Tuesday, October 02, 2012
Updating History
I've recently read these excellent books on the history of science. Summary: since 1911, historians have been realizing that the "Dark Ages" is a myth - that the Church kept the flame of reason and learning alive, receiving and improving upon Classical knowledge, gradually leading to the scientific revolution. In other words, modern science is a gift from the Church. Some of these books explore why modern science did not arise in other cultures, despite their own heritage of geniuses and discovery. These books are a valuable corrective to the popular myth that we owe modernity to the Renaissance and the Enlightenment.
Labels: church, dark ages, history, science
Metamorphosis
This DVD/Blu-Ray is a marvelous look at the amazing transformation undergone by every caterpillar, wherein the caterpillar goes into a cocoon, virtually dissolves into an organic soup, then re-emerges as a creature designed for a completely different mode of life.
This is of course a formidable challenge to Darwinism, as it is difficult to explain how such a DNA program arose. The caterpillar that enters the cocoon "dies"; without a plan to emerge on the other side, the first caterpillar to adopt this strange lifestyle would not have survived to produce offspring. The other long-term planning involved, such as totally new features needed for flying, reproduction, drinking nectar, constructing its proboscis, etc. are also very hard to explain in Darwinian terms - in a scientific way, that is, not the usual handwaving.
The companion PDF also discusses the equally puzzling perfection of mimicry - so detailed that some species even have structures that imitate drops of poison.
This is of course a formidable challenge to Darwinism, as it is difficult to explain how such a DNA program arose. The caterpillar that enters the cocoon "dies"; without a plan to emerge on the other side, the first caterpillar to adopt this strange lifestyle would not have survived to produce offspring. The other long-term planning involved, such as totally new features needed for flying, reproduction, drinking nectar, constructing its proboscis, etc. are also very hard to explain in Darwinian terms - in a scientific way, that is, not the usual handwaving.
The companion PDF also discusses the equally puzzling perfection of mimicry - so detailed that some species even have structures that imitate drops of poison.
Labels: biology, darwinism, design, evolution, science
