D.r.a.g.o.n.fly, Evidence for design
Journal entry started on 11-21-2021
I see dragonflies as evidence of an intelligent designer. Dragonflies have an amazing ability to fly. The acronym d.r.a.g.o.n.fly can help you remember its features:
D- dime turning
R- reverse flying
A- alignment with background
G- g-force shock protection
O- old layers
N- new ideas
Here's some discussion about it. Whether or not you agree with the conclusion they draw, I'll think you'll find the facts about dragonflies fascinating.
I see dragonflies as evidence of an intelligent designer. Dragonflies have an amazing ability to fly. The acronym d.r.a.g.o.n.fly can help you remember its features:
D- dime turning
R- reverse flying
A- alignment with background
G- g-force shock protection
O- old layers
N- new ideas
Here's some discussion about it. Whether or not you agree with the conclusion they draw, I'll think you'll find the facts about dragonflies fascinating.
NOTE: Slide show goes with video above.
"They have four independent, alternately moving wings that enable them to fly at speeds up to 60 miles per hour, hover, fly backward, stop on a dime, zip 20 feet straight up, and slip sideways in the blink of an eye!" https://workbasedlearning.pnnl.gov/pals/resource/cards/dragonflies.stm
Apolgetics on the Go
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Are there some great resources that Christians can take on the road with them?
Yes, there are. If you're short on time to read, you can save articles on line to Pocket, and podcasts you can save to Pocket Cast. You might enjoy articles from Reasonablefaith.org or STR.org or SearchCreation.org Also, you can listen to the Bible while driving. There are various versions online, plus, Inspired by the Bible Experience is very well done. There are big names you may recognize narrating the Bible (Richard Dreyfus, Denzel Washington), and, after comparing this audio version with others, you start to realize how skillful these actors are in portraying the text. |
The Need for Mnemonics to Make Material Memorable
- "Wow, that's a mammoth size book on apologetics. There's so much in there, I'm afraid I'll forget what I read," said the mouse.
Original image modified. https://pixabay.com/photos/play-chess-elephant-mouse-snail-2647368/
Rats, The Animal With Calculators In Its Whiskers
Entry started on November 14, 2021
It seems to me that nature often points to an intelligent designer. Even something that seems so simple as a whisker can be more technologically advanced than things we have built. I use the W.H.I.S.K.E.R.S. acronym to create an outline in my mind:
Explanation of acronym: The numbers in parentheses refer to each line of the acronym. Whiskers help a rat knows its surroundings (1), how much pressure is being applied to it (2), the angles things are, that are approaching it (3). It also spins around constantly, to make it more sensitive to the surroundings, but the spin is accommodated for in its calculations! (4) The whiskers also informs the rat of the texture (5) of the object nearby. And the rat is not the only creature with this feature. There is quite a diversity of animals with whiskers: rabbits, rats, dogs, cats, sea lions and lobsters. (7). Yes, lobsters also have this feature, despite being invertebrates. There are many applications to "whiskers" that could be used in our own world of robotics. (8)
Challenge #1: Recite the rat W.H.I.S.K.E.R.S. acronym from memory. Use the slide show to practice!
Challenge #2: Use the acronym to talk about whiskers from memory. |
Don't let my memorable, cute summary stop you from reading further. Check it out here
https://evolutionnews.org/2021/09/rats-another-code-found-in-whiskers/ Clever quote from previous article, with underline added for emphasis!: "Did you know that a rat’s tactile sense requires analyzing a 16-dimensional stimulus space? How does that computation fit into a rat’s brain? Trying to simplify in a model what goes on in rat whiskers quickly gets deep into mathematical weeds. Their “generalized linear models” that analyzed pairs of covarying features showed some success. Nevertheless, they admit they have only (so to speak) scratched the surface." It seems like we're often just "scratching the surface!" 
Video below shows how rat whisker technology can improve our own technology. Also, it includes footage of a seal that has its hearing and seeing blocked, but it still able to hunt with just its whiskers. It can sense the pathways with its whiskers.
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The video includes an image of the follicle sinus complex. If you click below, it will take you right to that image of the follicle sinus complex, where calculations are made before information is sent to the brain. Check out the image at 3:55 !
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