GRAVITY - THE DOWN TO EARTH LAW
Gravity, that restrictive and sometimes pesky element of our everyday life is not a nuisance, it’s a lifesaver! If it weren’t for gravity, every step we take could launch us into space. There would be nothing to keep us on the earth. If there were no gravity, trees wouldn’t know which direction to grow, food would sail off your spoon, plastering your face, and washing dishes would be a nightmare with water, soap, and dishes floating through the entire kitchen!
Gravity is predictable. If you throw a ball straight up, it will turn around and fall back into your hand at the same speed it was going when it left your hand. If you have a place where air doesn’t interfere, all objects drop at the same speed. You could drop a pen and a couch off your house roof and they would both land at the same time. In a more extreme case, you could drive a bulldozer off a 1300 foot skyscraper and drop a feather from it at the same time. They would both smash into the ground at about 200 miles per hour at exactly the same time if there were no drag in the air.
Even astronauts and other objects in space are not free from gravity. It’s a misconception that there is no gravity in space. In fact, gravity has almost complete control over objects in space. They are simply in a perpetual freefall; this freefalling motion is actually their orbit. Everything in space is orbiting (going around) something else. It might seem hard to understand how an object can orbit the Earth continuously without an ongoing source of power, but it’s a relatively simple concept to understand. All an object needs to have is the proper speed and direction.
For example, if we were to throw a stone across the earth’s surface, we would have the right direction but not the right speed. The stone would fall to the ground within a few seconds. If we would fire a high powered rifle toward a point just above the horizon, the bullet would be travelling at about 2,000 miles per hour and would go farther than the stone before it would drop to the earth but it would still not have the proper speed. Now if we could get a super high powered cannon and shoot a cannonball at about 17,000 miles per hour, the cannonball would start to drop to the ground just as fast as the stone and the bullet did, but this time it wouldn’t hit the ground because the earth is round and as the cannonball curves toward the earth, the earth curves away from it. Now we have the right direction and speed. 17,000 miles per hour just happens to be the speed to keep objects in low orbit away from the earth even though they are continuously falling toward it. If no atmospheric drag were present, the cannonball would keep falling around the earth until it would make a complete circle and come back to the same place it was fired from and keep right on going (provided we’ve moved ourselves and the cannon out of the way)! The cannonball would then be in orbit. If it would slow down just slightly it would crash into the earth, if it were to speed up it would spiral farther away. Each object in orbit is set at the precise speed needed for stability. Objects in our solar system are no exception; the Moon is falling around the earth at 2,300 mph, the earth is falling around the sun at 67,000 mph, and the sun is falling around the center of our galaxy at 500,000 mph.
The big question is; why would two objects in empty space want to bang into each other at every opportunity -- what causes gravity? Our current, best understanding of gravity is that any object with mass will bend space itself inward toward that mass. Other objects are then naturally drawn to that mass. Space around us seems to be empty nothingness, but in reality, it actually has a type of framework that objects move in. A heavy ball on a trampoline illustrates the warping of space by massive objects. The ball makes a dip on a trampoline so other objects on the trampoline want to roll toward it, not because they particularly like the ball but because the trampoline they are on is tilted toward the ball. In the same way, objects in space and on the earth are attracted to each other not because of some force between them but because space itself, like the trampoline, is curved toward the objects.
God has set everything in order and at precise speeds for proper orbits. The precision and clockwork-like patterns speak of a supreme designer. So in this case even gravity glorifies God!
Gravity, that restrictive and sometimes pesky element of our everyday life is not a nuisance, it’s a lifesaver! If it weren’t for gravity, every step we take could launch us into space. There would be nothing to keep us on the earth. If there were no gravity, trees wouldn’t know which direction to grow, food would sail off your spoon, plastering your face, and washing dishes would be a nightmare with water, soap, and dishes floating through the entire kitchen!
Gravity is predictable. If you throw a ball straight up, it will turn around and fall back into your hand at the same speed it was going when it left your hand. If you have a place where air doesn’t interfere, all objects drop at the same speed. You could drop a pen and a couch off your house roof and they would both land at the same time. In a more extreme case, you could drive a bulldozer off a 1300 foot skyscraper and drop a feather from it at the same time. They would both smash into the ground at about 200 miles per hour at exactly the same time if there were no drag in the air.
Even astronauts and other objects in space are not free from gravity. It’s a misconception that there is no gravity in space. In fact, gravity has almost complete control over objects in space. They are simply in a perpetual freefall; this freefalling motion is actually their orbit. Everything in space is orbiting (going around) something else. It might seem hard to understand how an object can orbit the Earth continuously without an ongoing source of power, but it’s a relatively simple concept to understand. All an object needs to have is the proper speed and direction.
For example, if we were to throw a stone across the earth’s surface, we would have the right direction but not the right speed. The stone would fall to the ground within a few seconds. If we would fire a high powered rifle toward a point just above the horizon, the bullet would be travelling at about 2,000 miles per hour and would go farther than the stone before it would drop to the earth but it would still not have the proper speed. Now if we could get a super high powered cannon and shoot a cannonball at about 17,000 miles per hour, the cannonball would start to drop to the ground just as fast as the stone and the bullet did, but this time it wouldn’t hit the ground because the earth is round and as the cannonball curves toward the earth, the earth curves away from it. Now we have the right direction and speed. 17,000 miles per hour just happens to be the speed to keep objects in low orbit away from the earth even though they are continuously falling toward it. If no atmospheric drag were present, the cannonball would keep falling around the earth until it would make a complete circle and come back to the same place it was fired from and keep right on going (provided we’ve moved ourselves and the cannon out of the way)! The cannonball would then be in orbit. If it would slow down just slightly it would crash into the earth, if it were to speed up it would spiral farther away. Each object in orbit is set at the precise speed needed for stability. Objects in our solar system are no exception; the Moon is falling around the earth at 2,300 mph, the earth is falling around the sun at 67,000 mph, and the sun is falling around the center of our galaxy at 500,000 mph.
The big question is; why would two objects in empty space want to bang into each other at every opportunity -- what causes gravity? Our current, best understanding of gravity is that any object with mass will bend space itself inward toward that mass. Other objects are then naturally drawn to that mass. Space around us seems to be empty nothingness, but in reality, it actually has a type of framework that objects move in. A heavy ball on a trampoline illustrates the warping of space by massive objects. The ball makes a dip on a trampoline so other objects on the trampoline want to roll toward it, not because they particularly like the ball but because the trampoline they are on is tilted toward the ball. In the same way, objects in space and on the earth are attracted to each other not because of some force between them but because space itself, like the trampoline, is curved toward the objects.
God has set everything in order and at precise speeds for proper orbits. The precision and clockwork-like patterns speak of a supreme designer. So in this case even gravity glorifies God!
THE DOOMED COMET
Nearly 21 years ago in March of 1993, Carolyn and Eugene Shoemaker and David Levy were searching the sky for near-Earth objects. These objects, which are mostly asteroids, pose a threat to the earth, since a collision between one of them and the earth could cause widespread destruction. On that particular night in March, the Shoemakers and Levy discovered an unusual object that wasn’t a threat to the Earth but rather something that would give a real example of the devastating force that can come from astronomical objects colliding. What they found was a comet that was later named Shoemaker-Levy 9.
Something was obviously different about the comet when they first saw it. Instead of having one solid nucleus like normal, it appeared to have multiple nuclei, or heads. After a few months of studying its orbit, it was also obvious that the comet was orbiting Jupiter. That in itself was strange since comets ordinarily orbit the sun. The orbit also showed that the comet had apparently been orbiting the sun in the recent past. But unfortunately, the original orbit’s aphelion (farthest point from the Sun) had been close to Jupiter, this was a recipe for disaster.
Sometime in the 1960s to 1970s the comet was snatched away from its orbit around the sun by Jupiter’s strong gravity. It went on to orbit Jupiter, getting perilously closer with each successive orbit until apparently it got too close to the planet on July 7, 1992. As the comet circled in and sped over Jupiter at tens of thousands of miles per hour, it felt the powerful tug of Jupiter’s gravity pulling down on it. The comet’s kinetic energy was forcing it onward through space but Jupiter’s gravity was giving a mighty heave in another direction, this caused tremendous tidal forces. The comet refused to yield its forward speeding motion and Jupiter refused to let it go on its merry way so the comet was ripped to pieces! 21 large fragments were seen spreading through space after this happened; the largest of them was close to two and a half miles in diameter. These all continued on their orbit away from Jupiter.
After about two years the fragments had circled back again and were racing toward Jupiter at a blistering speed of 134,000 mph. All this commotion caused such a stir among astronomers that lots of them were watching with their telescopes. They were sure that they were about to be the first to witness a collision of objects in the solar system. Then it happened, this time around the pieces plunged into the Jovian atmosphere and Jupiter swallowed all of them whole! It was a spectacular event; each of the fragments impacted the planet and exploded with a tremendous force, scattering debris for thousands of miles and leaving a series of dark scars. The impacts from the collisions caused plumes of ejected material that reached nearly 2,000 miles high. One of the fragments smashed into Jupiter with a force hundreds of times greater than all the nuclear weapons in the world. It left a dark scar twice the size of the earth.
The comet left its path and went another way only to be doomed to unpleasant consequences. It’s a valuable lesson worthy of our consideration too. It’s important for us to follow the right paths instead of being sidetracked into the path of destruction, just as the proverb says; “Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her… going down to the chambers of death”. (Pr 7:25-27)
Nearly 21 years ago in March of 1993, Carolyn and Eugene Shoemaker and David Levy were searching the sky for near-Earth objects. These objects, which are mostly asteroids, pose a threat to the earth, since a collision between one of them and the earth could cause widespread destruction. On that particular night in March, the Shoemakers and Levy discovered an unusual object that wasn’t a threat to the Earth but rather something that would give a real example of the devastating force that can come from astronomical objects colliding. What they found was a comet that was later named Shoemaker-Levy 9.
Something was obviously different about the comet when they first saw it. Instead of having one solid nucleus like normal, it appeared to have multiple nuclei, or heads. After a few months of studying its orbit, it was also obvious that the comet was orbiting Jupiter. That in itself was strange since comets ordinarily orbit the sun. The orbit also showed that the comet had apparently been orbiting the sun in the recent past. But unfortunately, the original orbit’s aphelion (farthest point from the Sun) had been close to Jupiter, this was a recipe for disaster.
Sometime in the 1960s to 1970s the comet was snatched away from its orbit around the sun by Jupiter’s strong gravity. It went on to orbit Jupiter, getting perilously closer with each successive orbit until apparently it got too close to the planet on July 7, 1992. As the comet circled in and sped over Jupiter at tens of thousands of miles per hour, it felt the powerful tug of Jupiter’s gravity pulling down on it. The comet’s kinetic energy was forcing it onward through space but Jupiter’s gravity was giving a mighty heave in another direction, this caused tremendous tidal forces. The comet refused to yield its forward speeding motion and Jupiter refused to let it go on its merry way so the comet was ripped to pieces! 21 large fragments were seen spreading through space after this happened; the largest of them was close to two and a half miles in diameter. These all continued on their orbit away from Jupiter.
After about two years the fragments had circled back again and were racing toward Jupiter at a blistering speed of 134,000 mph. All this commotion caused such a stir among astronomers that lots of them were watching with their telescopes. They were sure that they were about to be the first to witness a collision of objects in the solar system. Then it happened, this time around the pieces plunged into the Jovian atmosphere and Jupiter swallowed all of them whole! It was a spectacular event; each of the fragments impacted the planet and exploded with a tremendous force, scattering debris for thousands of miles and leaving a series of dark scars. The impacts from the collisions caused plumes of ejected material that reached nearly 2,000 miles high. One of the fragments smashed into Jupiter with a force hundreds of times greater than all the nuclear weapons in the world. It left a dark scar twice the size of the earth.
The comet left its path and went another way only to be doomed to unpleasant consequences. It’s a valuable lesson worthy of our consideration too. It’s important for us to follow the right paths instead of being sidetracked into the path of destruction, just as the proverb says; “Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her… going down to the chambers of death”. (Pr 7:25-27)
PROBABILITIES & EVOLUTION - FUN WITH NUMBERS
Probability
Air molecules are continuously zipping around in random directions around us. Given enough time, there is a real possibility that all the air molecules in front of your nose would momentarily choose to move in one direction away from you, leaving you gasping for air. The problem with this scenario is that there is such a great number of molecules in air that the odds against them all moving in the same direction away from you are so high that it is entirely safe to say it won’t happen, so go ahead and breathe easy. Now is it possible this would happen? Yes. Is it likely? Not at all.
Mathematicians agree that in the laws of probability, anything with odds greater than 1050 (1 with 50 zeros behind it) is considered an impossibility. So what are the odds of life forming by chance?
ODDS
Flip a coin, the odds that it will land on heads up are one in two, because the probability for that is calculated by multiplying 1X2. Arranging a deck of 3 cards would provide 6 possible arrangements (1X2X3=6) adding the fourth card would give 24 possibilities (1X2X3X4=24).
Probability of life
What have scientists calculated the probability to be of an average-size protein occurring naturally? Walter Bradley, PhD, materials science, and Charles Thaxton, PhD, chemistry, calculated that the probability of amino acids forming into a protein is:
4.9 x 10-191
This is well beyond the laws of probability (1x10-50), and a protein is not even close to becoming a complete living cell. Sir Fred Hoyle*, PhD, astronomy, and Chandra Wickramasinghe, professor of applied math and astronomy, calculated that the probability of getting a cell by naturalistic processes is:
1 x 10-40,000
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab2/natural-processes-origin-of-life
*Sir Fred Hoyle: secular astronomer who gave the Big Bang its name.
DNA
The chance of Just DNA arising spontaneously through natural processes is so improbable that it is far beyond the statistical zero. For this to happen, massive quantities of DNA material would be required.
"This means that 1089190 DNA molecules, on average, must form to provide the one chance of forming the specific DNA sequence necessary to code 124 proteins. 1089190 DNAs would weigh 1089147 more than the earth ... A quantity of DNA this colossal could never have been formed”.
R.L. Wysong, The Creation Evolution Controversy, (Inquiry Press, Midland MI, 1976) p.115, as quoted in The Evolution Handbook(Evolution Facts, Inc., Altamont TN, 2001) p. 261. http://creationdesign.org/english/chances.html
Seconds in the supposed evolutionary universe history
How can one gain some conception of the size of such a huge number? According to most Evolutionists, the universe is less than 30 billion years old -- and there are fewer than 10 to the 18th Power seconds in 30 billion years. So, even if nature could somehow have produced trillions of genetic code combinations every second for 30 billion years, the probabilities against producing the simplest one-celled animal by trial and error would still be inconceivably immense! In other words, probabilities greatly favor those that believe an intelligent designer was responsible for originating even the simplest DNA molecules.
http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/67884-what-are-the-odds-of-life-evolving-by-chance-alone/
Probability
Air molecules are continuously zipping around in random directions around us. Given enough time, there is a real possibility that all the air molecules in front of your nose would momentarily choose to move in one direction away from you, leaving you gasping for air. The problem with this scenario is that there is such a great number of molecules in air that the odds against them all moving in the same direction away from you are so high that it is entirely safe to say it won’t happen, so go ahead and breathe easy. Now is it possible this would happen? Yes. Is it likely? Not at all.
Mathematicians agree that in the laws of probability, anything with odds greater than 1050 (1 with 50 zeros behind it) is considered an impossibility. So what are the odds of life forming by chance?
ODDS
Flip a coin, the odds that it will land on heads up are one in two, because the probability for that is calculated by multiplying 1X2. Arranging a deck of 3 cards would provide 6 possible arrangements (1X2X3=6) adding the fourth card would give 24 possibilities (1X2X3X4=24).
Probability of life
What have scientists calculated the probability to be of an average-size protein occurring naturally? Walter Bradley, PhD, materials science, and Charles Thaxton, PhD, chemistry, calculated that the probability of amino acids forming into a protein is:
4.9 x 10-191
This is well beyond the laws of probability (1x10-50), and a protein is not even close to becoming a complete living cell. Sir Fred Hoyle*, PhD, astronomy, and Chandra Wickramasinghe, professor of applied math and astronomy, calculated that the probability of getting a cell by naturalistic processes is:
1 x 10-40,000
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab2/natural-processes-origin-of-life
*Sir Fred Hoyle: secular astronomer who gave the Big Bang its name.
DNA
The chance of Just DNA arising spontaneously through natural processes is so improbable that it is far beyond the statistical zero. For this to happen, massive quantities of DNA material would be required.
"This means that 1089190 DNA molecules, on average, must form to provide the one chance of forming the specific DNA sequence necessary to code 124 proteins. 1089190 DNAs would weigh 1089147 more than the earth ... A quantity of DNA this colossal could never have been formed”.
R.L. Wysong, The Creation Evolution Controversy, (Inquiry Press, Midland MI, 1976) p.115, as quoted in The Evolution Handbook(Evolution Facts, Inc., Altamont TN, 2001) p. 261. http://creationdesign.org/english/chances.html
Seconds in the supposed evolutionary universe history
How can one gain some conception of the size of such a huge number? According to most Evolutionists, the universe is less than 30 billion years old -- and there are fewer than 10 to the 18th Power seconds in 30 billion years. So, even if nature could somehow have produced trillions of genetic code combinations every second for 30 billion years, the probabilities against producing the simplest one-celled animal by trial and error would still be inconceivably immense! In other words, probabilities greatly favor those that believe an intelligent designer was responsible for originating even the simplest DNA molecules.
http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/67884-what-are-the-odds-of-life-evolving-by-chance-alone/