Two ideas from philosophers of science are discussed: paradigm and falsification. A paradigm is a useful tool for research, but it would be good to test the paradigm occasionally by attempting to falsify seme aspect of its structure. This might be done by considering "the weight of evidence" relating to the paradigm. Published in Origins v. 22, n. 1.
An analysis of Genesis chapter 1 is not as simple and straightforward as a casual reading of the biblical text may suggest. Modern interpretation of biblical cosmogony (understanding of origins) in Genesis 1 is extremely complicated, divided between the non-literal and the literal. We will briefly describe seven such interpretations, and evaluate each in the light of the biblical data.
This paper suggests that from its beginning, science has been one of those factors informing the Christian understanding of human and Divine causality. We conclude that the new physics suggests a wide-open universe in which the interaction of a Creator-Sustainer god can be postulated with far less confrontation with rational and scientific views of the natural order than was the case with the older Newtonian worldview.
Coconino Sandstone research has demonstrated how catastrophists can use their theory to develop specific hypotheses about a geologic feature (the Coconino Sandstone), and successfully carry out scientific research to test that hypothesis. This is one criteria that science used to determine the scientific value of any theory.
Now is the time to tremble at the words of the God of Israel, particularly in the creation and flood narratives, and not to tremble at the words of Darwin, whose theory is in crisis.
A structural study of Genesis chapters 2 and 3 reveals the presence of a chiasm in the narrative and strongly suggests the unity of the story as argued by scholars.
The catastrophic burial of plant debris and its subsequent change to coal is not accepted by most coal geologists. However, the dominant "peat bog" theory presents problems that have remained unanswered for more than a hundred years. A Flood model for the formation of coal answers some of these problems and provides a scientifically reasonable explanation for the origin of the vast quantities of coal that exist worldwide.
For theistic evolution, a long history of death preceded the appearance of Adam, implying that death is not connected to Adam's sin. The purpose of the dissertation is to discover how this latter notion impacts evangelical theology with respect to the atonement and other areas in terms of possible theological implications.
What is thought to be knowledge or information can usually be divided into two separate concepts: data and interpretation. Since data is subject to alternative interpretations, researchers must carefully distinguish between the information that constitutes the collected data and the "information" derived from the data that is presented as evidence in support of an hypothesis.
A review of the book, The Book of Life- An Illustrated History of the Evolution of Life on Earth. Published in Origins v. 21, n. 1.
This paper focuses on how values integration can be done in a mathematics classroom. Specifically, it aims to answer the following questions: 1) What are the moral, social, and spiritual values that can be integrated in mathematics teaching from an Adventist perspective? 2) How can mathematics be made interesting and relevant?
The philosophical context in which biology is presented can make an important difference in its meaning for the student. The philosophical worldview of the biblical Christian is quite different from that of the non-Christian; thus, the biology teacher may have a profound influence on the development of worldview by the student.
The Tasaday was claimed to be a stone age tribe still living in the southern Philippines and recently discovered by anthropologists. Much attention was given to this story, but suspicions were soon aroused that the story was fake, and this indeed turned out to be the case. The lesson is that there is so much pressure for scholars to publish that fraudulent reporting has entered the profession. Published in Origins v. 20, n.1.
The "RNA World" hypothesis for the origin of life is implausible for several reasons, among them the difficulty of producing RNA naturalistically, its relative instability in water over time, the problem of chirality, and the insufficiency of RNA to form a living cell. Published in Origins v. 20., n. 1.
It is unwarranted to assume a priori, as in the past that all upright petrified trees had grown in the place where they are now found. The transport of trees and their deposition in an erect stance is not as unlikely or as rare as might be expected. Upright fossil trees within the geological column are compatible with a Flood model. Actually, when all factors are considered, a catastrophe involving water and many floating trees is a more satisfactory explanation for their origin.
A collection of short commentaries on scientific papers published in 1991, covering topics such as Permian trees, molecular genetics, epigenetics, inheritance of paternal mtDNA, water and formation of petroleum, water in mantle rocks, impacts, Ordovician volcanism, molecular phylogenies of ratites, termites, cichlids and sabertooths, osteocalcin in dinosaur bones, fossil flowers, origin of life, Precambrian predation, stromatolites, Cambrian Explosion, quality of fossil record, rapid speciation, tree biogeography, Miocene ape, fossil dermopteran, Asian marsupial, dinosaurs, mammal-like reptile. Published in Origins v. 19, n. 2.
A recent survey shows about 9% of the population accepts the viewpoint of naturalistic evolution, about 40% accept divinely guided evolution, about 47% accept a recent creation of humans, and about 4% registered they don't know. These results are nearly the same as a similar survey taken three years before. Published in Origins v. 18, n. 2.
A review of the book, Created from Animals: The Moral Implications of Darwinism. The case is argued that Darwinism has shown that humans have no special moral significance, but should be accorded the same moral standing as any other animals species. Published in Origins v. 18, n. 2.
A collection of short commentaries on scientifc papers published in 1991, covering topics such as phylogenies, origin of life, Precambrian fossils, polar dinosaurs, fossil turtles, Lysan finch, ecological gradients and the fossil record. Published in Origins v. 18, n. 1.
A review of the book, Portraits of Creation: Biblical and Scientific Perspectives on the World's Formation. This is a sophisticated criticism of creation science, and some of the points should be taken to heart by creationists. However, it fails to recognize the good quality of recent creationist literature. Published in Origins v. 18, n. 1.
