This afternoon I stumbled upon yet another poorly written creationist diatribe, touting a singular ability to refute the brilliant scientific minds of the last three centuries of enlightenment. Every time I read one of these idiotic monologues, it strikes me that the author has less knowledge of the subject for which they treat than an infant does calculus.
Anyway, this particular piece issued a challenge, it requested that “evolutionists” review the 10 questions he or she had posted in the body of the article, which are supposed to be definitive proof that “evolution is stupid”. And since I’m a huge supporter of remedial science for the illiterate, I thought I’d give it a go. The questions are listed above my answers in order as they appear on Breaking The Presidium[1].
1. Which came first? Time, Space, Matter or energy?
In the current model presented by quantum mechanics, all four were created simultaneously out of the Big bang. An ultra-dense singularity, also known as a black hole, is thought to have been the mechanism of compression-expansion that acted as, if not a trigger, then an accelerator for universal expansion.
2. Where did the necessary materials to create the universe come from and where did they exist if there was no space?
The universe is, for lack of a better term, mostly space, so in reality there wasn’t near as much “material” needed to form the planets etc following the initial expansion. However, the material was ejected from the singularity. It was contained, again for lack of a better term, in that ultra-dense state and spread out as gases and dust. The tiny particles of dust, each having their own gravitational pull began to clump together, unevenly due to slight fluctuations in the temperature of space at the time, and eventually became stars, planets and all other celestial bodies.
Incidentally, neither this question nor number one have anything to do with the evolutionary model. These are questions of cosmology and physics, not biology.
3. Where did life originally come from if it can not appear spontaneously?
Life can appear spontaneously, under the right circumstances. Several experiments have produced such circumstances and have successfully induced both RNA and DNA amino acid chains to spontaneously develop in laboratory conditions. Life requires (at least the brand of life we see on Earth) the presence of various amino acid building blocks, oxygen, water, an increased ambient temperature and electrical stimulation…this is fairly widely known.
4. Which came first? Male or Female?
Neither. This is mammalian chauvinism at its best, not even every creature alive today uses sexual reproduction for procreation, let alone throughout the history of the world.
5. Why do we find petrified trees standing up through millions of years worth of geological layers?
Do you not see the paradox you present in your own question? A million year old tree? Does this not prove that life on earth is much older than the creationist view?
6. What were the first elements to be formed?
Hydrogen and helium…you could look this up in Wikipedia.
7. When and how did the stars come to be?
As mentioned in my answer to question #2, all of the matter contained in the big bang singularity was spread fairly evenly throughout the early universe, but minute fluctuations in the temperature of its accompanying energy (heat) cause some of that matter to clump together. When this started, the gravitational pull of the clumps started pulling more and more matter into the clumps. As the clumps grew, the pressure (from gravity) and heat (from friction) inside the clumps began to rise to an incredible state, eventually causing atoms to split (which is a nuclear reaction) thus creating stars.
8. When did the laws of nature(i.e. Gravity) first come into effect?
There is evidence that suggests that the laws of nature have always been in effect, in any event they were present at the time of the big bang.
9. Why is an unproven theory used as fact?
None are that I’m aware of, however if you are referring to evolution then I must point out that the theory of evolution has been experimentally verified many hundreds of thousands and even millions of times. Do you know what the difference is between a Chihuahua and a Doberman? Genetically speaking, not much, they’re both descended from wild wolves. Mankind has bred them each for their current characteristics…how did this happen without evolution?
However, since I suspect you may actually be talking about the big bang theory, as you have confused the two theories throughout this piece, it too has been experimentally verified, many times over. Edwin Hubble discovered, through some fairly common sense mathematics and through his astute observation of the stars above us, that every star in the universe is travelling away from all other stars at a rate that is commensurate with each star’s distance from all other stars. This means that our universe is expanding. From that simple observation (not guess), much has been extrapolated and predicted. Since that time, scientists have successfully confirmed almost every prediction made about the big bang theory since its introduction. There still are questions, but the overwhelming majority of evidence says that they’re right on the money.
10. How did the universe start(please provide specified details)?
It’s called the big bang theory, and I’ve already explained the process. Though, I’ll say that no one knows for certain. Certainty is unattainable. There will always be gaps in our knowledge, however those gaps are not places for superstition to hide, they are uncharted territories of scientific discovery. Inserting God in those gaps of knowledge does nothing, and in fact creates a logical fallacy that cannot be overcome. If you plan to say that God must have created the universe, because the universe is too complex or special to have come into existence by the means mentioned above, then how did God come into existence?
Having answered your questions, I’ll give you some background on my own understanding of the above. I am not a scientist, I am not formally educated, I’m not even the smartest person on the bus at any given time…but I read. This is something you might want to consider doing yourself. I read a lot and I love to read about science. This makes me scientifically literate, which is something I cannot say for you. I’ll suggest that reading about science would be a better pastime for you then scribbling your inane creationist propaganda all over the internet.
You may chose not to “believe” my answers to your questions, but that does nothing to affect or negate their validity. The evidence is there for you to examine. I ask you though, where is the evidence for creation?
[1] Breaking the Presidium: 10 Questions Evolution Can’t Answer. http://breakingthepresidium.wordpress.com/2011/02/18/10-questions-evolution-cant-answer/