According to the scientific definition, a gene is a distinct unit of information, in the form of a specific pattern of nucleotides that comprise part of a chromosome. Roughly translated into English, genes are packets or sequences of DNA (information) that specifically code for one protein, whereas a genome is the full genetic code, or set of rules, for a given organism. For example, the genome of a primate will have specific genes that define the development of fur, arms, and legs, while the genome of a bird will have certain genes that cause development of beaks, feathers, and wings. Both organisms will have genes responsible for developing heart, lungs, eyes, and other internal organs that almost all animals share in common, while also having enough genetic material that a single individual can be uniquely identified out of millions of other people. Only identical twins share the same DNA, but even they can be uniquely identified through their fingerprints. DNA is basically a recipe for how to create an organism from scratch. The average layperson may not be able to recognize an individual gene under a microscope, but any two experts in genetics should be able to identify the specific pattern of a known gene. Most of us have seen enough TV shows like NCIS and CSI delving into forensic police investigative work to know that leaving DNA evidence at the scene of a crime is just about as damning as a voluntary confession—unless the perpetrator can convince the jury that the evidence was planted in an attempt to frame them, the … [Read more...]
Transcendental design
The advocates of Darwinism have declared that the debate about origins is over -- firmly settled in favor of descent over design. Quite frankly, I wish the debate were over. I've gotten tired of circular arguments with Darwinists about their exaggerated claims that misinterpret some scientific evidence while completely ignoring equally important evidence that threatens their ultimately atheistic worldview. These tedious arguments get old pretty quick. It's a terrible waste of time. Frequently, my opponents become angry and impolite. And I also have constructive work to do, meaning novels to write. But I remain unconvinced that descent actually explains why and how humans came to exist, and I simply can't abide an inferior argument winning by default. At a casual glance, I would expect the creature shown above to be most likely found in the jungle, a zoo, or National Geographic video...not living as my neighbor in the house next door. In fact, I'm fairly certain that "people" have never looked like the creature depicted above. Yet according to advocates of Darwinian theory, that the female ape-like creature shown in the picture had sexual intercourse with a male ape-like creature that looked pretty much exactly like her. Over generations the baby apes shape-shifted to lose their fur and get smarter in the process of becoming human, all attributable to the vagaries of a powerful, mystical factor known as Deep Time. Isolation of the gene pool and genetic drift allegedly caused this clearly ape-like creature to eventually "evolve" into a sentient human, … [Read more...]
Education versus indoctrination
Recently Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker was visiting London when a reporter tried to sandbag him, asking if he was "comfortable" with and accepted the theory of evolution. Walker apparently sensed the question was intended to be a trap. So he replied that he was going to punt the question, cleverly adding that it was a topic on which politicians shouldn't be asked to give an opinion. Uber liberal Democrat Howard Dean then tried his best to turn Walker's non-answer into an advantage for his political party on CNN's Morning Joe. Dean said that because Walker dropped out of college his senior year and refused to say that he believed in evolution theory, he should be considered "uneducated" and therefore unqualified to be elected President of the United States in 2016. Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough accused Dean of taking a cheap shot at Walker, who had dropped out of Marquette to take a lucrative job with the American Red Cross. Scarborough correctly pointed out that people like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg were merely a few examples of extremely successful businessmen lacking college degrees. Dean tried defending his comments. He stammered, "Evolution is a widely accepted scientific construct. People who don't believe in evolution easily, easily either do it for hard right religious reasons or because they don't know anything." Really? Howard Dean has a medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University after receiving his undergraduate degree in political science from Yale University. So I won't … [Read more...]
