From the New Scientist of October 2016
With Comments by Bob Beanblossom
10 January 2017
It seems to me that we need to keep up with science a little bit better if we are to understand the facts of Creation vs. evolution. Here’s an example, excerpted from the October 22 New Scientist with my comments:
“Carbon is essential to life. Unfortunately, evolutionary scientists aren’t sure how it came to be. Given the known rules of nucleosynthesis in which atoms behave like billiard balls, carbon synthesis (Bob’s note: the formation of carbon in a big bang type of event) stalls at the formation of beryllium 8, a necessary intermediary. The theory fails in simulations, since the process can’t be tested.
“Superconductor simulations have recently shown that trios of helium nuclei can enter a resonance that lets them stay together long enough to decay into carbon 12.” As an aside, this resonance requires an almost simultaneous presence in an exact configuration of the helium nuclei. In the totality of the Universe, these particles all have to find one another simultaneously in great quantities.
Great—science solved the problem! Sort of. With this rather important condition: the simulation states that the reaction is possible, but only at temperatures of 100 million degrees, a condition only assumed to exist in the heart of certain stars (Red Giants). Now that’s some serious global warming. Red Giants are theorized to possibly occur in the later stages of a star’s life according to current theory, but not possible in the timeframe of a big bang. To tie it to our own sun, after a few billion years of existence to get where we are now, our sun might become a Red Giant in another 5 billion years. The Big Bangers and Evolutions can’t have the ultra-short timeframes theorized for the formation of the elements (20 minutes after the start for the light elements) and the billions of years required for evolution to form life from Carbon and other elements some 3.5 billion years ago, or 1.1 million years after Earth formed.
The theoretical problem that this creates is monumental. How do you get Carbon formed in these Red Giants in their old age distributed throughout the universe? The very existence of this element in relative uniformity and massive quantities throughout the universe makes this an important question for the theoretical thinkers. These implications will not, of course, change the way that the Big Bang or evolution are taught, even as various facets of these theories have been proven untenable.
Apparently, our evolutionary ancestors did not keep very good notes, because this is only theory, computer simulations. No proof exists, or can exist. Back to the drawing board for the advocates of evolution.
To put the importance of Carbon in perspective, it is the 15th most abundant element (by mass) in the crust of Earth (the top layer that we live on), and the 4th most abundant element in the universe according to current calculations. We are familiar with its forms such as diamonds, coal, pencil ‘lead’, and Carbon Dioxide (coming to the forefront in Global Warming discussions from the natural processes called the Carbon Cycle). More importantly for us is the fact that it is an essential part of all life forms. It is the second most abundant element in humans, comprising about 18.5% of body mass.
The data on Carbon are facts as known at this moment by science, not opinion. They are subject to revision as the state of science progresses. The application of those facts are opinion, taking the form of scientific theories where the Scientific Method can be applied, and philosophy where the ideas are beyond the parameters of the Scientific Method that requires replication, etc. The Big Bang and Evolution, since they are not replicable or testable, are philosophy. While often cited as science, they do not meet the standard tests of the Scientific Method.
So we can go with the Big Bangers who would create Carbon in the early stages of the Big Bang in stars at the end of their lifecycles (a bit of a dichotomy) in the quantities available throughout the Universe and needed on Earth for all life. Or we might consider a more plausible answer:
“In the beginning God created . . .” (Genesis 1:1)