Physical Constants
By: Jim Virkler; ©2009 Our last post mentioned “physical constants” as analogues to football’s “rules of the game.” Encyclopedia Britannica defines physical constants as fundamental, invariant quantities observed in nature. Let’s amplify this idea to help us appreciate our physical world. Even young children understand the necessity of rules to govern mundane activities, from mealtime…
Read MoreRules of the Game
By: Jim Virkler; ©2009 Over the years my enjoyment of the game of football has been increasing. This game offers a level of complexity which I had not recognized in my earlier years. The offensive and defensive options are fascinating because they are nearly limitless. But football and other sports would not be possible without…
Read MoreSpurgeon’s Science
By: Jim Virkler; ©2009 Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892), the 19th century “Prince of Preachers,” is said to have preached to ten million people, delivered 3600 sermons, and produced 49 volumes of theological commentary. He frequently delivered his messages to audiences of 10,000 or more without even the benefit of electrical sound amplification. Lately I have…
Read MoreKnowledge: True Belief
By: Jim Virkler; ©2009 One of the most fundamental and controversial topics of our day relates to how we may have knowledge that God exists. Did He create the cosmos we observe? Did He originate the laws which govern it? This blog presents scientific evidence as support for these beliefs. In my last post I…
Read MoreGod’s Voice in Nature
By: Jim Virkler; ©2009 Two centuries ago, many believed that theology was the “queen of the sciences.” Tacit acceptance of this belief by a substantial segment of the populace began to erode quickly at roughly the time Charles Darwin was boarding The Beagle for South Sea research ventures. Those journeys led him to propose the…
Read MoreWhere the Fault Lies
By: Jim Virkler; ©2009 The popular expression “Looking at things from 30,000 feet” implies the handicaps of missing the broad perspective. Another way to express the same thought would be “Looking at the big picture…” In the matter of Israel’s geologic features, we must back away from earth even more than 30,000 feet, perhaps by…
Read MoreRed-Dead Tunnel
By: Jim Virkler; ©2009 As a pre-teen in central New York State, I frequently observed a scientific principle at work without being aware that it was, indeed, a scientific principle. The Seneca River flowed through our town, draining water from the beautiful Finger Lakes region farther west. An impressive dam structure deepened and widened the…
Read MoreClimate Chronicle
By: Jim Virkler; ©2009 What are the benefits of visiting or living at the lowest spot on earth? The arid Dead Sea, 420 meters below sea level, is predictably warmer and much drier than regions just a few dozen miles to the north or west. The extremely low humidity helped preserve the Dead Sea Scrolls…
Read MoreMineral and Energy Riches
By: Jim Virkler; ©2009 Those who search for mineral and energy wealth in Israel sometimes quote Bible passages such as Genesis 49:25, where Jacob, at the end of his life, prophetically envisioned “blessings of the deep that lies below,” or Deuteronomy 33:19, where Moses, also approaching his death, pronounced that the Chosen would “feast on…
Read MoreScience by the Seas
By: Jim Virkler; ©2009 Two major water bodies in Israel, the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, have the lowest elevations of any water bodies on earth. Lake Tiberias, another name for the Sea of Galilee, is 685 feet below sea level, while the Dead Sea doubles that negative elevation at -1377 feet. Galilee…
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