Stars, Cells, and God

Obstetrics Dilemma and Abortion Pill Reversal

Obstetrics Dilemma
Many skeptics point to the difficulties and dangers of the human birthing process as a flawed biological design, best explained as the product of human evolutionary history. This problem is exemplified by the obstetrics dilemma—a concept that sees the origin of the human birthing process as a compromise between two evolutionary pressures: (1) the shift of our knuckle-walking ape-like ancestor to a bipedal hominin and (2) the increased size of the human head. These two influences restricted the size of the human birth canal and made the passage of the human neonate with a large head through the birth canal difficult. In this episode, Fuz Rana discusses recent insights from an evolutionary perspective into the origin of the human birthing process (and the obstetrics dilemma) and then offers an explanation for the obstetrics dilemma from a creation model/design perspective.
Abortion Pill Reversal
When a woman decides to undergo a chemical abortion, she takes two medications: mifepristone on the first day, followed 24–48 hours later by misoprostol. What if she changes her mind after taking the first abortion pill? Is there any hope to save her unborn child? Can chemical abortion be reversed? Or is abortion pill reversal “junk science” as some would contend?
Links and Resources:
Dynamic Finite-Element Simulations Reveal Early Origin of Complex Human Birth Pattern
Life’s Twists and Turns Are Designed to Start in the Birth Canal
[The Effect of RU486 and Progesterone on Luteal Function during Pregnancy]
Progesterone Use to Reverse the Effects of Mifepristone
A Case Series Detailing the Successful Reversal of the Effects of Mifepristone Using Progesterone
Abortion "Reversal"—Legislating without Evidence
Mifepristone Antagonization with Progesterone to Prevent Medical Abortion: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Facts Are Important: Medication Abortion “Reversal” Is Not Supported by Science
The Reversal of the Effects of Mifepristone by Progesterone
2019 AAPLOG Position Statement on Abortion Pill Reversal
Medication Abortion Up to 70 Days of Gestation: ACOG Practice Bulletin, Number 225
Abortion Pill Reversal

Cellular Replication & Abiogenesis

Cellular Replication and Abiogenesis
Living cells are the only things we know of that replicate themselves with very high accuracy. Evolution requires such high replication fidelity to allow for natural selection to operate. Researcher Sy Garte used a statistical simulation model to determine how self-replication fidelity could evolve in early life. The model revealed a phase transition from nonliving chemical complexity to evolving living creatures. This illustrates the necessary noncontinuity of any process, including natural selection, that could lead to the origin of evolving life.
Links and Resources: 
Evidence for Phase Transitions in Replication Fidelity and Survival Probability at the Origin of Life
The Continuity Principle and the Evolution of Replication Fidelity
 

Rebounding from an Ice Age

Rebounding from an Ice Age
Earth has undergone approximately 25 ice age cycles over the last several million years, with 85 to 90% of that time spent in conditions much colder than the present warm period. Yet, every cold glacial period thus far has ended with a warm “interglacial” period similar to the present global climate. But why does this happen? What allows an Earth with a much higher percentage of ice and snow cover to recover from cold temperatures associated with the deep glacial periods of our recent past?
Links and Resources:
The Last Glacial Termination
The Relative Contribution of Orbital Forcing and Greenhouse Gases to the North American Deglaciation
GRIP Deuterium Excess Reveals Rapid and Orbital-Scale Changes in Greenland Moisture Origin
 The Timing of Major Climate Terminations
In and Out of Glacial Extremes by way of Dust-Climate Feedbacks
Glacial-Interglacial Changes in Ocean Surface Conditions in the Southern Hemisphere
Climate of the Past, Present, and Future: A Scientific Debate, 2nd ed.

Green Logging and Our Rare Galaxy

Green Logging
Eleven environmentalists have developed new techniques for determining forest ecosystem health based on the energetics of plants, trees, birds, mammals, and insects living within tropical forests in Malaysian Borneo. They compared measurements from five old-growth, unlogged forests with those from four selectively logged forests and one palm oil plantation. These environmentalists found that wise selective logging of forests maximizes possible lumbering income while simultaneously optimizing the forest ecosystem and maximizing global warming mitigation.
Our Rare Galaxy
Our Milky Way galaxy is not unusual when it comes to size, but astronomers continue to find ways that it’s unlike the vast majority of other galaxies in the universe. The latest example relates to how large the Milky Way is when accounting for the unusually small velocity dispersion of galaxies in our local neighborhood. Simulations reveal that we have to look outside a box nearly 600 million light-years on a side to expect another galaxy matching the Milky Way’s size and velocity dispersion.
Links and Resources:
Logged Tropical Forests Have Amplified and Diverse Ecosystem Energetics
The Unusual Milky Way–Local Sheet System: Implications for Spin Strength and Alignment
 

AI & Work & Value and 5th Force & Creation

AI and Work and Value
Ongoing work in artificial intelligence (AI) repeatedly generates AI systems capable of doing things once thought only possible by humans. Starting with chess in the 1990s, AIs now outperform humans in many arenas—the latest examples include the games Stratego and Diplomacy, and even writing computer code. As AIs continue to encroach on humanity’s domain, we would be wise to consider the proper way to think about human value and the importance of work—two ideas that the Bible clearly addresses.
Fifth Force and Creation
Some scientists have speculated that a possible fifth force of physics might provide a loophole permitting them to escape the theistic implications of cosmological and origin-of-life research findings. In that scenario stars would possess larger diameters and masses than a universe with only four physical forces. However, observations of stars and ongoing analysis of helioseismic measures put stringent limits on a speculative fifth force. These limits significantly strengthen the case for biblical creation models.
Links and Resources: 
Mastering the Game of Stratego with Model-Free Multiagent Reinforcement Learning
Competition-Level Code Generation with AlphaCode
Human-Level Play in the Game of Diplomacy by Combining Language Models with Strategic Reasoning
Searching for Dark Energy with the Sun

Bioinspired Flying Robots and Leprosy & God's Providence

Bioinspired Flying Robots
Drones the size of tiny flies could be sent en masse to inspect and diagnose hazardous sites, or fly through piles of rubble to find and determine the condition of trapped victims, or released from spacecraft to assist in exploration. By meticulously copying the designs in fruit flies and gnats, scientists used miniaturized, high-power density piezoelectric devices to develop the equivalent of flight muscles. They then copied the biological gyroscope in bees to make a gyroscope that weighs only 15 milligrams. These achievements show that copying God’s designs in his creatures enables us to build machines to help us fulfill our God-given mandate to manage Earth’s resources for our benefit and the benefit of all life.
Leprosy & God’s Providence
Researchers have discovered that the mechanisms that M. leprae—the bacterium that causes leprosy—uses to spread within the human host are the same mechanisms that biomedical researchers may one day leverage to regenerate livers and, possibly, other organs. This discovery highlights God’s providential care for humanity.
Links and Resources: 
A Gyroscope-Free Visual-Inertial Flight Control and Wind Sensing System for 10-mg Robots
In vivo Partial Reprogramming by Bacteria Promotes Adult Liver Organ Growth without Fibrosis and Tumorigenesis
Reprogramming Adult Schwann Cells to Stem Cell-Like Cells by Leprosy Bacilli Promotes Dissemination of Infection
Viruses and God’s Providence
Viruses and God’s Providence Revisited
 

The Design of ERVs and AI, Optimism & Long Life

The Design of ERVs
For many people, the shared ERV sequences in the human and great ape genomes evince common ancestry and an evolutionary origin for humanity. Yet, new discoveries about the physiological role of ERVs—such as their contribution to the innate immune system—makes possible another interpretation of ERVs in the human genome. In this episode biochemist Fuz Rana discusses the latest insight into ERV molecular biology, exemplified by the ERV-encoded protein supressyn, and explores the question: “Can a creation model explain the occurrence of ERV sequences in the human genome?”
AI, Optimism, and Long Life
In an era where AI developments show great potential and great peril, ongoing research indicates that optimism plays an important role in increased longevity and health. These results affirm a repeated refrain from Scripture that we are to rejoice, be content, and have hope in all situations. We will discuss the studies leading to this conclusion as well as make the important biblical connections.
Links and Resources: 
Evolution and Antiviral Activity of a Human Protein of Retroviral Origin
Endogenous Retroviruses Help Fight Tumors
Endogenous Retroviruses (ERVs) Protect Early-Stage Human Embryos
Dual Use of Artificial-Intelligence-Powered Drug Discovery
Optimism, Lifestyle, and Longevity in a Racially Diverse Cohort of Women

Is Nuclear Fusion Feasible?

Is Nuclear Fusion Feasible?
Join physicists Drs. Jeff Zweerink and Eric Hedin on Stars, Cells, and God for an informative conversation on the use of nuclear fusion to address our energy needs.
A recent nuclear fusion breakthrough at the National Ignition Facility brought this topic to mainstream news. While this breakthrough is a tremendous accomplishment, the news coverage has prompted many questions about the feasibility of someday using nuclear fusion as our primary power source. Hedin and Zweerink discuss the scientific background of the achievement and address the remaining hurdles to using nuclear fusion as a replacement for fossil fuels.
Links and Resources:
National Ignition Facility Surpasses Long-Awaited Fusion Milestone

God's Artistry

God’s Artistry
Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and David Block in a lively conversation about God’s artistry as witnessed in his creation in this special episode of Stars, Cells, and God.
Astronomer Dr. David Block and biochemist Dr. Fuz Rana make the case that God is an artist through a far-ranging conversation about the beautiful images coming from the James Webb Space Telescope and the remarkable design of biochemical systems—both of which highlight the beauty of creation. They also discuss the idea that our remarkable creativity as human beings only makes sense if we are made in the image of God to be co-creators.
Links and Resources: 
The Argument from Beauty: Can Evolution Explain Our Aesthetic Sense?

Hubble's Theft & Other Scientific Inaccuracies

Hubble’s Theft & Other Scientific Inaccuracies
The data showing the expansion of the universe is usually referred to as Hubble’s law. However, historical studies show that astronomer Edwin Hubble used others’ research without proper attribution in writing his paper on the subject in 1929. In 2018, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially voted to rename it the Hubble-Lemaître law since astronomer Georges Lemaître published a paper on the same subject in 1927, two years before Hubble. We will discuss the implications and apologetic value of this development as well as other common science/faith related misconceptions.
Links and Resources: 
Belgian Priest Recognized in Hubble-Law Name Change
IAU Members Vote to Recommend Renaming the Hubble Law as the Hubble-Lemaître Law