DOCSLIB.ORG

Scientific-Creationism.Pdf

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Scientific-Creationism.Pdf Scientific Creationism Prepared by the technical staff AND CONSULTANTS OF THE INSTITUTE for Creation Research Edited by Henry M. Morris President, Institute for Creation Research Twenty-scvcnlh printing: February 2018 (Jopyrij’lil <<01974,1985 by Master Books® All rights reserved. No part of I hi,$ book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher, except in the case of Uriel quotations in articles and reviews. For information write: Master Books®, P.O. Box 726, Green Forest, AR 72638 Master Books® is a division of the New Leaf Publishing Group, Inc. ISBN: 978-0-89051-003-2 ISBN: 978-1-61458-188-8 (digital) Library of Congress Number: 74-14160 Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the King James Version of the Bible. Please consider requesting that a copy of this volume be purchased by your local library system. Printed in the United States of America Please visit our website for other great titles: www.masterbooks.com For information regarding author interviews, please contact the publicity department at (870) 438-5288. Master Books® A Division of New leaf Publishing Croup www.masterbooks.com Contents Foreword to First Edition................................................................ iii Foreword to Second Edition...........................................................vii Chapter I — Evolution or Creation? The Importance of Origins.........................................................1 Impossibility of Scientific Proof of Origins..............................4 The Two Scientific Models of Origins....................................... 8 Pedagogical Advantages of the Creation Model....................14 Chapter II — Chaos or Cosmos? Origin of Matter, Energy, and Natural Law.............................17 The Beginning of the Universe.................................................24 Origin of the Solar System....................................................... 29 Purpose in Creation..................................................................32 Chapter III — Uphill or Downhill? The Laws of Thermodynamics.................................................37 The Origin of Life......................................................................46 Variation and Selection............................................................ 51 Genetic Mutations....................................................................53 Chapter IV — Accident or Plan? The Complexity of Living Systems..........................................59 Similarities and Differences..................................................... 69 Vestiges and Recapitulations................................................... 75 Systematic Gaps in the Fossil Record......................................77 Chapter V — Uniformitarianism or Catastrophism? The Message of the Fossils....................................................... 91 Rapid Formation of Geologic Deposits................................ 101 Contemporaneity of the Fossil World................................... I l l Residual Catastrophism......................................................... 123 ( 'Ituplcr VI — Old or Young? I low lo Date a Rock................................................................ 131 Radiometric Dating................................................................ 137 Evidence for a Young Earth....................................................149 'I he Antiquity of Man............................................................. 160 Chapter VII — Apes or Men? The Origin of Man.................................................................. 171 Languages and Races.............................................................. 178 Ancient Civilizations.............................................................. 185 The Origin of Religion............................................................ 195 Chapter VIII — Creation According to Scripture The Historicity of the Genesis Record................................... 203 Divisions of Genesis...............................................................204 Fall, Curse, and Laws of Thermodynamics........................... 211 Overflowed with Water.......................................................... 212 Summary of the Biblical Model.............................................214 Theistic Evolution...................................................................215 Progressive Creation...............................................................219 The Day-Age Theory..............................................................220 The Gap Theory.......................................................................229 The Framework Hypothesis................................................... 241 Gaps in Human Chronology................................................. 245 Local Flood Theory.................................................................248 Tranquil Flood Theory...........................................................251 Summary and Conclusion..................................................... 252 Appendix. Bibliography on Creationism......................................253 Index of Subjects............................................................................ 265 Index of Names.............................................................................. 277 Index of Scriptures........................................................................ 281 WRITERS AND CONSULTANTS SCIENTIFIC CREATIONISM (First edition) This book is the result of a cooperative project undertaken by the scientific staff of the Institute for Creation Research, the members of the technical advisory board of the Institute, and a number of other scientists and teachers who assisted in various ways.' The basic text of the manuscript was prepared by the I.C.R. di­ rector Dr. Henry M. Morris. It has been thoroughly reviewed by the associate director Dr. Duane Gish, and by Professors Harold Slusher and Stuart Nevins. It has been reviewed by the members of the I.C.R. Technical Advisory board and by the other teachers and scientists listed below. Their corrections and suggestions have all been incorporated in the revised text. The final manuscript has been tested as a textbook by the I.C.R. staff in a special 14-hour workshop on scientific creationism spon­ sored by one of the California school districts for its teachers. Feed­ back from this course in every way confirmed the suitability of the book for its intended purpose. The list of writers and consultants follows: Thomas G. Barnes, D.Sc. Professor of Physics, University of Texas, El Paso William A. Beckman, Ph.D. Professor of Physical Sciences, Christian Heritage College, San Diego, California Edward Blick, Ph.D. Professor of Aerospace, Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman Richard Bliss, M.S. Science Consultant, Unified School District #1, Racine, Wisconsin David R. Boylan, Ph.D. Dean, College of Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames 1. Hie data shown refer to the degrees and positions held by these men in 1974, when the first edition of this book was published. Although more than half now (1985) hold different positions, and several have been awarded additional degrees, their position on the subject of scientific creationism remains the same. - i - Larry Butler, Ph.D. Professor of Biochemistry, Purdue Univer­ sity, West Lafayette, Indiana Kenneth B. Cummings, Ph.D. Research Biologist, U.S. Consul­ tants Fisheries service, LaCrosse, Wisconsin Malcolm Cutchins, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Aerospace En­ gineering, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama Robert H. Franks, M.D. Professor of Biological Sciences, Chris­ tian Heritage College, San Diego, California Duane T. Gish, Ph.D. Associate Director, Institute for Creation Research, San Diego, California Donald Hamann, Ph.D. Professor of Food Technology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh Charles W. Harrison, Jr., Ph.D. President, General Electro- Magnetics Corporation, Albuquerque, New Mexico Harold R. Henry, Ph.D. Chairman, Department of Civil and Mining Engineering, University of Alabama Joseph Henson, Ph.D. Head, Science Division, Bob Jones Uni­ versity, Greenville, South Carolina Lane Lester, Ph.D. Professor of Biology, Christian Heritage College, San Diego, California John R. Meyer, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Louisville, Kentucky Henry M. Morris, Ph.D. Director, Institute for Creation Re­ search, San Diego, California John N. Moore, Ed.D. Professor of Natural Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing Stuart E. Nevins, M.S. Assistant Professor of Geology, Chris­ tian Heritage College, San Diego, California Robert Olson, M.Ed. Science Teacher, San Diego City Schools, California Charles C. Ryrie, Th.D., Ph.D. Professor of Systematic Theol­ ogy, Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, Texas Harold S. Slusher, M.S. Professor of Planetary Sciences, Chris­ tian Heritage College, San Diego, California. John C. Whitcomb, Jr., Th.D. Director of Post-Graduate Stud­ ies, Grace Theological Seminary, Winona Lake, Indiana - ii - FOREWORD TO FIRST EDITION he widespread movement in recent years toward the establish­ ment of new private Christian schools has been stimulated Tlargely by the failure of the public schools to maintain academic and philosophic objectivity. In the name of modern science and of church-state separation, the Bible and theistic religion have been ef­ fectively banned from curricula, and a nontheistic religion of secu­ lar evolutionary
Load more

Recommended publications
  • October 2003 SOCIETY
    ISSN 0739-4934 NEWSLETTER HISTORY OF SCIENCE VOLUME 32 NUMBER 4 October 2003 SOCIETY those with no interest in botany, the simple beauty of the glass is enough. Natural History Delights in Cambridge From modern-life in glass to long-ago life, it’s only a short walk. The museum houses ant to discuss dinosaurs, explore microfossils of some of the Earth’s earliest life Wancient civilizations, learn wild- forms, as well as fossil fish and dinosaurs – flower gardening, or study endangered such as the second ever described Triceratops, species? If variety is the spice of life, then and the world’s only mounted Kronosaurus, a the twenty-one million specimens at the 42-foot-long prehistoric marine reptile. Harvard Museum of Natural History show a Among its 90,000 zoological specimens the museum bursting with life, much of it unnat- museum also has the pheasants once owned urally natural. by George Washington. And many of the The museum will be the site of the opening mammal collections were put together in the reception for the 2003 HSS annual meeting. 19th century by “lions” in the history of sci- The reception begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, 20 ence, like Louis Agassiz. November, and tickets will be available at the Much of the museum’s collection of rocks and meeting registration desk. Buses will run from ores is the result of field work, but the museum the host hotel to the museum. houses not only that which has been dug up, but The Harvard MNH is an ideal spot for his- also that which has fallen out of the sky.
    [Show full text]
  • Searching for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
    THE FRONTIERS COLLEctION THE FRONTIERS COLLEctION Series Editors: A.C. Elitzur L. Mersini-Houghton M. Schlosshauer M.P. Silverman J. Tuszynski R. Vaas H.D. Zeh The books in this collection are devoted to challenging and open problems at the forefront of modern science, including related philosophical debates. In contrast to typical research monographs, however, they strive to present their topics in a manner accessible also to scientifically literate non-specialists wishing to gain insight into the deeper implications and fascinating questions involved. Taken as a whole, the series reflects the need for a fundamental and interdisciplinary approach to modern science. Furthermore, it is intended to encourage active scientists in all areas to ponder over important and perhaps controversial issues beyond their own speciality. Extending from quantum physics and relativity to entropy, consciousness and complex systems – the Frontiers Collection will inspire readers to push back the frontiers of their own knowledge. Other Recent Titles Weak Links Stabilizers of Complex Systems from Proteins to Social Networks By P. Csermely The Biological Evolution of Religious Mind and Behaviour Edited by E. Voland and W. Schiefenhövel Particle Metaphysics A Critical Account of Subatomic Reality By B. Falkenburg The Physical Basis of the Direction of Time By H.D. Zeh Mindful Universe Quantum Mechanics and the Participating Observer By H. Stapp Decoherence and the Quantum-To-Classical Transition By M. Schlosshauer The Nonlinear Universe Chaos, Emergence, Life By A. Scott Symmetry Rules How Science and Nature are Founded on Symmetry By J. Rosen Quantum Superposition Counterintuitive Consequences of Coherence, Entanglement, and Interference By M.P.
    [Show full text]
  • Biopolitics and Biohistory: Reality Or Strategy
    Research and Science Today No. 1(5)/2013 International Relations BIOPOLITICS AND BIOHISTORY: REALITY OR STRATEGY Viorella MANOLACHE* ABSTRACT: THE PRESENT STUDY PLACES ITSELF IN THE EQUATION OF BIOPOLITICAL REFLEXES, APPROACHING THE FACT THAT POLITICALLY, PRIVATE AND „LIBERAL” MEDICINE CAN BE ACCEPTED AS A MEDICAL POLITICS OF POWER. THE ARTICLE WILL VERIFY THE HYPOSTASIS ACCORDING TO WHICH, SOCIAL MEDICINE REPRESENTS A NORMATIVE DISCIPLINE OF THIS PSYCHO-BIOLOGICAL FUTURE OF THE INDIVIDUAL, CONSIDERED AN INTEGRAL PART OF SOCIETY SUBSUMED TO A CULTURE OF HEALTH, ACHIEVED THROUGH PREVENTIVE, CURATIVE, HEALTH AND SOCIAL MEASURES. BIOHISTORY TRANSLATES, IN FOUCAULT'S VIEW, THE BIOLOGICAL EFFECT OF MEDICAL INTERVENTION – MEDICALISATION NETWORK, SOCIALISATION OF BODY DEPENDING ON PRODUCTION AND LABOUR FORCE, WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE FOLLOWING “MATHEMATICAL” EQUATIONS: BODY = BIOPOLITICAL REALITY AND MEDICINE = BIOPOLITICAL STRATEGY. THE STUDY WILL RECUPERATE BIOPOLITICS PRETEXTS AND REFLEXES, REACTIVATING (DISTANT FROM THE IDEOLOGICAL PRESSURE) THE LOCAL PARTICULARISING REPLIES IN THE '30S AND '40S- THAT OF THE EUGENIC AND BIOPOLITICAL BULLETIN, AND THE CONTEMPORARY DIMENSION OF MEDICAL POSSIBILITIES AND CRISES. KEY WORDS: BIOPOLITICS, SOCIAL MEDICALISATION / SOCIAL MEDICINE, POWER – KNOWLEDGE, BIOHISTORY,EUGENICS philosophical and political reflexes of biopolitics Recuperating the reflexes resented from the philosophical and political space of biopolitics as discussed by Foucault1 we associate this argument with the interrogation of *Scientific researcher III, PhD, Institute of Political Sciences and International Relations, Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania; [email protected]. 62 March 2013 Nikolas Rose2 - What‟s happening with biopolitics today? The present study proposes the situation of biopolitics within the configurations of the politics of risk, with all the deviations arrived from the register of the sciences of life.
    [Show full text]
  • Guide to the Identification of Precious and Semi-Precious Corals in Commercial Trade
    'l'llA FFIC YvALE ,.._,..---...- guide to the identification of precious and semi-precious corals in commercial trade Ernest W.T. Cooper, Susan J. Torntore, Angela S.M. Leung, Tanya Shadbolt and Carolyn Dawe September 2011 © 2011 World Wildlife Fund and TRAFFIC. All rights reserved. ISBN 978-0-9693730-3-2 Reproduction and distribution for resale by any means photographic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or information storage and retrieval systems of any parts of this book, illustrations or texts is prohibited without prior written consent from World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Reproduction for CITES enforcement or educational and other non-commercial purposes by CITES Authorities and the CITES Secretariat is authorized without prior written permission, provided the source is fully acknowledged. Any reproduction, in full or in part, of this publication must credit WWF and TRAFFIC North America. The views of the authors expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the TRAFFIC network, WWF, or the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The designation of geographical entities in this publication and the presentation of the material do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of WWF, TRAFFIC, or IUCN concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The TRAFFIC symbol copyright and Registered Trademark ownership are held by WWF. TRAFFIC is a joint program of WWF and IUCN. Suggested citation: Cooper, E.W.T., Torntore, S.J., Leung, A.S.M, Shadbolt, T. and Dawe, C.
    [Show full text]
  • WASPS: an ACCOUNT of the BIOLOGY and NATURAL of and the Change Is More Verbal Than Actual That Mysterious Beast the Aurochs (An- HISTORY SOCIAL SOLI- TARY WASPS, by J
    biology courses and what is adopted for called biohistory-an interweaving of phylum Uniramia (subphyla Onycho- use in these courses. Textbook authors man's cultural record with that of the phora, Myriopoda, and Hexapoda) phy- cannot be faulted for providing mate- animals that have suffered or bene- lum Crustacea, and phylum Chelicerata. rials found to be acceptable for the fited from man's long presence west of W. Robert Stamper great majority of collegiate courses. A the Urals. Thus, Burton will cite a Cheltenham High School few publishers who have attempted to Latin author by way of background to Wyncote, Pa. lead the marketplace in response to a modern behavioral study; or he will expressed desires for change have had invite us to become Neolithic villagers to retreat from their positions, because sharing the plains of the Danube with WASPS: AN ACCOUNT OF THE BIOLOGY AND NATURAL OF AND the change is more verbal than actual that mysterious beast the aurochs (an- HISTORY SOCIAL SOLI- TARY WASPS, by J. Philip Spradbery. on the part of collegiate instructors. We cestor of dairy cattle; extinct since 1973. University of Washington Press, are faced with a chicken-and-egg 1627). Seattle. 408 p. $17.50 (hardback). proposition: instructors say they don't The pictures-at least one to each teach the way they'd like to, because large page, and all in color (passable to British hornets and yellow jackets materials are not available, and pub- good)-can be enjoyed by anyone; at are the central theme of this book. Soli- lishers say that materials are not made the same time they precisely augment tary and semisocial species from vari- available because an insufficient num- the text, which can be understood by ous parts of the world are included in ber of classes exist in the nonrhetoric- any high-school student who isn't baf- discussions of the origin and evolution of-conclusions mode.
    [Show full text]
  • Related K~L-Uences Of-Botanic and Other Gardens~F-The Fast
    -14- ~!!) the H~sioric to the ~al Garde:.l Some c~ideratio~based on th~ul tural ~related k~l-uences of-Botanic and other Gardens~f-the Fast. by Frans VEROOORN Having been engaged, for several decennia, in sundry advisory and related activities, frequently along historical lines, in connect~on with botanic anà other gardens, horticultural publications and congresses, etc. , l drew up many suggestions and developed ~ variety of ideas as to the theory, practice, possioilities and, particularly also, acl to the ~mpl~cations of the study anal or reconstruction of gardens of the past. l presented some of these in ad dresses delivered on the grounds of the Los Angeles State & County Arboretum (1948/1949) and in 1953 as a contribution tc ~ International Symposium on the Scientific Organization of Botanic Gardens which was held by the I.U.B.S., with UNESCO assistance, in Par~s. Later, l dealt with these in contributions to 'Chronica Horticulturae' and other papers, such as De Plant in de Biohistorie 1911 It would be easy to give again a talk along these lines, but l feel that this occasion, this third ICOMOS -IFLA coloquiurn, calls for some opening re- marks which will touch upon the broad issues involved and implicated by the sub- Ject mat ter of gardens of the past and their cultural and related influences. l will do this also as two of my associates, Mrs. Oldenburger-Ebbers and ;.~. Heniger, in a most critical way, prepared for you an annotated list of ornamental plants to assist with the proper reconstruction and maintenance of 16th and 17th century gardens, particularly in N.W.
    [Show full text]
  • New Fossils of Cichlids from the Miocene of Kenya and Clupeids from the Miocene of Greece (Teleostei)
    The importance of articulated skeletons in the identification of extinct taxa: new fossils of cichlids from the Miocene of Kenya and clupeids from the Miocene of Greece (Teleostei) Dissertation zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades an der Fakultät für Geowissenschaften der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Vorgelegt von Charalampos Kevrekidis München, 28. September 2020 Erstgutacher: Prof. Dr. Bettina Reichenbacher Zweitgutacher: PD Dr. Gertrud Rößner Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 08.02.2021 2 Statutory declaration and statement I hereby confirm that my Thesis entitled “Fossil fishes from terrestrial sediments of the Miocene of Africa and Europe”, is the result of my own original work. Furthermore, I certify that this work contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in my name, in any university and, to the best of my knowledge and belief, contains no material previously published or written by another person, except where due reference has been made in the text. In addition, I certify that no part of this work will, in the future, be used in a submission in my name, for any other degree or diploma in any university or other tertiary institution without the prior approval of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. München, 21.09.2020 Charalampos Kevrekidis 3 Abstract Fishes are important components of aquatic faunas, but our knowledge on the fossil record of some taxa, relative to their present diversity, remains poor. This can be due to a rarity of such fossils, as is the case for the family Cichlidae (cichlids). Another impediment is the rarity of well-preserved skeletons of fossil fishes.
    [Show full text]
  • Fermi's Paradox-The Last Challenge for Copernicanism?
    Fermi’s Paradox – The Last Challenge for Copernicanism? Milan M. Cirkovi´c´ Astronomical Observatory Belgrade, Volgina 7, 11160 Belgrade, Serbia & Department of Physics, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovi´ca 4, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia e-mail: [email protected] Abstract We review Fermi’s paradox (or the ”Great Silence” problem), not only arguably the oldest and crucial problem for the Search for ExtraTer- restrial Intelligence (SETI), but also a conundrum of profound scien- tific, philosophical and cultural importance. By a simple analysis of observation selection effects, the correct resolution of Fermi’s paradox is certain to tell us something about the future of humanity. Already a more than three quarters of a century old puzzle – and a quarter of century since the last major review paper in the field by G. David Brin – Fermi’s paradox has generated many ingenious discussions and hy- potheses. We analyze the often tacit methodological assumptions built into various answers to this puzzle and attempt a new classification of the numerous solutions proposed in an already huge literature on the subject. Finally, we consider the ramifications of various classes of hypotheses for the practical SETI projects. Somewhat paradoxically, it seems that the class of (neo)catastrophic hypotheses gives, on bal- ance, the strongest justification for guarded optimism regarding our current and near-future SETI efforts. Key words: astrobiology – extraterrestrial intelligence – Galaxy: evolution arXiv:0907.3432v1 [astro-ph.EP] 20 Jul 2009 – history and philosophy of astronomy – observation selection effects If you do not expect the unexpected, you will not find it; for it is hard to be sought out and difficult.
    [Show full text]
  • History of Biology in the Netherlands a Historical
    HISTORY OF BIOLOGY IN THE NETHERLANDS A HISTORICAL SKETCH Bert Theunissen and Robert P.W. Visser As in most coimtries, the history of biology as an academic discipline is of relatively recent origin in the Netherlands. The first full-time professionals were appointed in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Their number has never been large, and one sometimes worries that the entire population may one day be wiped out by sheer 'drift'. Yet so far we've managed to stay alive - in fact, the prospects are not too bad at the moment. As elsewhere, the professional historians of biology in the Netherlands were preceded by generations of enthusiastic amateurs. We shall not even try to give all of them their due share in this overview, restricting our account to some general remarks on developments over the last century and to a few representative twen­ tieth-century figures. The historical genres to flourish the most in the pre-professional era were biographies, publications of the 'life and work' type, and commemorative volumes. A useful bibliography of the more important works published from the beginning of the century up to the early 1960s can be found in a review compiled by Frans Verdoorn in 1%3.' Among the Dutch biologists who showed more than a fleeting interest in the history of their discipline and whose works clearly transcend the status of occasional writings, two of the most outstanding are F.W.T. Hunger and A. Schierbeek. They paved the way for the professionalization of the discipline in the Netherlands, particularly in that their activities and pubHcations aroused a lasting interest in the history of biology in Dutch academic circles.
    [Show full text]
  • HOW to UNDERMINE CARTER's ANTHROPIC ARGUMENT in ASTROBIOLOGY Milan M. Ćirković Astronomic
    GALACTIC PUNCTUATED EQUILIBRIUM: HOW TO UNDERMINE CARTER'S ANTHROPIC ARGUMENT IN ASTROBIOLOGY Milan M. Ćirković Astronomical Observatory, Volgina 7, 11160 Belgrade, Serbia e-mail: [email protected] Branislav Vukotić Astronomical Observatory, Volgina 7, 11160 Belgrade, Serbia e-mail: [email protected] Ivana Dragićević Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 3, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia e-mail: [email protected] Abstract. We investigate a new strategy which can defeat the (in)famous Carter's “anthropic” argument against extraterrestrial life and intelligence. In contrast to those already considered by Wilson, Livio, and others, the present approach is based on relaxing hidden uniformitarian assumptions, considering instead a dynamical succession of evolutionary regimes governed by both global (Galaxy-wide) and local (planet- or planetary system-limited) regulation mechanisms. This is in accordance with recent developments in both astrophysics and evolutionary biology. Notably, our increased understanding of the nature of supernovae and gamma-ray bursts, as well as of strong coupling between the Solar System and the Galaxy on one hand, and the theories of “punctuated equilibria” of Eldredge and Gould and “macroevolutionary regimes” of Jablonski, Valentine, et al. on the other, are in full accordance with the regulation- mechanism picture. The application of this particular strategy highlights the limits of application of Carter's argument, and indicates that in the real universe its applicability conditions are not satisfied. We conclude that drawing far-reaching conclusions about the scarcity of extraterrestrial intelligence and the prospects of our efforts to detect it on the basis of this argument is unwarranted.
    [Show full text]
  • Galactic Punctuated Equilibrium: How to Undermine Carter's Anthropic Argument in Astrobiology
    ASTROBIOLOGY Volume 9, Number 5, 2009 ª Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. DOI: 10.1089=ast.2007.0200 Hypothesis Article Galactic Punctuated Equilibrium: How to Undermine Carter’s Anthropic Argument in Astrobiology Milan M. C´ irkovic´,1 Branislav Vukotic´,1 and Ivana Dragic´evic´ 2 Abstract A new strategy by which to defeat Carter’s ‘‘anthropic’’ argument against extraterrestrial life and intelligence is presented. Our approach is based on relaxing hidden uniformitarian assumptions and considering instead a dynamical succession of evolutionary regimes governed by both global (Galaxy-wide) and local (planet- or planetary system–limited) regulation mechanisms. Notably, our increased understanding of the nature of su- pernovae, gamma-ray bursts, and strong coupling between the Solar System and the Galaxy, and the theories of ‘‘punctuated equilibria’’ and ‘‘macroevolutionary regimes’’ are in full accordance with the regulation-mechanism picture. The application of this particular strategy highlights the limits of application of Carter’s argument and indicates that, in the real universe, its applicability conditions are not satisfied. We conclude that drawing far- reaching conclusions about the scarcity of extraterrestrial intelligence and the prospects of our efforts to detect it on the basis of this argument is unwarranted. Key Words: Astrobiology—Extraterrestrial intelligence—Galaxy: evolution—History and philosophy of science. Astrobiology 9, 491–501. An unflinching determination to take the whole evi- particular form at random epochs with respect to the dence into account is the only method of preservation characteristic timescale of the astrophysical environ- against the fluctuating extremes of fashionable opinion. ment (notably, the Main-Sequence lifetime of the con- sidered star).
    [Show full text]
  • Title: Julius Kaljuvee, Ivan Reinwald, and Estonian Pioneering Ideas on Meteorite Impacts and Cosmic Neocatastrophism in the Early 20Th Century
    Title: Julius Kaljuvee, Ivan Reinwald, and Estonian pioneering ideas on meteorite impacts and cosmic neocatastrophism in the early 20th century Author: Grzegorz Racki, Tõnu Viik, Väino Puura Citation style: Racki Grzegorz, Viik Tõnu, Puura Väino. (2018). Julius Kaljuvee, Ivan Reinwald, and Estonian pioneering ideas on meteorite impacts and cosmic neocatastrophism in the early 20th century. “BSGF - Earth Sciences Bulletin” (Vol. 189, iss. 3 (2018), Art No. 11), doi 10.1051/bsgf/2018011 BSGF - Earth Sciences Bulletin 2018, 189, 11 © G. Racki et al., Published by EDP Sciences 2018 https://doi.org/10.1051/bsgf/2018011 Available online at: www.bsgf.fr Julius Kaljuvee, Ivan Reinwald, and Estonian pioneering ideas on meteorite impacts and cosmic neocatastrophism in the early 20th century Grzegorz Racki1,*, Tõnu Viik2 and Väino Puura3,† 1 Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Silesia, Będzińska Str. 60, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland 2 Tartu Observatory, University of Tartu, Tõravere, 61602 Tartumaa, Estonia 3 Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, 51014 Tartu, Estonia Received: 15 January 2018 / Accepted: 5 July 2018 Abstract – The article comprehensively presents little known Estonian contribution to the recognition of first meteorite impact structures in Europe, related to works of Julius Kaljuvee (Kalkun; 1869–1940) and Ivan Reinwald (Reinwaldt; 1878–1941). As an active educator specialized in geoscience, Kaljuvee was the first to hypothesize in 1922 that Kaali lake cirque in Saaremaa Island, Estonia, was created by meteorite impact. Thanks to mining engineer Reinwald, this assumption was accepted since 1928 due to the exhaustive field and borehole works of the latter (also as a result of exploration by several German scholars, including renowned Alfred Wegener).
    [Show full text]