Articles » Introductory

Everyone knows that there are amazing phenomena in the natural world which are totally unexpected. Consider, for example, the male horseshoe crab whose eyes are one million times more sensitive to light at night than during the day. Shakespeare referred to such situations when he had Hamlet declare: “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, then are dreamt of in your philosophy.” (Act 1 Scene 5)

In that context, would you believe that there is a night flying moth that migrates long distances using the night sky for its navigation system? Let’s see what that moth would need to achieve this:

Once a qualified and interesting scientist has agreed to headline our next Creation Weekend, the members of CSAA’s executive have the fun task to choose which presentations will be featured. Every speaker has a menu of titles, but not all of them can be accommodated in one weekend. Choosing the line up of presentations is no easy task. Each member has different preferences and some choices were more recently presented than others. Nevertheless, year after year, the actual material presented fits together beautifully and seems to be the best of possible choices. So it was again this year that our speaker’s three lectures were stimulating, upbuilding and interesting.

Back in the days when television was new to North American society, there was a show called Perry Mason. This featured a lawyer who specialized in courtroom drama. In predictable fashion, Mr. Mason set out to defend an accused person, but the facts of the case looked very discouraging for the defendant. However, thanks to great sleuthing by Perry Mason’s two assistants, some important new details were discovered. In the courtroom, as the show drew toward a close, Mr. Mason triumphantly asked a witness, “Isn’t it true that ….?” And some new facts were revealed which changed the whole story. Everyone was all smiles when the defendant was exonerated. The point is that partial information can lead to wrong conclusions.

Commercial movies come and go and many are soon forgotten. Of those movies that I saw as a university student, there is only one that I remember. Inherit the Wind was the lesser feature on a double bill in a small theatre in Quebec. But the content packed a powerful message! The story line was about a trial involving Christian townsfolk in an American town who were ignorant and boorish, as opposed to evolution supporting educators there who were informed and civilized. Everyone understood that the movie claimed to portray an actual event, the Scopes Trial of July 1925 in Dayton, Tennessee. Thus, we reflect on the centenary of this trial which some claim represents the most significant trial of the century. What was it all about, and what is its legacy?

Small boys love stories about large earth moving equipment. They love to look at the pictures, identify the types of machine and hear the stories again and again. Other children love to identify dinosaur pictures or birds. Even long after the children have grown up, they value these books as important mementos.

Some scientific words come from what was originally everyday language, but the concept has long been almost forgotten. Take the word ‘chaperone’ for example. Until recent times, a chaperone was a respectable mature lady who needed to be present on any social occasion to ensure that courting couples conducted themselves in a sedate and appropriate fashion. That certainly sounds old fashioned, doesn’t it? There was even a play written, called Charley’s Aunt, by Brandon Thomas (about 1890), that lampooned the efforts of two young Englishmen to entertain some young ladies to tea. In order to do this, they needed a chaperone to be present. They therefore persuaded another male friend to masquerade as a rich aunt from Brazil so that the tea party could take place. Hilarious escapades and disasters followed (including the real aunt showing up).

Challenges, Motivation and Hope

Featuring
Dr. Brian Thomas
Research Scientist at the Institute for Creation Research, Dallas, Texas

Location:
Providence Canadian Reformed Church
12905 122 Avenue NW Edmonton, AB

SCHEDULE

Friday, Oct 24 @ 7:00 p.m.
Fresh Fossils from Four Continents
(especially family friendly) Have you heard about the blood vessels from dinosaur bones? It turns out that’s just the beginning of fresh features from all kinds of fossils. In this presentation, Dr. Thomas explains how we can know that these proteins are relatively young and how these exciting new finds fit with the Bible’s history of the world.

Saturday, Oct 25 @ 10:00 a.m.
The Beginning of Life
(design features extraordinaire) Using information you won’t find in secular biology textbooks, Dr. Thomas demonstrates the complete failure of natural processes to explain how life began. He critiques evolutionary speculations about the beginning of life and illustrates engineered precision in cellular machines that credit the Creator, not nature, with creating life.

Saturday, Oct 25 @ 11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Annual General Meeting

Saturday, Oct 25 @ 12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Noon Break

Saturday, Oct 25 @ 1:15 p.m.
How Creatures Adapt
(why Darwin’s explanatons don’t work) New studies into the nuts and bolts of creature adaptation keep refuting Charles Darwin’s old ideas about how creatures change. From finches to fishes, stunning animal adaptations revel new hallmarks of handiwork.

Free Admission
www.create.ab.ca

In the early years of the existence of Creation Science Association of Alberta, CSAA brought in many excellent speakers from the Institute for Creation Research. All these speakers were scientists with excellent experience and credentials. These included biochemist Dr. Duane Gish, geologist Dr. Steve Austin and biologist Dr. Gary Parker. In more recent years, ICR moved from California to Texas and set about becoming established in a new region. Now once again, CSAA is delighted that one of ICR’s research scientists, Dr. Brian Thomas, has agreed to be our featured speaker for Creation Weekend on October 24 and 25, 2025. The sessions are scheduled to take place at Providence Canadian Reformed Church which hosted the event in spectacular fashion in October 2024 (12905 122 Avenue NW in Edmonton).

From time to time, CSAA adds relevant new discussions to HeadStart, our amazing information resource (headstart.create.ab.ca). While many online discussions provide definitions and current views on an issue, HeadStart typically provides the history of how this science-related discipline came to be developed and what that means for us today. For example, within the past year we have added new topics related to dinosaurs and fossils, all written at the introductory level. All these items are posted under the Investigate Further banner. These topics include dinosaurs; extinct Alberta creatures (marine reptiles); record in sedimentary rock; geological column; and fossils.

Sugar gliders look like chipmunks, glide like flying squirrels, and their young (called joeys like kangaroos), can live for several weeks after birth in their mother’s pouch like opossums, and amazingly they belong in the same family as kangaroos. No wonder their origin has stymied evolutionists. The three types of gliders are so different that evolutionists propose that they “evolved at least three times independently in closely related glider species, including sugar gliders. But the question lingers as to how it evolved.” [i]

When I started university, I worked as an administrative assistant for an oil and gas laboratory company.  Originally, I thought I would focus on chemistry.  The university didn’t have a chemistry major in their science programs, so I enrolled in the general science degree program.  Later, as a full-time student, I decided to explore other fields of science and became fascinated with astronomy, but God had other plans.  It took a while for me to admit that math and physics are not my strongest subjects.  Geology, on the other hand, was easy for me.  Halfway through my degree, I decided I like rocks!

A chicken egg appears to be a simple structure consisting of a hard shell enclosing the egg white with a yellow yolk at the centre. In fact, it is an exceedingly complex structure described as a “miracle of engineering.” Other accolades for the egg include “Nature’s Perfect Package” (1) and “Life’s Perfect Invention…  nature’s most perfect life support system.” (2) David Attenborough in his documentary revealed the wonder behind what he calls these “incredible miracles of nature.”

Suppose you were to discover something new, maybe a piece of art, or a delicious dessert, a new book, a piece of furniture or even a building. One of the first things you might want to know is, who made it? It has been ever thus. Even ancient peoples noticed and made observations concerning what they saw around them. And they reflected on these issues. They studied the motions of the stars (and planets), the seasons and weather, and even plants and animals. For example, the prophet Isaiah wrote concerning God: “I made the earth and created man on it, it was my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host.” Other ancient peoples attributed natural phenomoena to terrible pagan gods, never to the one true and benevolent God. For example in Psalm 96: 5-6 we read “For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.”

Now that the sixth edition of the Tour Guide to the Royall Tyrrell Museum has been published, readers have asked for some additional features. In response, we have produced a list of suggestions for ways to enhance one’s use of the guide. In addition, CSAA has prepared a custom map that identifies the location of certain specimens highlighted in the Tour Guide. As a result of recent changes to the floor plan in the museum, it is helpful to better understand how to find various displays. If you have already purchased tour guides, and wish for these new free features, simply let us know by email (books@create.ab.ca) or snail mail. From now on, those who purchase the Tour Guide, will automatically receive these two pages along with the booklet.

Paperback / $6.00 / 55 Pages
Shipping for one copy: $2.00

Our Required Response to the Awesome Creator!

Featuring: Dr. Kurt Wise, Director of Creation Research Center, Truett McConnell University, Cleveland, Georgia

Session 1 – Dinosaurs: Insight into Biblical History
Friday evening:
October 25, 2024, 8:00 p.m.
(excellent for youth and families)
Learn how dinosaurs’ designs teach us something about God’s nature, how the fossils of dinosaurs teach us about sin and its consequences in judgement, and the legends of dinosaurs teach us how people still need God’s love and salvation.

Book Review by Margaret Helder

Dr. Gordon Wilson has written a nice new book, Darwin’s Sandcastle, for Christians who are not scientists but who desire to be informed, but not burdened with details concerning science and origins. Such people understand that they need to keep mentally alert concerning their worldview. This means not shutting themselves off from important topics like the foundations of Christian doctrine and history. The objective of many Christians therefore is to share their worldview with others and not become bowled over by contrary views. While most people do not specialize in science, they can at least familiarize themselves with the basic issues.