More From Scientific American

There are some Traditionalists and perhaps even some Novus Ordoites, who believe that all modern science is evil, especially in its purposes, which are conceived to be the control of the world by Luciferian agents. Probably so. But I believe this may often be a case of throwing out the baby with the bath water. I believe that just as God did not allow our nature to be fatally wounded by the Original Sin of Adam, (we are not Calvinists), so too, He is not allowing the pursuits of the atheistic modern scientists, even those most deeply immersed in evil intent -- God allows even these people, oftentimes, to discover real properties and capacities of the material and the physical world. One more distinction before going to the latest in physics from Scientific American, the January 2013 issue. 


This same issue contains a real challenge that I fear and suspect most Catholics will ignore. It is a short article by a teacher of science in the 4th and 5th grades, entitled: "Creation, Evolution and Indisputable Facts", by Jacob Tanenbaum. He reveals that more than 40 percent of U.S. adults believe that the book of Genesis teaches us literal truth, namely, that the earth and the universe were created in six days, about 6,000 years ago! Hooray for 40 plus percent! Now that is encouraging! However, and alas!, I suspect the great majority of these bible believing adults are Protestants! The creationists are making an impact! They have Mr. Jacob Tanenbaum quite worried! Well, he should be! But what is really his main argument in favor of evolution is a blatant falsehood. He is claiming that the benefits of fossil fuels and electricity, airplanes, hot showers, central heating in homes, automobiles, television and texting, etc..- all these are due to evolution! But obviously, it is not so! Technological development is just what the term itself indicates: the art of logic applied to the useful ends of techne': craft. Just what Francis Bacon defined as the one and only purpose of science in his new Utopian Atlantis! What benefits mankind! But this kind of development is entirely the external improvement of an original model or invention. As from the gliders of the Wright Brothers to the Concorde Jet liner, etc. From the Model-T Ford to the latest - whatever!


This is truly, as the Greek word indicates, useful art, techne'. But what is equally disturbing is the failure to distinguish between the interior-biological evolution of species, (kinds), and technological development by the scientists themselves! An article entitled "Starship Humanity" is listed under technology (pg.1) but Cameron M. Smith, the author, confidently asserts that by means of, and because of our "inevitable" space colonization, Mars being the first only, "the clearest fact of all regarding living things, that they change through time, by evolution..." and so will the men and women, plants and animals taken to other planets, so adapt as to change accordingly. These changes are described in detail as "space-based selection" and finally "the rise of homo extraterrestrials", (Pg.43).

Consider how this confidence that space colonization is feasible is based on the entirely fallacious assumption that the human body has evolved on earth. Mr. Smith says: ...consider that the human body has evolved close to sea level under an atmospheric pressure of roughly 15 pounds per square inch. Fair enough - Apollo astronauts survived just fine at 5 psi...(pg.41)

Well, you get the point. Amazing also, is the number of private companies ready to embark. For.....as the extinction of the dinosaurs allowed early mammals to flourish, retiring the (space shuttle Atlantis) signals the opening of far grander opportunities for space exploration....by private companies, etc..(pg.39).

One would think plain, old common sense would be enough to deter such fantastic plans! God, in his manifest wisdom and knowledge of all things, foresaw man's modern ambitions and warned him, in the person of Adam, that man's dominion extended "over the whole earth", (Gen. 1:26, 28) period. Catholic Tradition, based on other passages in Scripture, recognizes the celestial realms as belonging to the angels. (1 Cor.15: 39-41.)


Another article in this same Jan. 2013 issue, confirms again my suggestions about the Body of the Universe and its material constituents.