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Does Evolution Explain Everything About Life?
A critical response to New Scientist publication 'How Evolution Explains Everything About Life' by ten Ph.D Biblical creation scientists with backgrounds in physical chemistry, molecular biology, marine biology, genetics, plant physiology, mechanical engineering and biomimetics. The claims made by the team of ten scientists who contributed to the New Scientist publication are robustly challenged. Topics covered include chemical evolution being almost impossible to synthesise and can't account for the information content of DNA; so-called 'junk DNA' is actually vital non-coding DNA expressing regulatory RNA; Darwin's Tree of Life is no longer useful, abondoned as the latest discoveries in genetics reveal it bears no relation to reality and how natural selection has no power to innovate and create as it is by definition selecting from what already exists.
75 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 202
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May 15, 2023
A CREATIONIST RESPONSE TO THE NEW SCIENTIST ‘INSTANT EXPERT’ BOOK
Contributing Editor Philip Bell wrote in the Introduction to this 2020 book, “This short book is a critical review of claims made by an expert panel of evolutionary scientists in the … book, ‘How Evolution Explains Everything About Life’… Those are massive claims, but can they be demonstrated?... we must examine what the experts are saying. Without doubt, the book contains useful discussion on evolutionary topics, but can its lofty claims be substantiated? The very examination itself is an excellent opportunity both to showcase some fascinating scientific findings and, we are confident, to demonstrate the superiority of the case for supernatural creation.” (Pg. 7-8)
He continues, “it seemed fitting to assemble a panel of expert Ph.D.s (biblical creationists) to tackle the subjects raised… Our own ten experts have responded in the very areas which are pertinent to their qualifications and professional experience… Not all of CMI’s [Creation Ministries International] panel of experts read the book in full but all were provided with the chapter outlines and the full context pertaining to the quotations upon which they were invited to comment… Therefore… each expert was fully cognizant of the scope and thrust of the writer(s) whom they were critiquing.” (Pg. 9)
Pierre Jerlström says about ‘junk DNA’ claims, “experimental scient has been steadily revealing important roles played by many DNA sequences formerly lumped into the junk pile. These include genome structure and function, gene regulation, and even rapid speciation. Moreover, the finding of non-protein coding genes that express regulatory RNAs has now raised the total number of ‘genes’ in the human genome to approximately 47,000, plus about 2,500 micro-RNA genes. Additional functional DNA that encodes neither RNA or proteins has also been discovered. The story of junk DNA is reminiscent of the ‘vestigial organs’ claim… We now know that the main reason for labelling these organs as such was both a lack of understanding … and a mindset locked into the evolutionary worldview.” (Pg. 20-21)
He continues, “The ENCODE… project revealed something unexpected: that over 80% of the human DNA is biochemically active. The bulk of the genome, then, made up of non-protein coding sequences, appears to be involved in controlling the proteins produced from only a small part of … the coding DNA… The variety of non-coding DNAs and their many functions shows that the idea of our genome being full of junk from past evolutionary events is an argument from ignorance…” (Pg. 22-23) He adds, “I note that the estimates of the amount of junk DNA have been drastically revised downward in recent years. It used to be closer to 98%, The book is now claiming 50%.” (Pg. 27)
Tas Walker quotes the evolution book: “All it would take is one or two exceptions to challenge the theory [of evolution]. If the first fossil amphibians were older than the first fossil fish, for example, it would show that amphibians could not have evolved from fish. No such exceptions have every been found anywhere.” (Pg. 37) Walker asserts, “No matter what is found, evolution would not be challenged because evolution is already accepted as true, a priori. The reality is that fossils are being found in exceptional places all the time, but this does not challenge evolution… Evolutionists would have a multitude of ways to challenge many aspects of such a ‘find.’ Perhaps the ‘amphibian’ is not really an amphibian. Perhaps the date assigned to the amphibian is too old, or that assigned to the fish is too young. Perhaps we have not yet found the earliest fish fossil… And so on… Fossils are continually being found outside the time range of what was previously believed about evolution. Examples include the origin of snakes pushed back 70 Ma, the origin of flowering plants pushed back over 100 Ma, and the origin of multicellular life being pushed back 1.5 Ga. None of this challenges evolution in any way because they just change their story.” (Pg. 37-39)
Philip Bell concludes, “We hope that, having perused the carefully reasoned responses by our panel of 10 Ph.D. scientists, you will concur that such [evolutionary] optimism is misplaced at best… While this booklet ostensibly pitted two groups of Ph.D. scientists against one another… please do not make the mistake of seeing it as merely a sort of ‘playground scrap’… There is a danger that, in seeing such heavy-hitters going head-to-head, people on the sidelines can fall back on the argument from authority… However, that is no way to judge points of scientific contention, let alone points of scientific contention, let alone a question that purportedly relates to ‘everything about life.’” (Pg. 64-65)
This short book will interest some biblical creationists.
Contributing Editor Philip Bell wrote in the Introduction to this 2020 book, “This short book is a critical review of claims made by an expert panel of evolutionary scientists in the … book, ‘How Evolution Explains Everything About Life’… Those are massive claims, but can they be demonstrated?... we must examine what the experts are saying. Without doubt, the book contains useful discussion on evolutionary topics, but can its lofty claims be substantiated? The very examination itself is an excellent opportunity both to showcase some fascinating scientific findings and, we are confident, to demonstrate the superiority of the case for supernatural creation.” (Pg. 7-8)
He continues, “it seemed fitting to assemble a panel of expert Ph.D.s (biblical creationists) to tackle the subjects raised… Our own ten experts have responded in the very areas which are pertinent to their qualifications and professional experience… Not all of CMI’s [Creation Ministries International] panel of experts read the book in full but all were provided with the chapter outlines and the full context pertaining to the quotations upon which they were invited to comment… Therefore… each expert was fully cognizant of the scope and thrust of the writer(s) whom they were critiquing.” (Pg. 9)
Pierre Jerlström says about ‘junk DNA’ claims, “experimental scient has been steadily revealing important roles played by many DNA sequences formerly lumped into the junk pile. These include genome structure and function, gene regulation, and even rapid speciation. Moreover, the finding of non-protein coding genes that express regulatory RNAs has now raised the total number of ‘genes’ in the human genome to approximately 47,000, plus about 2,500 micro-RNA genes. Additional functional DNA that encodes neither RNA or proteins has also been discovered. The story of junk DNA is reminiscent of the ‘vestigial organs’ claim… We now know that the main reason for labelling these organs as such was both a lack of understanding … and a mindset locked into the evolutionary worldview.” (Pg. 20-21)
He continues, “The ENCODE… project revealed something unexpected: that over 80% of the human DNA is biochemically active. The bulk of the genome, then, made up of non-protein coding sequences, appears to be involved in controlling the proteins produced from only a small part of … the coding DNA… The variety of non-coding DNAs and their many functions shows that the idea of our genome being full of junk from past evolutionary events is an argument from ignorance…” (Pg. 22-23) He adds, “I note that the estimates of the amount of junk DNA have been drastically revised downward in recent years. It used to be closer to 98%, The book is now claiming 50%.” (Pg. 27)
Tas Walker quotes the evolution book: “All it would take is one or two exceptions to challenge the theory [of evolution]. If the first fossil amphibians were older than the first fossil fish, for example, it would show that amphibians could not have evolved from fish. No such exceptions have every been found anywhere.” (Pg. 37) Walker asserts, “No matter what is found, evolution would not be challenged because evolution is already accepted as true, a priori. The reality is that fossils are being found in exceptional places all the time, but this does not challenge evolution… Evolutionists would have a multitude of ways to challenge many aspects of such a ‘find.’ Perhaps the ‘amphibian’ is not really an amphibian. Perhaps the date assigned to the amphibian is too old, or that assigned to the fish is too young. Perhaps we have not yet found the earliest fish fossil… And so on… Fossils are continually being found outside the time range of what was previously believed about evolution. Examples include the origin of snakes pushed back 70 Ma, the origin of flowering plants pushed back over 100 Ma, and the origin of multicellular life being pushed back 1.5 Ga. None of this challenges evolution in any way because they just change their story.” (Pg. 37-39)
Philip Bell concludes, “We hope that, having perused the carefully reasoned responses by our panel of 10 Ph.D. scientists, you will concur that such [evolutionary] optimism is misplaced at best… While this booklet ostensibly pitted two groups of Ph.D. scientists against one another… please do not make the mistake of seeing it as merely a sort of ‘playground scrap’… There is a danger that, in seeing such heavy-hitters going head-to-head, people on the sidelines can fall back on the argument from authority… However, that is no way to judge points of scientific contention, let alone points of scientific contention, let alone a question that purportedly relates to ‘everything about life.’” (Pg. 64-65)
This short book will interest some biblical creationists.
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