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Discovery Magazine 01/01/2011


Some Like it Hot!

Some people (like myself) like the air conditioner to be on nearly all the time—even during the winter. Some people (like my co-worker Eric Lyons) like it to be warm all the time. However, even though Eric likes it warm, he would not want to live in or very near a volcano! Interestingly, not all of God's creatures avoid living close to volcanoes.

"Extremophile" is the name scientists give to microscopic organisms that live and thrive in "extreme" environments such as volcanoes and volcanic vents. It is notable that the highest microbial life appears to have been found at a volcanic vent 19,850 feet above sea level in South America. However, though we probably usually think of tall mountains high above sea level when we think of volcanoes, extremophiles and other creatures have been found in underwater volcanoes as well. Scientists recently discovered creatures that live on and around active volcanoes at the bottom of the ocean. While exploring a volcano on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean near Guam, scientists found limpet snails and two species of shrimp. The Loihi shrimp is believed to graze on bacteria found on the volcanoes using tiny claws like garden shears. The Alvinocaris shrimp becomes a predator after reaching adulthood. Its front claws grow large and the shrimp begins to eat the smaller shrimp as well as other fish that die in the area due to the volcanic activity. Scientists are amazed that these creatures are somehow suited to live and even thrive in such high pressure, high temperature, highly acidic environments. Amazingly, genetic engineers hope to copy their designs for the benefit of mankind.

Evolutionists believe that over millions of years these creatures adapted to the highly acidic environment produced by the volcanoes. But no one can explain how such an adaptation could have occurred. In fact,
National Geographic News, known as being highly pro-evolution, was so amazed at the design found in extremophiles that they went so far as to call them "miracles," without realizing that they actually stated the truth of the matter. Almighty God miraculously created these amazing volcanic creatures, as He did all other living creatures, during the Creation week.



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Butt/Ehrman Debate: Suffering and the Existence of God

In this debate, national best-selling author and self-professed agnostic, Bart Erhman, contends that the pain and suffering in the world show that the loving God of the Bible does not exist.

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