-year-round city, the Poinsettias love the mild climate and grow beautifully and rapidly!

Another thing you may not know is that the 'flowers' are not the red leaves, but are the yellow bracts in the middle of the floret. The Poinsettias blooms at Christmas in Mexico, where the flower is called the Flower of the Good Night (Christmas Eve.) According to a Mexican legend, the flower acquired this title because of a miracle.

A little Mexican boy, eager to visit the Christ Child in the manger in his village Church, was unhappy because he had no gift to offer. Nevertheless, he gathered branches of green leaves from a bush that grew along the dusty road and took them to the Church. The other children made fun of the boy's crude gift, but when he presented the weeds, all were astonished to see a brilliant, red, star-shaped flower blooming on each branch. (Daniel Foley, Christmas the World over: How the Season of Joy and Good Will Is Observed and Enjoyed by Peoples Here and Everywhere 1963)

And lastly, Poinsettias come in a large variety of colors, including blue. I'm not kidding! My personal favorite is the red and white 'marble swirl'.

If you are thinking of planting your Poinsettia after Christmas, be sure it's on the shady side of your house. It will give you pleasure for many years to come!

Have a blessed Christmas!
2010 Christian Nature

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Vaccine Prevents Inflammation Researchers Say

"This highly significant and novel finding offers a new perspective on the ways in which the body combats inflammation in both health and disease."

(Copenhagen, Denmark)—Researchers at the Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC) at the University of Copenhagen have discovered a protein normally found in the body that can act to prevent chronic tissue inflammation. When administered in the form of a therapeutic vaccine it is able to effectively prevent and treat a number of different inflammatory disease models for multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), skin hypersensitivity and allergic asthma (AA).

The results of this study have just been published by the prestigious Journal of Clinical Investigation. The study was led by Principal Investigator Shohreh Issazadeh-Navikas, group leader for Neuroinflammation Unit at BRIC, and was the result of a translational collaboration involving researchers in Denmark, Sweden and Germany. The article culminates a decade's long search for ways to combat inflammation and inflammatory diseases.

"The implications of the findings are large as they shed light on an important way that the body combats inflammation and autoimmunity. Moreover, they establish a therapeutic approach for using the newly discovered protein as a treatment for multiple conditions," says Shohreh Issazadeh-Navikas.

Many inflammatory and autoimmune diseases are chronic and affect a large majority of people. Moreover, there is an inflammatory component to many common diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, RA, AA, MS, type II diabetes and cancers. The vaccine discovered by the researchers boosts special cells of the immune system, called NKT cells.

NKT cells are a type of T cell that exert profound and diverse regulatory effects in disease, from autoimmunity to responses to pathogens and cancer. For over two decades since their discovery NKT cells have traditionally been considered to be activated by lipid antigens presented by CD1 molecules. However, Professor Issazadeh-Navikas' group was able to show for the first time the ability of a self peptide to activate NKT cells to suppress many tissue-specific inflammatory conditions including experimental autoimmune diseases.

This highly significant and novel finding offers a new perspective on the ways in which the body combats inflammation in both health and disease. In addition, the researchers identified the activation requirements and signaling pathway through which they exert their function.

Professor Issazadeh-Navikas highlights, "Our data offer a novel perspective on the physiological role of these cells in maintenance of tissue homeostasis and reduction of inflammation."

The findings significantly advance the fields of autoimmunity, antigen presentation, and NKT cells. They provide mechanistic insight into the biology of these cells and their roles in disease and point the way to therapies to treat many of the common conditions of mankind.

Source: Staff - University of Copenhagen

2010 Christian Nature

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Bacteria Is Our Friend

Scientists are beginning to get a better picture of how digestion works and have identified 500 to 1,000 different kinds of bacteria that live in our large intestine. The human body actually works in a symbiotic relationship with these bacteria – we are their host and provide them with a warm environment while they work to benefit us, including digestion of our food.

These bacteria carry out many jobs. Some protect our digestive system from bad bacteria. Others specialize in helping to break down food.

One of the most common bacterium breaks indigestible complex carbohydrates down into easily digested sugars. It also produces vitamins and other nutrients our body can absorb.

Researchers now believe that this busy bacterium also turns-on some of our genes, so that more blood is able to absorb food. Laboratory mice bred to be germ-free must eat 30 percent more food than regular mice because they lack this bacterium. What’s more, when there is little sugar to work with, the bacteria prompts intestinal cells to make sugar. Yet another bacterium makes proteins that manage sugar production.

Scientists now believe that most bacteria benefit us. They are part of God’s creation, designed for the good of the creation. God always has our good in mind, our greatest good being our salvation that He has prepared for us in Jesus Christ.

Notes: Science News

2010 Christian Nature

The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. Psalm 22:26

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Is She a Duck or a Careful Coot?

Researchers spent every day of four breeding seasons in a Canadian marsh watching the behavior of nesting American coots – a bird that looks very much like a duck. They concluded that these careful coots can count!

The researchers found that 41 percent of the nests were victims of “stealth egg layers.” Stealth egg laying takes place when a female coot sneaks into an unattended nest and lays an egg for another couple to raise. This is a problem because the extra mouth to feed increases the likelihood that some of that couple’s own hatchlings will starve.

It was observed that the mother coot protects her young by rolling the “stealth” egg out of the nest or burying it in the nesting material. The “stealth” eggs are usually a slightly different color, and the mother coot can discriminate between these eggs and her own on the basis of this color difference. However, researchers wanted to know if the coots were actually counting their eggs.

Reviewing their data on each nest, researchers discovered the coots who accepted foreign eggs usually laid fewer of their own eggs, presumably to prevent starvation of their own young. From this, they concluded that coots can count.

The Psalmist says that God’s thoughts are beyond counting. However, His most important thought toward us is one of love through His Son.

Notes: Science News

2010 Christian Nature

“If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.” Psalm 139:18

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Wild Nature A Healer for Troubled Kids

I know, from personal experience, that when a child is troubled, nature, especially wild nature, can be an effective healer. Anyone who has read my latest book knows I was severely abused as a child. Nature was one of the ingredients in my 'therapy' - hiking, tree climbing, mountain climbing (even on mules), equine training, and lots of reptiles and animals to care for. Twice during each summer, I was at Wilderness Camp in Glendale, NM and I loved every minute of it. Cooking meals over an open fire, drinking out of metal cups, and seeing more stars than I ever knew existed were lifetime memories.

Today there are numerous 'Wilderness Programs' available to kids with all kinds of problems, including violent behavior and autism. And recent research has confirmed the effectiveness of Wilderness Therapy.

Until recently, research examining the effectiveness of wilderness therapy programs has been limited. But in 2003, Keith Russell and the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Research Cooperative conducted one of the first comprehensive empirical investigations, using a large sample of adolescents who were enrolled in multiple wilderness programs.

Russell and his colleagues examined whether adolescents’ psychological functioning improved as a result of their participation in a wilderness therapy program, and whether improvements were maintained 12 months after graduation. They found that adolescents demonstrated significant improvements in their emotional and psychological functioning as a result of their participation in a wilderness program.

A second study conducted in 2006, using a large sample of adolescents (774 participants) in OBH programs, focused on rates of anxiety, depression and substance use. The teens reported greater therapeutic engagement and readiness for change upon graduation from the wilderness program. They also reported improvements in levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse and dependency, as well as an overall satisfaction with the therapeutic process. Improvements were maintained at the 6-month follow-up assessment.

These studies prompted further investigation. In 2006, the Center for Research, Assessment, and Treatment Effectiveness (CReATE), in collaboration with the Arkansas Institute of Developmental Science (ArK.I.D.S.) at the University of Arkansas, developed a research partnership with Aspen Education Group, the largest provider of OBH treatment programs in the United States.

As an extension of Russell’s earlier work, the researchers conducted a rigorous, well-controlled effectiveness study of OBH programs. Using state-of-the-art assessment, sampling and retention techniques, the research team launched a multi-site, longitudinal study of the impact of OBH programming on adolescents’ overall functioning.

The study involved 190 adolescents, ages 14 to 17, who were enrolled in three different wilderness therapy programs across the U.S. Ninety percent of the teens had participated in at least one prior therapeutic experience, with 22 percent of adolescents reporting four or more prior therapists.

The researchers collected data upon admission; one week after they started treatment; graduation from the wilderness therapy program; 3 months post-graduation; and 12 months post-graduation. Upon admission, the teens reported impairment in peer relationships and school performance as well as significant symptoms of ADHD, aggressive behavior, substance abuse and dependency, depression and anxiety, sleep disruption, and suicidality. A majority of the teens also reported significant lifetime substance abuse.

Like Russell’s early findings, teens in the effectiveness study made significant progress during treatment, and maintained these therapeutic gains for a full year. The adolescents demonstrated marked improvements in the following areas:

* Anxiety and depression
* Substance abuse and dependency
* Disruptive behavior
* Defiance and opposition disorder
* Impulsivity
* Suicidality
* Violence
* Sleep disruption
* School performance
* Interpersonal relationships

These results suggest that wilderness therapy programs are teaching important emotion regulation skills and that adolescents are continuing to refine their skills after graduation. Overall findings provide considerable support for the use of wilderness therapy in treating resistant adolescents.

Isn't it great to know nature heals the wounded soul?

2010 Christian Nature

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Song Matching of Bird Songs

I love hearing competing songs of male birds! I once had 'the winner' Dennis Day, a male canary who sang over 120 songs! (I taped them and counted them.) I am not the only one who has researched bird songs, though. Digital recording and computer technology have enabled researchers to study, in detail, various song-birds’ reactions to neighboring birds’ songs.

In most species, singing is the male’s job. There is much more going on when he sings than simply establishing territory or attracting a mate. Researchers refer to one characteristic of bird song as “song matching.”

While a male bird doesn’t like another male in his territory, he is more tolerant of a related male in a neighboring territory than of a complete stranger. A male will challenge a stranger by repeating the stranger’s song. Researchers have concluded from bird behavior that such “matching” is a challenge to the stranger and shows a willingness to increase aggressive behavior.

Just as when people argue, birds raise the aggression level by beginning their song before their challenger finishes his. However, as long as the neighbor shows no aggressiveness, male birds seldom match a neighbor’s song.

Decreased aggression is signaled by singing a song that’s different from the neighbor’s. Researchers also observed that rather than territory, the challenger is sometimes simply trying to lure away a male’s mate.

While we appreciate the beauty of bird song, it is a very complex way of communication. Such complex communication points to the Creator, the Giver of music!

Notes: Science News and April Lorier

2010 Christian Nature

“The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land....” Song of Solomon 2:12

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Naturaleza Video (Nature Video)

Nature, like music, is a great equalizer! It matters not what language you speak, what your country or culture is, or how much education you have achieved. An appreciation for nature crosses all bounds.

Knowing most of my readers speak English, I am still posting a wonderful nature video with Spanish subtitles. If you like, just watch the video, listen to the music, and be blessed. However, if you are inquisitive, the translations are below the video.

Naturaleza

Mira y escucha la musica Look and listen to music
Dios te ama! God loves you!
Vuela! Fly!
Se feliz! Be happy!
Olvida tus problemas! Forget about your problems!
La vida es bella! Life is beautiful!
No esas solo No such thing as single
Alguien te ama! Somebody loves you!

La tranquilidad reside en la belleza que se forma en tu mente
The peace lies in the beauty that forms in your mind

La tranquilidad te sostiene desde el interior.
The peace takes hold from inside.

Una vida feliz consiste en una tranquilidad de mente
A happy life consists in tranquility of mind

2010 Cristiana de la Naturaleza (Christian Nature)

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How To Treat The Nature of a Cold

"There is just one way to treat a cold, and that is with contempt."

Sir William Osler

Ok, so you have read all those articles about prevention, but now you actually have a cold. What do you do now to treat the nature of that nasty cold? A quick review of the transmission of trigger viruses and the interaction between viruses and your immune system can open the doors on a strategy to ease the symptoms and shorten the duration of a cold.

Is it a cold or the flu?
The nature of a cold is different than the nature of the flue. A cold is associated with the rhino virus and the flu with influenza virus. The symptoms are not exactly caused by the virus since many of us have the viruses without symptoms. Instead, the symptoms of a cold or the flu are caused by an imbalance in our immune system in the presence of a trigger virus.

Symptom	Cold	Flu
Fever	Rarely above 100.5°F-101°F, and then only for a day or so	Characteristic, high (102°F-104°F); lasts 3-4 days
Headache	Generally mild	Prominent
General aches, pains	Slight	Usual; often severe
Fatigue, weakness	Quite mild	Can last up to 2-3 weeks
Extreme exhaustion	Never	Early and prominent
Stuffy nose	Common	Sometimes
Sneezing	Usual	Sometimes
Sore throat	Common	Sometimes
Chest discomfort, cough	Mild to moderate, hacking cough	Common; can become severe

Source: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Reduce your exposure The largest contributor to infection by a trigger virus is unwashed hands. Washing your hands with soap every few hours will reduce the chance for pathogens to gain access to your system. Equally as important as washing your hands is making sure they are completely dry. Then, use the disposable towel to open the door out of the washroom. Many ugly microbes lurk on door handles – usually from people who have not properly washed and dried their hands.

Next, disinfect surfaces that are shared by many people. For instance, the telephone brings you within kissing distance of hundreds or even thousands of people. Who knows what their hygiene habits were? In a typical day we may be exposed to germs from as many as 150 countries or more! To the extent possible, avoid crowds, and try not to shake hands with people who obviously have a cold or flu. In addition, refrain from rubbing your eyes and nose.

Other precautions include getting sufficient sleep, eating enough fruits and vegetables and being especially careful when around children. Why? Because they get between five and eight cold infections a year!

Chronic stress is like slow poison
Current research shows that stress can suppress your immune system, perhaps opening the door to a number of infectious diseases. "Stress doesn't make you sick," says virologist Ronald Glaser. "But it does increase your risk of being sick because of what it does to your immune system." There is particularly compelling evidence linking stress to colds and the flu. Although we are continually exposed to such trigger viruses, our immune system normally neutralizes their impact. But when a person is under emotional distress, these defenses can fail.

Your immune system may begin to overreact or not react in time to stop an infection when you are under stress. The source of the stress really does not matter. For instance, time pressure and an injury may seem like entirely different stresses to your mind but they are treated exactly the same way by your body.

Adaptogens build a strong defense against stress. Certain adaptogens such as Eleutherococcus have been proven to shorten the frequency, intensity and duration of trigger viruses that cause colds.

Can vitamins shorten infections?
Vitamin C and Echinacea are favorites for protecting against and even treating rhino virus infections. Russell Jaffe, MD, former director of the National Institutes of Health, recommends a loading dose of Vitamin C: one teaspoon of Vitamin C crystals every 15 minutes until you "flush." By this, he means a complete bowel evacuation. After the flush, he recommends a daily serving of Vitamin C (for one month) that is equivalent to 75% of the amount it took you to flush.

Echinacea is used in a similar way. Significant medical research from Germany suggests that an hourly dose of Echinacea will reduce symptoms and shorten the duration of a virus infection. Taking a gram of Echinacea every hour for three days may even "abort" an infection that has already begun. Continue taking Echinacea three times daily for up to two weeks afterward to prevent a relapse.

Insulation and isolation
The best ways to protect against virus infections from colds and flu include:

* Building up your system with the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness
* Reducing your exposure to trigger viruses through hand washing and other sanitary procedures

If you become infected, aggressive nutrition can restore balance to your immune system. Adaptogens and traditional remedies such as Vitamin C and Echinacea may shorten the course of an infection and provide quick relief.

2010 Christian Nature

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Sedimentary Geology Journal Confirms Creation Magazine

Evolutionary scientists have long maintained that it takes several million years for wood to become petrified or turned to stone as in the famous “Petrified forest.” In 1995 the creationist magazine Creation published research to show that wood can petrify in a relatively short time. Now a scientific journal, Sedimentary Geology, has published a new study that agrees.

Japanese scientists immersed specimens of wood in hot spring water. The mineral-filled, hot water stayed at about 122º F. They noted that some pieces of wood already in the hot spring water looked very much like ancient petrified wood. They compared it to petrified wood found in Miocene era volcanic ash. Such petrifaction had always been said to take millions of years.

After one year, they removed some of the wood for study. They did the same every year for seven years, finding that little petrifaction had taken place the first year.

But after seven years, over 38 percent of the wood was petrified. Detailed study of the wood showed that it was petrified in the same way that the Miocene wood was. In their published paper, they even cited their agreement with the 1995 Creation article!

True science will never challenge anything the Bible says, even when it comes to historical details like the age of the Earth. The Bible is indeed God’s truth.

Notes: Impact (ICR)

2010 Christian Nature

“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” John 17:17

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Gecko Caught on Tape - Video

In a previous post, I talked about the amazing ability of the gecko to walk up walls and across the ceiling. The gecko can do this because it has tiny hairs, called setae, on its feet. These hairs are so tiny that they actually grip the molecules in the surface of the material upon which the gecko is walking.

Human attempts to duplicate the gecko’s ability underscore the excellence of the gecko’s design. Scientists recently made a one-square-centimeter patch out of water-resistant plastic that had over a million tiny setae on it. As impressive as that sounds, their gecko tape was only one-third as efficient as the gecko’s foot. But it is efficient enough that a glove made out of gecko tape could hold a man to the ceiling.

However, man-made gecko tape only works about five times before it refuses to stick. That’s because the plastic from which gecko tape is made attracts water. Every time it is applied it picks up a little water from even apparently dry surfaces. This causes its setae to clump together and lose their ability to grip a surface. The gecko’s setae repel water so well that they work even on an obviously wet surface. (See video below)

We should not be surprised that even 21st century science cannot duplicate the wonders created by God.

Notes: Science News

'Jesus' Gecko, Walking on Water

2010 Christian Nature

“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” Genesis 1:31

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Aspirin Study - Surprising Results

"It is further proof that aspirin is, by a long way, the most amazing drug in the world." –Professor Alastair Watson

A recent study done by Peter Rothwell of Oxford University in Britain, hails the merits of taking a low-dose aspirin every day, as it can lower the risk of dying from cancer—especially gastrointestinal types of cancers—by as much as 60% over time.

While admitting that there is a slight chance that a daily aspirin regime could cause bleeding of the stomach in some (about 1 in every thousand per year), Rothwell says that risk is "beginning to be drowned out by [aspirin's] benefits." (Photo: REUTERS/Bayer/handout)

The study, published in The Lancet, maintains that the 20-year risk of death was reduced by about 10 percent for prostate cancer, 30 percent for lung cancer, 40 percent for colorectal or bowel cancer and 60 percent for oesophageal cancer in those taking aspirin, according to the REUTERS report.

Researchers found the rate of death from these cancers to be about 54% lower in those who took a low-dose aspirin daily for at least 5 years.

Aspirin, an inexpensive over-the-counter drug, originally developed by Bayer, is said to be so effective in preventing those kinds of cancers because it works by blocking the enzyme cyclooxygenase2 which promotes inflammation and cell division and is found in high levels in tumors.

Read the full REUTERS report by clicking on the source link provided.

Kate Kelland – REUTERS Health

2010 Christian Nature

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The World Revolves Around ME!

For many years, I have been against the school's replacing the "three r's" with teachings on self-esteem. It's like not 2+2=4, but how do you FEEL about 2+2=4?

Where is that line between self-esteem and narcissism? Both send the same message: The world revolves around ME!

We have long been told that a child with high self-esteem will do better in school, get into less trouble and is less likely to smoke or get into drugs. However, after examining the results of a large number of scientific studies that made such claims, independent researchers have come to a very different conclusion.

There have been a large number of scientific studies published on the subject of self-esteem. Researchers went through these studies to evaluate the actual results of self-esteem studies.

First, they concluded that having a high self-esteem will not improve a student’s grades in school or in job performance. This is true whether the subjects naturally had high self-esteem or went through programs designed to improve their self-esteem.

The researchers also confirmed what is generally known – that success at work or in school can build self-esteem. They further found that those with so-called “good self-esteem” were not less likely to smoke, drink alcohol, get involved with drugs, or get into school-yard fights. On the contrary, they found that high self-esteem makes it more likely that some will engage in school-yard bullying, while others will stand up to the school-yard bully.

Whether we call it 'high self-esteem' or narcissism, the effect is the same: The world revolves around ME.

Earthly wisdom does not lead to godliness. In God’s perfect wisdom, He has given us our identity as His own children through the redeeming work of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Notes: Science News “Findings puncture self-esteem claims.”

2010 Christian Nature

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An ALGA That Flexes Its Muscles

A strange alga that has muscle like tissue illustrates that there are no simple life forms. Protein muscle fibers, say evolutionists, are a later and more advanced development in living things. Yet, these scientists also claim that alga are among the first of the living things to have evolved.

The Mougeotia alga contains a structure that performs photosynthesis. This structure is shaped like a flat disc. Researchers found that, depending on the brightness and direction of the light, this structure is turned to control the rate at which photosynthesis takes place. Further study indicates that the structure is actually turned by protein fibers that expand and contract just like our muscles to keep everything under control!

Here we have two very different structures working together. The disc like structure that carries out photosynthesis could not function very well at all without the "muscle" fiber. If the muscle fiber were to evolve without the disc like structure to control, the fiber would be useless.

The individual parts of all living things work together like the individual instruments in an orchestra. They're useless without each other. This example shows that individual structures in living things could not have evolved gradually and individually over long periods of time. They were created to work together in close harmony!

Notes: Wagner, C., W. Haupt, and A. Laux. "Reversible inhibition of chloroplast movement by cytocholasin B in the green alga mougeotia." Science

2010 Christian Nature


"Your hands have made me and fashioned me, and intricate unity…" Job 10:8a

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Diabetic Feet - Give Them a Hand

People with diabetes are more prone to foot pain due to an increased risk of damage to nerves and blood vessels. Give your feet a hand! You can help prevent these problems with the following tips:

* Wash your feet in warm water with mild soap every day, but don't soak them. Dry them well, especially between your toes.

* Check your feet every day for cuts, sores, blisters, redness, calluses, or any other problem. Call your doctor if healing doesn't start after one day.

* If your skin is dry, rub lotion on your feet after you wash and dry them. Do not put lotion between your toes.

* Gently file corns and calluses with an emery board or pumice stone (move it in only one direction). Do this after your bath or shower, when the skin is soft.

* Trim your toenails once a week or when needed. Cut them with a nail clipper straight across, then smooth the edges with an emery board. If you can't see or reach them, ask a family member or your health care team for help.

* Always wear slippers or shoes to protect your feet from injuries. Don't wear sandals and don't walk barefoot, even around the house.

* Always wear socks or stockings to avoid blisters. Choose a pair that fits your feet well and has soft elastic.

* Wear shoes that fit well. Shop for shoes at the end of the day when your feet are bigger. Break in shoes slowly. Wear them 1 to 2 hours each day for the first few weeks.


These Shoes Are Made for Walking

If you're starting a walking program, get off on the right foot by buying a pair of walking shoes that fit properly. Here's how:

* Bring your walking socks when you shop for shoes.

* Look for shoes that are wide enough that your toes can move freely. There should be about a half inch between your toes and the end of the shoe. Your heel should not slip, and the shoe should not pinch or bind, especially across the arch or ball of your foot.

* Walking shoes should have a relatively flat heel and should be flexible enough that you can bend and twist them.

* Pick a shoe that is lightweight and breathable.

* Make sure shoes feel great when you put them on. Walking shoes shouldn't have to be worn in.

Notes: typefreediabetes

2010 Christian Nature

Don't you know that your bodies are part of the body of Christ?
1 Corinthians 6:15a

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