Life and Death in God’s Good Creation

God created a world in which one creature consumes another to survive. We may wish it was otherwise; we may think it would have been a better world if God had made it so that we humans could synthesize energy from the sun, but that is not the world God created. Besides which, even grass which…

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George MacDonald on Reflections

Why are all reflections lovelier than what we call the reality? — not so grand or so strong, it may be, but always lovelier?…There is no cheating in nature and the simple unsought feelings of the soul. There must be a truth involved in it, though we may but in part lay hold of the…

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Thermophilic Bacteria as Great Wonders of the World

Lewis Thomas[1] was an award winning author and physician who had a way of explaining complex science in simple ways. In his essay, “Seven Wonders[2],” Lewis relates how he was once asked for his list of contemporary “Wonders of the World.” He is careful to say that he thinks it would be impossible to create…

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Avian Rodeo

  The wonders of God’s creation will never cease to amaze me. On three different occasions in two geographically distinct areas I have witnessed Red-winged Blackbirds riding on the backs of hawks. You have likely seen the phenomenon where smaller blackbirds are seen harassing larger hawks. Red-winged Blackbirds can be quite territorial and will work…

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Tools and Tool Management

Those who regularly read this blog will know that I have a fascination with crows. I have repeatedly sung their praises as one of the most intelligent animals on the planet (see here; here; and here). So, when I read another paper about crows and tool use, I naturally wanted to write about it here.…

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