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.

A review of the book, New Concepts in Plate Tectonics. The theogy of plate tectonics is questioned on geological grounds. Published in Origins v. 21, n. 1.

The fact that animals need plants poses a problem for the evolutionary model, since the record of past life sometimes reveals non-viable ecosystems. Published in Origins v. 21, n. 1.

A comment on the article, Did Life Begin in an RNA World? Published in Origins v. 20, n. 2.

This paper proposes that mutation and natural selection can produce biological change, but are not sufficient to explain the origins of biodiversity and complexity. Instead, the authors argue that genetic complexity is the result of intelligent design, and was at a maximum when life on Earth first came into being. Published in Origins v. 20, n. 2.

A review of the book, Blueprints: Solving the Mystery of Evolution. The book presents a rather uninformed critical response to creationism. 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.

Early in the history of paleontology, a university professor with an interest in fossils was tricked into collecting fabricated objects as fossils and published a book illustrating these false productions. As a result, Johann Beringer was ridiculed unmercifully. This is not a good example to follow. We all make mistakes, and we should show compassion when we find errors in the work of others. Published in Origins v. 19 n.2.

Evolution theory is based on competition and struggle for survival, but some animals act in a way that favors reproduction of other individuals and reduces their own competitive status. The theory of sociobiology wants to explain this altruistic behavior as having a genetic basis, so that individuals with the gene tend to help other individuals with the same gene,.This maintains the gene in the population. The idea that human behavior is genetically determined is controversial. Published in Origins v. 19, n. 2.

A review of the book, The Early Evolution of Metazoa and the Significance of Problematic Taxa. Published in Origins v. 19, n. 2.

Microorganisms can exist in rocks several kilometers below the surface of the earth. Recently a number of reports indicate that these organisms are much more common than previously surmised and that vast regions of the underworld may be inhabited. Published in Origins v. 19, n. 2.

Several ideas have been proposed over the past two centuries to explain how organisms could have evolved through naturalistic processes. None of them seems viable, and it seems reasonable that creation should be considered as an explanation. Published in Origins v. 19, n. 1.

A collection of short commentaries on scientific papers published in 1992, covering topics such as gene conversion, paleosols, magma mixing, molecular evolution, paleoecology, Precambrian algae, Cambrian explosion, conodont fossils, fossil birds and bird tracks, fossils, and taphonomy. Published in Origins v. 19, n. 1.

The pipes and dikes in Kodachrome Basin have come from the sedimentary layers below, and raise interesting questions regarding the amount of time involved in their formation. Published in Origins v. 19, n. 1.

Biomolecules decompose rapidly enough they are not expected to last for millions of years. Discovery of biomolecules in fossils is difficult to reconcile with the purported ages of these fossils, and suggests the ages are much younger, as expected in a biblical worldview. Published in Origins v. 18, n. 2.

The unnatural mixture and the rapid stratigraphic shifts of fauna seem to require catastrophic water transport into the area. The large geographic extent precludes a local event. Creationists suggest that a world-wide flood could produce results as seen in the Santana Formation and is a better explanatory model.

Assumptions may eventually become so widely accepted they are no longer recognized as assumptions but take the status of truth. Two examples that relate to origins are assumptions of abiogeneis and long ages. These points should not be assumed but tested if one wants to discover truth. Published in Origins v. 18, n. 1.

A review of the book, Arguments on Evolution: A Paleontologist's Perspective. This book is a defense against recent criticisms of neo-Darwinism. Published in Origins v. 18, n. 1.

In the early development of the theory of evolution by natural selection, two men stand out as having played a central role: Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace. Both men traveled widely and were keen observers of nature. For both men, visits to islands played an important role in developing their understanding of nature. Darwin's visit to the Galapagos Islands is of special interest.

A review of the book, The Origin of Species Revisited: The Theories of Evolution and of Abrupt Appearance. This is an attempt to meet the legal requirement that religion not be introduced into the science class by using the term "abrupt appearance" rather than a term implying a specific process such as creation or evolution. Published in Origins v. 17, n. 2.