A gecko is an amazing lizard that can stick to almost any surface, even when inverted on a mirrored ceiling. It is able to do this because of an amazing foot design. The ribbed pads on the bottom of the gecko’s feet are covered with very tiny hair like bristles called setae. These setae (1/10th mm long) are packed tightly together (three million per square inch or 5,000 per square millimeter), and each seta has about 400 to 1,000 branches that resemble tiny (0.2-0.5 microns or less than 1/50,000 in. long) spatula-shaped prongs. It appears that the sticking power of the setae is due to weak short-range bonds between molecules, known as Van der Waals forces. One of the requirements for these weak forces to work is a very large contact area between the foot and surface. The huge number of spatula on the foot provides the needed contact. Millions of weak forces add up to a very strong force. Biologists and engineers tested the adhesive force of one seta and found it was strong enough to hold up an ant. A million setae could carry the weight of a small child! The gecko must also be able to unstick his foot quickly as it walks – after all, what good is a sticky foot if you can’t move? By using a complicated blood reservoir system, see an article we wrote called The Grand Design of a Gecko, and uncurling and unpeeling of its toes, the gecko is able to walk or run along! Today, scientists and engineers have been inspired by the ‘natural technology of gecko foot hairs’ and developed ‘remarkably effective adhesives’. Two robot ‘champion climbers’ have been developed with sticky feet that walk the way geckos do by using an uncurling and unpeeling action. I recently bought, “as seen on TV,” the GripGo-Phone-Mount. It has a large suction cup that attaches to your windshield. On the end of a swivel mechanism, it has a green sticky adhesive pad to which you are able to stick a mobile phone, Ipod, or other smooth device. To remove you ‘simply’ lift from one side and peel the device off. How is this possible? The manufacture claims that “The secret is a unique polymer surface that acts as millions of suction cups that instantly grip and release over and over again.” In other words – Gecko Technology. And it works … if you keep the sticky surface clean! Amazingly, the gecko’s feet are self-cleaning. Scientists are still trying to find out how geckos do that. Once again, whether they recognize it or not, many scientists and engineers are looking to God’s designs in nature for solutions to modern day problems. Lanny Johnson If you would like to see if an AOI seminar is right for you, or you would like to help the work of Alpha Omega Institute, please visit...
Read MoreScientific Laws and the Big Bang
Has Science and the Scientific Method been misused? The following is an excerpt taken from “Truth and Science – Is Real Science At Risk?” an article by Dr. Arv Edgeworth*. Ponder the questions he poses at the end, and consider – are these viable questions that should be asked, and if they are being asked today or have been asked in the past? The Origin of Space, Time, Matter, and Energy The idea that space, time, matter, and energy have always existed has been pretty much rejected by the scientific community, because the Second Law of Thermodynamics indicates matter and energy are deteriorating. Matter and energy would have already reached maximum decay by now, so just about everyone no longer considers that idea a viable possibility. Almost all scientists today believe the universe had a beginning. Northern Illinois University – Department of Biological Sciences states it this way: “Starting from the beginning, as it is currently thought of: the Universe came into being about 15 billion years ago, with the sudden appearance of all the matter and energy in the Universe as a single very hot and dense point: the Big Bang. How this happened, and what came before, is a matter of complete speculation. Our history began then, and we have no scientific evidence of anything before then.” But what about the idea that at one time there was a state of absolute “nothingness”? It is now determined that the universe had a beginning. At one point there was no space, time, matter, or energy. Newton’s Law of Inertia This law indicates that if something is in a state of rest, it will remain in that state, unless acted upon by an outside agent. If something is in uniform motion in a straight line, it will remain in that state unless it is compelled to change that state by forces impressed upon it from without, such as gravity. At one point there was supposed to be a state of perfect “nothingness,” or perfect “rest.” According to the Law of Inertia, that should not change unless it is acted upon by an outside force, or agent, when supposedly none existed. The Law of Cause and Effect The Law of Cause and Effect is one of the best documented principles of science and of everyday experience. “Behind every effect is a cause, greater and more complex than the effect itself.” The proposal of the Big Bang Theory indicates an effect only. What is that “cause” that is greater and more complex than the effect itself? Are these reasonable questions that should be asked? 1. “Scientifically, can you have an explosion without energy?” 2. “If there was no matter, what exploded?” 3. “According to the First Law of Thermodynamics , can something come from nothing?” These are good questions Dr. Arv Edgeworth has posed. A question I would add –...
Read MoreThe Bursting of Nothing
For 20 some years I believed in the evolutionary cosmology of the Big Bang, but today, after looking at the supposedly “scientific evidence,” I have rejected that cosmology and now believe 100% in the statement, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1). And because of my belief today, I have sometimes been mocked and ridiculed – under the guise of “science.” Secular cosmology today teaches: “The universe burst into something from absolutely nothing – zero, nada. And as it got bigger, it became filled with even more stuff that came from absolutely nowhere.” (DISCOVER, April 2002). In other words, a big explosion created everything from NOTHING!* The North American Space Agency (NASA) contends: “The Big Bang Theory is the dominant scientific theory about the origin of the universe. According to the big bang, the universe was created sometime between 10 billion and 20 billion years ago from a cosmic explosion that hurled matter in all directions.” The key to evolutionary cosmology seems to be that if you leave NOTHING alone long enough it will eventually explode. Consider … can an explosion create space, time, matter, and energy? You can’t have an explosion without energy, and you can’t have an explosion without something (matter) to explode, and the explosion can’t happen in some point of time, if time does not yet exist! Others have proposed a “vacuum fluctuation” as an explanation for the beginning of the universe, where in a moment of time, in a spot no bigger than a dime; a fluctuation in nothing created all the matter and flung it out into space. However, this idea also has the same problems – a vacuum is the absence of matter, and a fluctuation requires energy, neither of which was supposedly yet in existence. The beginning of the universe was not a natural event … nothing exploding is certainly not natural! Nothing can’t do anything by itself without help – the help of a supernatural being or force. That force was God … a Creator who can speak into existence all things out of nothing. No, my belief in God the Creator is not based on science – but neither was my previous evolutionary beliefs. Both must be taken by faith! *Ideas for this blog derived from http://www.truthandscience.net by Dr. Arv. Edgeworth. Lanny Johnson If you would like to see if an AOI seminar is right for you, or you would like to help the work of Alpha Omega Institute, please visit our website events page or our donate page. Keep up to date with what AOI is doing. Thanks for your...
Read MoreSacred Delight
Last Sunday, a pastor friend shared these song lyrics by a vocal group named Sunday Drive. The lyrics were a great reminder of what Jesus Christ did upon the cross for each and every one of us that believe in Him. Have you come to the Savior in search of His forgiveness? Sacred Delight Did you smile when you made the moon And gave the sky its color? Did creation dance in rhythm to Your song of life, I wonder? Did the angels know you knew my name Did you tell them out of all you made Why you gave me your image? Is it true I’m your heartbeat? And you love me more than anything? What sacred delight What infinite wonder That I’m precious in Your sight You love me like no other, no other Oh, sacred delight Did you think of me the day you died That I would dare intend this? Did you know one day I’d come to you And search of your forgiveness? Is it true I’m your heartbeat? And you chose to die than to live without me? What sacred delight What infinite wonder That I’m precious in your sight You love me like no other, no other Oh, sacred delight “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross …” Heb. 12:2a *Sacred Delight lyrics © BUG MUSIC Songwriters: MATT HUESMAN, WESTLEY WILLETT Lanny Johnson If you would like to see if an AOI seminar is right for you, or you would like to help the work of Alpha Omega Institute, please visit our website events page or our donate page. Keep up to date with what AOI is doing. Thanks for your...
Read MoreAnswered Prayers
Last summer we took our 6 year old (at that time) grandson to a local Bible camp where we were teaching. We were blessed to be able to lead him to the Lord that week. We were also blessed to be there for his professing his faith through baptism just last month. Last Easter our oldest granddaughter (now 6 years old) gave her life to the Lord, and this past Sunday at her church she went forward requesting baptism. She will be baptized on Easter morning! This is answered prayer for me and my wife. You see, I never prayed for my children’s salvation, because both were saved before I became a believer. However, since I put my faith and trust in Jesus, I have continuously prayed for my grandchildren, that they might also accept the saving grace of Jesus Christ. God has answered my prayers for three of my grandchildren! The remaining two are still very young, but I will continue to pray for them! “Children’s children are the crown of old men;” Pr 17:6a Lanny Johnson If you would like to see if an AOI seminar is right for you, or you would like to help the work of Alpha Omega Institute, please visit our website events page or our donate page. Keep up to date with what AOI is doing. Thanks for your...
Read MoreNot Realizing What a Wonderful Possession We Have
A Pastor friend recently told me this story (my paraphrase): There once was a man named Waylon Pendergrass (a fictitious name not meant to incriminate any particular individual) who went out partying one evening and became rip-roaring drunk. In his drunken stupor, he decided to increase his income by committing burglary. Waylon drove around the town neighborhoods for quite some time until he finally came upon a house that was completely dark. Seeing no vehicle in the driveway of said house, he came to the conclusion that nobody was at home, therefore a perfect place for his larcenous intent. Waylon staggered around to the back of the house and smashed in a low lying window. After struggling through the broken opening, Waylon proceeded to stumble through the dark house collecting valuables which he stuffed into a bag. Once the bag was full, he then reeled back through the house and exited through the window by which he had entered. Upon reaching his car, Waylon noticed that his burglary gloves were lying on the front seat. In a brief moment of sobriety, he realized that he had left fingerprint evidence throughout the house, which would surely point to his guilt. Already having a criminal record and not wanting to return to the “joint”, Waylon decided the best course of action would be to destroy the evidence, where upon he set the house on fire. As Waylon drove away from the house, he had the thought that if he drove around the town in a random manner for awhile, he might further confuse the authorities. After wandering around the town for a short time, he became very drowsy and felt it was now safe to go to his home. As he approached home, he was aghast to see his house surrounded by fire engines and police cars … his own house was on fire. Waylon realized that he had burglarized and torched his own home! An alert police detective spotted Waylon, and upon approaching the vehicle saw the bag of “loot” in the back seat. Knowing Waylon’s background, the detective began to pull the stolen items out of the bag and laid them upon the hood of the car. Amazed at what he saw lying before him, Waylon stated, “Wow, I didn’t know I owned such good stuff!” Moral of the story – how many times as Christians do we not know the wonderful possession we have in Jesus Christ. “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;” Eph 1:7 Lanny Johnson If you would like to see if an AOI seminar is right for you, or you would like to help the work of Alpha Omega Institute, please visit our website events page or our donate page. Keep up to date with what AOI is doing. Thanks...
Read MoreWhat is The Main Ingredient of WD-40?
I saw this on a friend’s Facebook page and found it interesting. I have been using this stuff for a long time; I really like to use it to clean the grease and oil off of my hands, but didn’t know it had so many other uses. Here is a condensed version of the article. What is The Main Ingredient of WD-40? Did you know? (Read to the end, to find out). “Water Displacement #40” The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was created in 1953, by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a ‘Water Displacement’ Compound. They were finally successful for a formulation, with their fortieth attempt, thus WD-40. The ‘Convair Company’ bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts. Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you. WD-40 Uses: 1. Protects silver from tarnishing. 2. Removes road tar and grime from cars. 3. Cleans and lubricates guitar strings. 4. Gives floors that ‘just-waxed’ sheen without making them slippery. 5. Keeps the flies off of Cows, Horses, and other Farm Critters, as well. (Ya gotta love this one!!!) 6. Restores and cleans chalkboards. 7. Removes lipstick stains. 8. Loosens stubborn zippers. 9. Untangles jewelry chains. 10. Removes stains from stainless steel sinks. 11. Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill. 12. Keeps ceramic / terracotta garden pots from oxidizing. 13. Removes tomato stains from clothing. 14. Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots. 15. Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors. 16. Keeps scissors working smoothly. 17. Lubricates noisy door hinges on both home and vehicles doors. 18. It removes that nasty tar and scuff marks from the kitchen flooring. It doesn’t seem to harm the finish and you won’t have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks. 19. Remove those nasty Bug guts that will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! 20. Gives a children’s playground gym slide a shine for a super fast slide. 21. Lubricates gearshift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers… 22. Rids kids rocking chair and swings of squeaky noises. 23. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open. 24. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close. 25. Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers. 26. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles. 27. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans. 28. Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling. 29. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly....
Read MoreShark Skin Inhibiting Bacteria
In 2002, the U.S. Office of Naval Research hired Dr. Anthony Brennan, a materials science and engineering professor at the University of Florida, to find new antifouling methods to reduce use of toxic antifouling paints and trim costs connected with dry dock and drag.1 Dr. Brennan felt that using an engineered topography could be a key to new antifouling technologies. While visiting the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Dr. Brennan and several co-workers observed an algae-coated nuclear submarine entering port. To Dr. Brennan the submarine looked like a whale lumbering into the harbor, causing him to ponder which slow moving marine animals don’t foul. The answer seemed to be the shark. Dr. Brennan took an actual impression of shark skin (its dermal denticles) and, after examining the impression with scanning electron microscopy, he discovered that shark skin denticles are arranged in a distinct diamond pattern with tiny riblets. The ribs’ width-to-height ratios corresponded to his mathematical model for roughness – one that Dr. Brennan felt would discourage microorganisms from settling. Using this information, Dr. Brennan and Sharklet Technologies developed Sharklet, a patented, microscopic pattern. The first test of Sharklet reduced green algae colonization by 85 percent compared to smooth surfaces. Sharklet has also proven to be a surface upon which bacteria do not like to grow … a mighty defense against bacteria. Research suggests that Sharklet keeps biofilms from forming because the pattern requires too much energy for bacteria to colonize, resulting in bacteria finding another place to grow or simply dying. Sharklet Technologies, using Sharklet, have had success in inhibiting the growth of Staph a., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, VRE, E. coli, MRSA and other bacterial species that cause illness and even death. Sharklet Technologies have developed and manufactured adhesive-backed skins (using The Sharklet pattern) that may be adhered to high-touch areas to cut back the transfer of bacteria among people. They have also developed the Sharklet Urinary Catheter to help reduce hospital-acquired infections. Once again, whether they recognize it or not, many scientists and engineers are looking to God’s designs in nature for solutions to modern day problems. 1 Information for this blog derived from http://www.sharklet.com/technology/ Lanny Johnson If you would like to see if an AOI seminar is right for you, or you would like to help the work of Alpha Omega Institute, please visit our website events page or our donate page. Keep up to date with what AOI is doing. Thanks for your...
Read MoreTrying to Copy the Bombardier Beetle*
One of my favorite insects to talk about, to show God’s design in nature, is the bombardier beetle. Even though the bombardier beetle is only ½ to ¾ of an inch long (1.27 to 1.9 cm), it packs a powerful defense mechanism to protect itself from predators. When in danger, the bombardier beetle mixes different chemicals (hydrogen peroxide and hydroquinone) from different glands and then injects them into an explosion chamber containing mostly water. Within the explosion chamber another chemical is added (catalase), which causes a rapid chemical reaction to an explosive force. The resulting water/steam (2120 F or 1000 C) is then fired out through 2 ‘cannons’ (nozzles) at 65 ft. (20 meters) per second. The bombardier beetle opens and closes the inlet valve to its combustion chamber with great precision to prevent blowing itself up. The beetle can also control the pressure and direction of the explosion with pinpoint accuracy at whatever is trying to eat it. What once appeared to be one explosion has now been shown to be multiple discharges of around 500 pulses per second! Andy McIntosh, professor of Thermodynamics and Combustion Theory at the University of Leeds, has been studying the bombardier’s combustion mechanism, hoping to engineer more efficient reigniters (small devices that shoot charged chemicals into the engine if it stops at high altitude) in aircraft engines. Professor McIntosh stated, “It’s become evident that the dimensions of the chamber and the nozzle coming out of the back are crucial.” However just copying the dimensions of the bombardier’s explosion chamber does not make a more efficient reigniter. He went on to say, “In reality the combustion involved is complicated by the catalytic processes associated with the muscle lining of the chamber.” Professor McIntosh, with many years of engineering research experience, readily admits that all the complex machinery that God has designed in nature is far more complicated than man’s. “They can even repair and reproduce themselves,” he says. “So how much more do they declare ‘… his eternal power and divine nature.’ (Romans 1:20).” *Much of information derived for blog is from, Bombardier Idea, David Catchpoole, Creation27 (3):50-51 Lanny Johnson If you would like to see if an AOI seminar is right for you, or you would like to help the work of Alpha Omega Institute, please visit our website events page or our donate page. Keep up to date with what AOI is doing. Thanks for your...
Read MoreDoes Yom Convey a 24 Hour Day in the Creation Account?
In the Bible, the Hebrew word for day is Yom. By looking up the word yom in a concordance you will see that it can have a variety of meanings: a period of light as contrasted to night, a 24-hour period, time, a specific point of time, or a year.1 As I shared in my last blog (Compromising the Word of God) the meaning of the word yom or “day” is understood by its context. In the Genesis account of creation, God gave us parameters by defining the word day with ‘evening and morning.’ “And the evening and the morning were the first day.” (Gen. 1:5) [Emphasis added]. Every day of creation thereafter – ending with, “And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” (v. 31) – always use the term “evening and morning.” Also note that the Genesis creation account always uses a number with the word “day.” (Genesis 1: 5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31) Outside Genesis 1, yom is used with a number 359 times, and each time it means an ordinary day. Outside Genesis 1, yom is used with the word “evening” or “morning” 23 times, and each time it means an ordinary day. “Evening” and “morning” appear in association, but without yom, 38 times, and each time it means an ordinary day. Outside of Genesis 1, “night” is used with yom 53 times, and each time it means an ordinary day. Even the usage of the word “light” with yom in this passage determines the meaning as ordinary day.2 The plural of yom can be used to communicate a longer time period, such as “… all the days of Noah.” (Gen. 9:29) However, the plural of yom does not appear in the Genesis 1 creation account. Also, there are words in biblical Hebrew (such as olam or qedem) that could have been used to convey long periods of time, or indefinite time3 … however; none of these words are used in the creation account. Dr. James Barr (Regius Professor of Hebrew at Oxford University), a skeptic on the historicity of Genesis, had this to say: “So far as I know, there is no professor of Hebrew or Old Testament at any world-class university who does not believe that the writer(s) of Gen. 1-11 intended to convey to their readers the ideas that (a) creation took place in a series of six days which were the same as the days of 24 hours we now experience …” 4 When we look at how the word yom is used in the creation account and its use outside of Genesis 1, it seems clear to me that the days God was describing were literal 24 hour days. Lanny Johnson 1. Online Bible Edition, Version 4.08.04, Mar. 20, 2011, 10.13, Copyright ©1987-2011, Larry Pierce, 11 Holmwood St., Winterbourne, Ontario, Canada, NOB2VO, Archaeology, Creationism and Science Archaeology, Creation, The...
Read MoreCompromising the Word of God
In my last blog I showed that to understand all the different meanings of the word UP you needed to know the context, which is derived by the word or words before the word UP. If you take a word out of context, it will have a different meaning. In the Bible, the Hebrew word for day is Yom. In the creation account, Yom has been taken out of context by those believing that those days are not literal 24 hr. periods. In the Genesis account of creation it says “And the evening and the morning were the first day.” (Gen. 1:5) [Emphasis added]. Every day of creation week thereafter – always ends with the term “evening and morning.” I have worked with children and adults for over 20 years, and one of the questions I have asked many of them is, “What is a day?” The three main responses to this question that I hear repeatedly are: “A period of dark and light”, “Morning and night” or “24 hours”. Notice that God gave us parameters (or context) by defining the word day with “evening & morning” … just as we describe a day today – 24 hours. One of the great problems with adhering to the idea that each of these days were long periods of time – say a thousand or even millions of years – is what do you do with the vast amount of time of dark and vast amount of light that would make up one day? How would the plants that God created on day 3 of creation survive 500 years of darkness (assuming your day is 1000 years) without the Sun, which was not created until day number 4? To get around this problem (and scripture I might add), progressive creationist Hugh Ross states that the sun, moon and stars were not created on the fourth “day” of Creation. He explains that most of the stars existed long before earth’s creation; approximately 10-15 billion years of stellar evolution occurred prior to the Creation Week.1 Therefore he not only contradicts the days of creation account but also Exodus 20:11, “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them…”. “Dr. Ross claims that Genesis 1 describes Creation from the point of view of one standing on the earth; and that the sun, moon and stars did not become visible until the fourth day. He believes the stars were not created instantaneously; rather, they evolved by the physical laws of nature put into place by God. ‘This entire process of stellar evolution is by natural process alone. We do not have to invoke Divine intervention at any stage in the history of the life-cycle of the stars that we observe.’- Hugh Ross” 2 [Emphasis’ added] [Notice that he takes God out of the picture of Creation!] “According to Hugh...
Read MoreThe Context of a Word
Below is something I found interesting on the internet years ago. Please read the conclusion at the end to see the point of my sharing this on a blog. This two-letter word in English has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that word is ‘UP.’ It is listed in the dictionary as an [adv], [prep], [adj], [n] or [v]. It’s easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP? At a meeting, why does a topic come UP? Why do we speak UP, and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report? We call UP our friends, brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and fix UP the old car. At other times this little word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses. To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special. And this UP is confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP. We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night. We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP! To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look UP the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4 of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions. If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don’t give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more. When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP. When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP. When it rains, it soaks UP the earth. When it does not rain for awhile, things dry UP. One could go on & on, but I’ll wrap it UP, for now ……..my time is UP! NowI’ll shut UP about the word UP. Conclusion: As I read this, I realized that to understand all the different meanings of the word UP I had to know the context, which was derived by the word or words before or after the word UP. If you take a word out of context it will have a different meaning. So why am I making this point? In the Bible the Hebrew word for day is Yom. In the creation account, Yom has been taken out of context by those believing that those days are not literal 24 hr. periods. I will address the problems doing this in my next blog. Lanny Johnson If you would like to see if an AOI seminar is right for you, or you would like to help the work of Alpha Omega Institute, please visit our website events page or our donate page. Keep up to date with what AOI is doing. Thanks for your...
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