Descriptive and Explanatory
By: Jim Virkler; ©2013 Science educators devote a majority of their teaching to one, or at most two of three major knowledge disciplines–physical science, earth science, or life science. These specialties sometimes overlap. For example, oceanography comprises knowledge of physical science principles with respect to the ocean as well as life science connections for oceanographers…
Read MoreDNA and Psalm 139
By: Jim Virkler; ©2013 One of the most moving passages in Scripture speaks of God’s omniscience with respect to the unborn and his knowledge of temporal events even before they actually occur. Psalm 139:16 proclaims, “Your eyes saw my unformed body…” God sees us just before our birth and even before the pre-born child acquires…
Read MoreSeeing God in Nature
By: Jim Virkler; ©2013 Our reference to the flow of genetic information is summarized by the famous biological flowchart DNAà RNA à Proteins. This representation is the essence of truth in the world of life forms. Knowledge of the world of biology radiates from this fundamental statement. If we experience wonder at our elementary awareness…
Read MoreProtein Fabricators
By: Jim Virkler; ©2013 Biology textbooks summarize the flow of genetic information as follows: DNAà RNAà Protein. Our two previous posts dealt with the first two elements of this basic flowchart. Genetic inheritance begins with DNA. We did not always possess this knowledge. Arguments about the origin and flow of genetic information occurred even before…
Read MoreObeying Your DNA
By: Jim Virkler; ©2013 Many of man’s construction strategies originate from our knowledge of what takes place in the nucleus of living cells. The human DNA molecule, present in virtually every cell nucleus, is a genetic blueprint capable of replicating itself precisely over hundreds of generations. Animals and plants with short life spans have transferred…
Read MoreInformation Duplicators
By: Jim Virkler; ©2013 To prepare for this post we found ourselves chuckling about the antiquated duplicators of our childhood. In early primary grades our teachers used the ditto machine. Most copies were produced with a purple pigment. Fresh copies provided students with a captivating odor generated by the solvent used in the copying process.…
Read MoreMore than DNA
By: Jim Virkler; ©2013 Radio commentator Paul Harvey (1918-2009) was famous for his “The Rest of the Story” segments. Sometimes people perceive an air of knowledge with clever emphasis on the introductory point in their discussion. We have referred to the well-known expression “It’s in our DNA.” Yes, there’s a basic glossary definition of DNA,…
Read MoreDescribe or Explain?
By: Jim Virkler; ©2013 The current blitz of 17-year cicada publicity brings to mind the desire of journalists to explain and justify their stories. What research did they access? What is the impact of the current insect outbreak? Is anything new being discovered? Very few new discoveries add to our basic knowledge of the stunning…
Read MoreUnique Cicada Cycles
By: Jim Virkler; ©2013 The tall trees on the stately lawn of my grandparents’ farmstead supplied unmatched opportunities for children to collect spent “dog day” cicada shells. This common cicada variety is familiar to virtually everyone. We hear them every summer during August. There are many species of dog day cicadas which are barely distinguishable…
Read MoreLost Timekeepers
By: Jim Virkler; ©2013 Recently my treasured wristwatch disappeared. It belonged to my father who passed to eternal life in 1999. I had claimed this watch as my own and wore it frequently. My thorough searches around the house proved fruitless. The clasp had failed, I reasoned, perhaps as I was mowing grass or visiting…
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