Going Batty

NASA officials now say there was a stowaway on last week's space shuttle launch: A small bat was seen clinging to the side of the external fuel tank. One wildlife expert who examined the photo said the bat appeared to be injured and probably unable to fly to safety. It could still be seen clinging to the tank as the spacecraft cleared the tower.

Quite frankly, it is inhumane to have allowed the launch to proceed at the expense of this tiny little creature. That bat has never hurt anyone and is actually quite beneficial to mankind. Bats eat tremendous amounts of mosquitoes, including some that carry diseases harmful to us. Allowing such innocent creatures to needlessly perish is a terrible waste. As humans who presumably know the difference between right and wrong, do we not bear some responsibility for the well being of Earth's more vulnerable inhabitants?

On the other hand, I would have absolutely no objection whatsoever to strapping AIG executives to the outside of the next shuttle flight.

What's Next? Someone Proving the Earth Is NOT Flat?

President Obama yesterday lifted restrictions on stem cell research. He then took additional steps to insure that science will remain insulated from politics, saying that "promoting science isn't just about providing resources — it is also about protecting free and open inquiry,"

This is outrageous. Obama is going to throw all those former oil company scientists who set national policy on global warming during the Bush administration out of work. Isn't the nation's unemployment rate bad enough already?

Science is Satan's tool. We must continue to abide by the teachings of the Bible. Otherwise some blasphemer named Galileo might come along, invent the telescope, and prove that it is the Earth that orbits the sun rather than the other way around.

Make No Bones About It

The fossilized skull of a giant seabird has been found in Peru. Scientists say the creature, which lived millions of years ago, had giant bony teeth and sported a wingspan of 20 feet.

On the other hand, what do scientists know? Just because they have PhD's and rely on silly things like scientific evidence doesn't mean they're right.

That's why I'm waiting for the creationists to announce that this bird actually lived 5,000 years ago and was rendered extinct by God because they had legalized same sex marriages.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Darwin

Today marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin. To mark the occasion, the Washington Post has a great article that focuses on the secrets being unlocked in the human genome--secrets that further support evolution over time.

There are those, of course, who claim there is some sort of scientific debate about evolution. Well, there isn't. Within the scientific community, the issue is settled. One only needs to look at the alarming rise of drug resistant germs for proof that evolution occurs.

The people that argue against evolution are the product of the same mentality that led to the persecution of early astronomers who dared suggest that it was the Earth that revolved around the sun. Five hundred years ago that was an outrageous notion that the church called sacrilegious and contrary to the teachings of the Bible. Believing in such nonsensical teachings could get you excommunicated and tortured.

Does anyone still seriously believe that the Earth is the center of the universe? We now know that the supposedly infallible church was wrong about that. Just as early religious leaders chose to discount the mounting evidence about Earth's place in the solar system, supporters of intelligent design refuse to accept the evidence against their own ignorance.

All this is not to diminish the wonder that is modern man. We are a product of millions of generations evolutionary progress. Modern humans have gotten here through a series of cosmic accidents and coincidences. For example, would we still be here if an asteroid had not wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago? What would be the dominant species on Earth today if another asteroid or comet had completely wiped out humans 13,000 years ago? Would a reptilian Britney Spears still be hot?

So what if man wasn't created on a whim by some omnipotent being for His or Her own amusement? Humans are still special. We are unique among animals in that we can explore the origins of our very existence and contemplate our utterly insignificant place in the universe.

Even if it's only by chance, we should still consider our being here a gift to be savored.

Is Mars Farting?

Scientists have found that methane is being released from beneath the Martian surface in regular intervals. While it doesn't quite qualify as definitive proof that there is life on Mars, the discovery at least raises the intriguing possibility that there are subterranean Taco Bells on our planetary neighbor.