Perspective by Dr. David Stone

The creation vs evolution debate unfortunately has a direct impact on our notions of geologic history, so it has to be included in any discussion of the geologic history of Texas and of the planet. Unlike geologic processes that can be observed and quantified today, historical geology is another matter. Dr. David Stone was chairman of the Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Michigan Tech, was a professor of laser physics, engineering, and electromagnetics, and earned his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State. He also served in the Air Force in a research program and worked for Lockheed Martin. In a recent interview with Creation Ministries International he offered the following insights:

"My work in statistical physics and engineering design connects with the question of the origin of the nano-machines of life. Scientists are careful with use of the word 'impossible', but I will state categorically that it is impossible for any protein, not to mention the larger structures inside the cell or the cell itself, to arise by undirected chemical processes. [consider the complexity of biochemical systems, and compare to the difficult process required by man to design even simple functioning electrical systems, and we can discern that intelligence is involved]. God's designs are so intriate and efficient that biochemists find it difficult even to sketch the structure of some basic bio-tools such as enzymes. Perhaps the most useful and painful lesson our brightest engineering students learned in our design course was just how incredibly difficult it is to design, build, test, prototype, and produce ANY useful electrical or mechanical system that actually works. Once a good design concept is on the table, painstaking calculations and relentless prototyping and testing, while suffering failure after failure, are inevitably on the path to a successful product. Anyone proposing a design approach equivalent to mutations, natural selection, and infinite time would be laughed at. [Consider as an example] laser technology [it] is the designed application of God's physical laws. [...] If evolutionary biologists would take an engineering design course - and pass it - they might get worried about their Darwinian faith."