WAS IT DESIGNED?

  

The Squid’s Beak
 .The beak of the squid baffles scientists.  They wonder:  ‘How can something that is so hard be attached to a body that has no bones? Should not the combination of materials cause abrasion and hurt the squid?’

            Consider:  The tip of the squid’s beak is hard, whereas the base of the beak is soft.  The composition of the beak-which is made up of chitin, water, and protein-changes in density so gradually from soft to hard that the squid can use its beak without causing any harmful abrasion.

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WAS IT DESIGNED?

The Kingfisher’s Beak
Traveling at speeds of nearly 300 kilometers an hour, the Japanese bullet train is one of the fastest in the world. In part, it owes its success to a small bird-the kingfisher. Why?
Consider: In pursuit of a tasty meal, the kingfisher can dive into water with very little splash. That fact intrigued Eiji Nakatsu, an engineer who directed test runs of the bullet train. He wondered how the kingfisher adapts so quickly from low-resistance air to high-resistance water. Finding the answer was key to solving a peculiar problem with the bullet rain. “When a train rushes into a narrow tunnel at high speed,” Nakatsu explains, “this generates atmospheric pressure waves that gradually grow into waves like tidal waves. These reach the tunnel exit at the speed of sound, generating low-frequency waves that produce a large boom and aerodynamic vibration so intense that residents 400 meters away have registered complaints.”
The decision was made to pattern the front end of the bullet train after the kingfisher’s beak. The result? The bullet train now travels 10 percent faster and consumes 15 percent less energy. In addition, the air pressure produced by the train has been reduced by 30 percent. Thus, there s no large boom as the train passes through a tunnel.
What do you think? Did the kingfisher’s beak come about by chance? Or was it designed?

To learn more, contact Jehovah’s Witnesses locally

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WAS IT DESIGNED?

The Cold Light of the Firefly

In tropical and temperate regions, the firefly is recognized by the flashing light it uses to attract a mate, Interestingly, the firefly's light is superior to the incandescent and fluorescent light produced by man. In fact, the next time you look at your electric bill, think of what this small insect can do.
Consider: An incandescent lightbulb emits only 10 percent of its energy as light; the rest is basically wasted, discharged as heat. A fluorescent bulb performs much better, emitting 90 percent of its energy as light. But neither of these is a match for the firefly. With very few ultraviolet or infrared rays, the light emitted by this insect is nearly 100 percent energy efficient!
The firefly's secret lies in the chemical reactions of the substance luciferin, the enzyme luciferase, and oxygen. Special cells called photocytes use luciferase to trigger this process, with oxygen as fuel. The result is cold light-so named because it produces virtually no heat. Horticultural and environmental educator Sandra Mason aptly remarked that lightbulb inventor Thomas Edison "must have neen envious of fireflies."
What do you think? Did the cold light of the firefly come about by chance? Or was ti designed?

Firefly on leaf: @E.R. Degginger/Photo Researchers, Inc.; Firefly in flight: @Darwin Dale/Photo Researchers, Inc.

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