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August 17, 2015
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Searching for Earth 2.0
By Dr. Jeff Zweerink
So read the headlines based on a NASA press release about the most recent "habitable planet" discovery. Here's what really happened:
NASA's press release actually contained more circumspect language in claiming to have "confirmed the first near-Earth-size planet in the 'habitable zone' around a Sun-like star." NASA did label Kepler-452b (the exoplanet under scrutiny) as Earth's bigger, older cousin, but clearly stated that the find represents an important milestone in the journey toward locating another Earth. The discovery of Kepler-452b demonstrates for the first time...
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22 August, 2015
Today's New Reason to Believe: Searching for Earth 2.0
12 August, 2015
Last Chance! Classes begin August 17
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August 11, 2015
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Running out of time!
Dear Anthony,
Only a few seats remain in our Creation vs. Evolution 8-week course and our World Religions and Science 15-week course! Don't miss your chance to learn how to use RTB's testable creation model approach to challenge the evolutionary paradigm and to put the world's major holy books to the test.
Creation vs. Evolution topics include:
This 8-week course begins August 17. Register now!
Audit this course for personal development or toward earning Reasons Institute's certificate in science apologetics.
World Religions and Science topics include:
This 15-week course begins Wednesday, August 26— Register now!
If you are new to Reasons Institute, we invite you to watch a short video to introduce you to our online learning program. You are also invited to view our FAQ page, which addresses common questions about taking an online course.
Questions? Contact us at (855) REASONS or via email at learning@reasons.org.
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September meeting for the Sydney Chapter for Reasons to Believe - Friday 4th September
The September meeting for the Sydney Chapter for Reasons to Believe will be on Friday 4th September.
Given so many people were unable to attend the July meeting, we didn’t watch the fourth session of Navigating Genesis. So we will dive into the fourth session of the Navigating Genesis small group study at the September meeting.
Details are:
Date: Friday, 4th September
Time: 8:00pm
Subject: Navigating Genesis – session 4
Hope to see you there!
Cheers and God bless,
Anthony
Charting the Slow Death of the Universe
Charting the slow death of the universe
Otis and Cynthia, two of RTB apologists buddies, note regarding this latest finding by the Astronomical Union general assembly:
This is the press release from the International Astronomical Union general assembly yesterday:
An international team of astronomers studying more than 200 000 galaxies has measured the energy generated within a large portion of space more precisely than ever before. This represents the most comprehensive assessment of the energy output of the nearby Universe.
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." (Matt 24:35)
Cynthia
The results of this research are in close agreement with two important biblical concepts: (1) The natural world is tending toward decay, and (2) The flow of time is linear and irreversible. Both of these concepts were unique to the Judeo-Christian worldview. Physicist Paul Davies explains it this way:
"The Jews taught that the Universe unfolds in a unidirectional sequence – what we now call linear time – according to a definite historical process: creation, evolution, and dissolution. This notion of linear time – in which the story of the Universe has a beginning, a middle, and an end – stands in marked contrast to the concept of cosmic cyclicity, the pervading mythology of almost all ancient cultures. Cyclic time – the myth of the eternal return – springs from mankind's close association with the cycles and rhythms of nature, and remains a key component in the belief systems of many cultures today."
Once again we witness the truth that is found in the Bible.
Otis
If you are after the ScienceDaily article on this, you can find it here:
03 August, 2015
Would You Bet Your Species on "Earth-Like"?
Otis writes:
Here is an excerpt from the article in Science Daily that I think explains what is thought to happen when planets form:
"Planetary systems, including our own Solar system, are thought to form from hydrogen, helium and heavier elements that orbit their parent stars in a so-called protoplanetary disk. Dust and rocky material is thought to clump together over time, eventually forming rocky cores that go on to be planets. The gravity of these cores attracts hydrogen from the disk around them, some of which is stripped away by the ultraviolet light of the young star they orbit."
So as the protoplanetary rocky core forms it attracts hydrogen, methane and other gasses. If the core is not too big, the hydrogen is stripped away by the host star's ultraviolet light. For Earth, the hydrogen was stripped away long before the Moon-forming impact that further removed some of the Earth's atmosphere. According to the recent work reported in Science Daily, if the rocky core is larger than about 1.15 Earth radius then the hydrogen sticks around on the planet and it turns into a "mini-Neptune." The researchers do acknowledge that some unusual event (like the impact that formed the Earth-Moon) could remove the hydrogen from those 'super-Earths'.
I think that the takeaway message is that Super Earths are not likely to be habitable.
Terms such as "Earth-like" and "Earth Cousins" are misnomers. If you are not willing to go live there, then the exoplanet is NOT Earth-like.
Terms such as "Earth-like" and "Earth Cousins" are misnomers. If you are not willing to go live there, then the exoplanet is NOT Earth-like.
Astrobiologist Caleb Scharf agrees with that assessment. (click for link)
Otis
01 August, 2015
Ancient lizards in amber amaze scientists
Ancient lizards in amber amaze scientists
A community of lizards from the Caribbean, preserved for 20 million years in amber, have been found to be identical to their modern cousins, say researchers.
29 July, 2015
Biblical text revealed from damaged scroll, 1,500 years old
For the first time, advanced technologies made it possible to read parts of a damaged scroll that is at least 1,500 years old, discovered inside the Holy Ark of the synagogue at Ein Gedi in Israel. High-resolution scanning a revolutionary virtual unwrapping tool revealed verses from the Book of Leviticus.
"The text revealed today from the Ein Gedi scroll was possible only because of the collaboration of many different people and technologies," said Seales, who is professor and chair of the UK College of Engineering's Department of Computer Science. "The last step of virtual unwrapping, done at the University of Kentucky through the hard work of a team of talented students, is especially satisfying because it has produced readable, identifiable, biblical text from a scroll thought to be beyond rescue."
Read more here:
Biblical text revealed from damaged scroll, 1,500 years old
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