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Upright of course. A chow mix named "Faith," born without front legs, is inspiring many as she goes on tour with her agent, Mike Maguire. This dog has learned to adapt to its difficult situation by walking like its owner, bipedally.

I must clarify this is not an example of dog evolution, just resourcefulness. After watching this video of the two-legged dog walk, I've decided the most remarkable thing about this chow is surely the very thing the videographers didn't show us: the marking of territory. That, after all, must be accomplished on one leg, no?

In most species, faithfulness is a fantasy? So former NY Gov. Eliot Spitzer can hardly be blamed? Well, such a conclusion isn't surprising when you view man as just another genus in the great tree of life, bearing no other privileges or responsibilities beyond that granted by his advanced intellect, superiority, and knack for expressing deep feelings for others, even if those feelings are themselves a fantasy. Only a pure-blooded Darwinist would draw conclusions about human ethics by observing the lifestyles of fish, termites, and primates; and unfortunately there are enough of them out there (Darwinists, I mean) to raise the question of whether Spitzer is being judged unfairly--whether, in fact, it's some of those New York laws that aren't quite in step with what Mother Nature intended.

 There's absolutely no indication that God ever intended animals to remain monogamous. But that was his intention for humans, as Jesus said, "from the beginning."

Darwinists are still a bit mad over The March of the Penguins, I'm certain.

 The photos in this post were taken in woods or fields nearby our home. We're blessed to have so many exhibits of creation close at hand. Enjoy!

 Above: Japanese beatles Below: Aphids feasting

All photos copyright Daniel James Devine 

Some University of Illinois scientists are praising naked mole rats for their latest scuttle up the evolutionary tree: The mole rats are insensitive to certain kinds of pain. When drops of acid are placed on the skin of these creatures, they don't seem to notice. Naked mole rats, the only known mammals that are cold-blooded, live together in groups in their underground burrows. The researchers think high levels of CO2--a potentially acidic gas humans and animals exhale--in the burrows led to the "pain-free" adaptation. The cause of the mole rats' imperviousness to acid is thought to be the lack of a neurotransmitter called substance P, an unusual neural wiring of the mole rat's spine, and other adaptations in the animals' skin.

You can only imagine the futuristic medical possibilities here. Imagine a genetic switch you could turn off and enjoy a life completely devoid of pain. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Oh yeah, I guess it would be a problem if you were touching a hot skillet and didn't realize it.

 The problem here is that evolution isn't upward in this case, (Actually, evolution is never upward, which is why it's better called adaptation) since the naked mole rats are again losing--having already lost their, um, clothes--a certain ability, the ability to know if their skin is being damaged. Although the idea of pain-free living is initially attractive and sounds like a positive adaptation, in reality it's a step backwards. It's likely this particular mutation would have been selected against in a any population of above-ground mammals.

Other stuff: The Dakota Voice spotlights peer review biased against creationism.

One of the biggest stories over the weekend was the discovery of a baby wooly mammoth found frozen in Siberia. Dug up by an unlikely paleontologist--a reindeer herder--the mammoth is on display in Japan and is being tested for clues as to how it died. By sampling tiny air bubbles in its lungs, Japanese scientists hope to discover what the atmosphere composition was like when the mammoth froze--which would offer insight into climate change over historic time.

Speaking of Japan, a tiny island (actually a tuft of rock) off the coast of Hiroshima seems to be literally going to pieces. The cause? Small crustaceans locally known as nanatsuba-kotsubumushi are boring by the millions into the rock. As the oval invertebrates carve out nests in the island, the rock succumbs easily to wind and erosion. Although the island, named Hoboro, was recorded to be 72 feet high in 1928, it now stands pitiably at 20 feet.

In Central America three new salamander species have been discovered, and you can view photos here.

"A cheerful heart is good medicine," and research continues to support Solomon's conclusion. A study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that people in happy moods had lower average levels of cortisol--a hormone thought to contribute to high blood pressure and suppress the immune system. Among happy women, the study found lower levels of two proteins that accompany inflammation throughout the body. So, as Jesus said, "Don't worry." Keep a cheerful heart and it may just improve your health.

Continuing the "Memories of Summer" series (thanks to Evan for posting the pictures) are pictures of some curious wasps found in a field-side log not far from our home. Although I'd never seen them before, I later learned they were giant ichneumons (Megarhyssa species'), parasitic wasps that specialize in exploiting other wasp larvae to lay their own eggs. The wasp you see in the pictures below is depositing eggs with its incredible 2-4" ovipositor inside the larva of a pigeon horntail or some similar wood-boring insect. The horntail mother had already done the job of drilling.

The log in these pictures contained several of these holes, all of which were visited by the ichneumons. The giant ichneumon, although as an adult it may never actually eat anything, is a predator of the most chilling kind. The miniscule egg it has deposited in the horntail larva will hatch inside the larva, feeding off its defenseless host until it finally kills it.

Cruel as this seems, it results in the life of the ichneumon. The giant ichneumon larva will grow and eventually metamorphose into an adult, spending its final days seeking a mate and (if female) laying eggs. The female will use her antennae to detect vibrations in wood that hosts horntail larvae, and when she finds one, she'll implant an egg and the cycle will be repeated.

Why did God create parasitic wasps? Was it to teach us something? Was it to illustrate the controlling effects of our sin? Another reason altogether? The Bible does teach that God provides for his creatures--even carnivores like lions (Job 38:39,40). We can trust he takes responsibility for wasps, whether or not their tactics have been influence by the Curse on nature. God, not man, has propagated and preserved the species.

After the ichneumon had finished depositing its egg, it stretched out its abdomen and inflated the tip of it like a balloon. I'm not yet sure what the purpose of this was; but I was fascinated.

photos copyright Daniel James Devine

Speaking of giants, there's been a new expedition to the Foja Mountains (which GlobeLens reported on last year) that has turned up a new species of possum and giant rat. The Conservation International page, complete with video, is here.

Meanwhile, the bird flu might be spreading through Voodoo rituals. Don't worry, there's a perfectly scientific explanation here.

It's a breath of fresh air: some creative thinking on space and dark energy from an Oxford theoretical physicist--Subir Sarkar. He proposes that our galaxy is surrounded by a gigantic bubble of empty space. Wish there were more guys like this willing to think outside the box. . .

At the other extreme, science news really doesn't get any nerdier than this. Homemade electronic apparel? Do the inseam mikes come with a sew-on disclosure label?

You may remember the fungus identified in the deaths of amphibians around the globe. It's been discovered that the basic antibiotic for human pink eye is effective against the fungus. Not solved: how to rub down all the frogs in the world with chloramphenicol ointment.