98% of the human genome is noncoding DNA. Termed junk DNA, this vast majority of all human DNA has no known biological function. Why would we have so much nonfunctional genetic material? Are these the instructions for superpowers that are waiting to be tapped or are they really just junk left over from millions of years of modification? I don't know about you, but I'm hoping for superpowers.
So...Harper likes to hit buttons on my lap top while I'm on the computer. It really has never been a big problem, just more of an annoyance. That is, until tonight! Whatever combination of buttons she hit converted all of the text of my blogger homepage into arabic. To prove it, here's a screen shot.
I'm seriously not kidding and I have NO idea how to change it back! Help!
If you are still looking for some last minute Christmas cookie ideas, might I suggest these Gel Electrophoresis Cookies! Thanks to my friend Steve for bringing them to my attention. You can read all about them at this website. These cookies are made to look like DNA gels. You can watch an animation that tells you all about gel electrophoresis here. But basically, gel electrophoresis allows you to sort and identify pieces of DNA based on their size. It's an everyday lab technique and it's also commonly seen on TV shows like CSI (you know, when they are trying to match a DNA sample to a suspect).
I took Harper to her first movie on Sunday. We went with some friends to see The Fantastic Mr. Fox. It was great! Harper did really well (except for the part where her diaper leaked a little and she peed on my leg - but that really wasn't her fault). She sat on my lap for most of the time. She also tried out the seat next to me. However, she wasn't heavy enough to keep the seat from folding up on her, so I had to hold it down. You should check this movie out if you haven't seen it yet. I thought it was very clever and extremely well made. There are lots of famous people who lend their voices to this movie. It was fun trying to figure out who everyone was. The soundtrack was also pretty cool. Here's a trailer.
The Star of Bethlehem is only mentioned in chapter two of the book of Matthew. However, this idea of a bright star leading the wise men to the birth of Jesus Christ has become an iconic symbol of the Christmas season.
Is it possible to determine what exactly the star was that heralded the arrival of the Savior? Some astronomers have tried to analyze the sky around the time of Jesus's birth to find out if there is a scientific explanation for the Christmas Star.
To track down the real Star of Bethlehem, we first need to know roughly the date of Jesus' birth. As a matter of convention, people generally say that Jesus was born on December 25, 1AD. However, most scholarly evidence suggests this is not accurate. Due to a miscalculation in the calendar made by a sixth-century monk, Dionysius Exiguus, Jesus was probably born sometime between 7 and 1BC, with 4BC being the most often used date. Additionally, the time of year for Jesus's birth also points to a warmer month than December. One reason for this is that the shepherds were out in their fields tending to their flocks when the angels came to them. This would happen in a warm month but probably not a winter month such as December.
Three main astronomical objects could be responsible for the appearance of an unusually bright star. These include a comet, a supernova, or a conjunction of planets. Comets were recorded in both 5 BC and 4 BC. The comet in 4 BC, in particular, is a good match because it fits with the year most commonly believed to be the actual time of Jesus's birth and the comet that appeared that year did not have a tail, making it more "star-like."
A supernova also occurred within the above time frame. Recorded in March and April of the year 5 BC by Chinese astronomers, a supernova appeared in the constellation Capricornus. This "star" that suddenly appeared glowed for approximately 70 days- long enough to guide the Magi to Bethlehem, before fading again.
In addition, conjunctions of planets occurred throughout the years mentioned above, but the one most often cited as a good possibility for the Christmas Star is the one which occurred on June 17, 2 BC. On this date, Venus and Jupiter appeared so close together in the evening sky that they would have appeared to be one very bright star in the constellation Leo. This would have been a significant sign for ancient astrologers. Leo was considered the ruler constellation, and this impressive conjunction would have certainly been noticed by the wise men of the time.
The bottom line is that no one really knows what the wise men saw. It could have been a comet, supernova, or planetary conjunction. Or perhaps it was a true Christmas miracle. Either way, it doesn't matter to me. I love that God has instilled in us a sense of curiosity and a desire to figure things out. I also love that He has told us that we won't be able to figure everything out and that we don't have to.
Deuteronomy 29:29 “The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.
What ever the explanation may be, the real miracle of Christmas is that God loved us enough to change the rules of the game and give us His Son. Love wins. Merry Christmas.
Friday, December 18, 2009
I'm playing a version of this song at church on Sunday.
There's just something about this song that I connect with. Yep. I like it.
Harper went to see Santa last night. She knows who Santa is and has been talking about him (Tan-ta) for several weeks, so I didn't think she would have any issues about sitting on his lap. As we stood in line, she was very excited to meet him. She also made friends with the two little girls behind us in line (one of them asked me if Harper had happy feet because she kept dancing around). Finally, we were next in line and Harper's eye's got big. She was smiling and excited to meet the big guy. However, as soon as we stepped onto the red carpet that surrounded his chair, she got very apprehensive about the whole thing. She didn't cry, but she looked a little nervous. By the end of their time together, Harper warmed up to him and we ended up getting a good picture.
