(With thanks to Mark Shea for finding this jewel.)
May 19, 2009
Big News In the World of Darwinian Evolution
The media is hailing the recent discovery of a Lemur monkey fossil that some scientists are saying is a transitional form (i.e., an animal that was "in between" one species and another during what Darwin claimed is the evolution of species) that "proves" Darwinian evolution to be true. We'll see.
If nothing else, someone should get the popcorn and maybe grab some earplugs, too, because I think this news is going to provoke a whole new level of raucous debate on evolution.
Scientists have unveiled a 47-million-year-old fossilised skeleton of a monkey hailed as the missing link in human evolution.
The search for a direct connection between humans and the rest of the animal kingdom has taken 200 years - but it was presented to the world today at a special news conference in New York.
The discovery of the 95%-complete 'lemur monkey' - dubbed Ida - is described by experts as the "eighth wonder of the world".
They say its impact on the world of palaeontology will be "somewhat like an asteroid falling down to Earth".
Researchers say proof of this transitional species finally confirmsCharles Darwin's theory of evolution, and the then radical, outlandish ideas he came up with during his time aboard the Beagle.
Sir David Attenborough said Darwin "would have been thrilled" to have seen the fossil - and says it tells us who we are and where we came from. . . . (continue reading)
Mormonism Goes Airborne
Most likely, this new radio initiative has been planned by the Mormon Church for a long time — they are known to be meticulous planners, after all — but the announcement from LDS Church headquarters in Salt Lake City about its imminent launch of a 24/7 religious radio station comes at an interesting time.
Just last week, the rapidly expanding Immaculate Heart Radio Network of Catholic stations (22 and counting) announced that it has just closed the sale of a new 50,000-watt AM radio station that will blanket all of Utah with 24/7 Catholic programming. It is scheduled to commence broadcasting by mid-summer.
Logistically, the most significant difference between the Mormon and Catholic stations would seem to be, at least for now, that the former can be heard only via the Internet and on select High-Definition radio stations, while the latter, Immaculate Heart Radio, will be booming out across Mormon Country 365 days a year on a powerful AM signal that anyone can hear via radio practically anywhere in the state, plus it will also be streamed on the Internet and made available in podcast form.
The Mormons send us their missionaries on bikes. We send them Father Corapi, Bishop Fulton Sheen, and Catholic Answers on their radios. Sounds like a good arrangement to me.
SALT LAKE CITY 18 May 2009 Mormon Channel, a new radio service of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, launches 18 May and can be accessed via the Internet or HD radio affiliates. The newly created 24-hour, 7-days a-week format is available live online at http://radio.lds.org, but content may also be downloaded.
Broadcasts originate at Temple Square in Salt Lake City and feature a vast and varied array of programming, according to Chris Twitty, director of digital media for the Church.
“We have the responsibility to extend the messages of the Church in yet another way with the new station,” Twitty added. “We have access to all the resources of the Church in creating program content. Though it seems a daunting task to fill the airtime, we have a wealth of information that will be of interest to listeners — much of it new and never before heard or seen.”
Personal interviews with Church leaders are included in a program titled Conversations . In the initial episode, Deseret Book head, Sheri Dew, interviews Elder David A. Bednar and his wife, Susan.
Other program content includes informational packages about the ministry and teachings of Jesus Christ and the doctrines, history and news of the Church. Several planned segments focus directly on young children and teenagers.
A unique program, Into All the World , spotlights the lives of Church members in many parts of the world. “The first interview, for example, invited the stake president in Rome, Italy, to profile the members of his stake and to document their responses to the announcement that a temple will be constructed in their city,”
Additional content includes Music and the Spoken Word, the weekly radio broadcast featuring the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, as well as other choir concerts and events. Further input comes from Brigham Young University, LDS Business College, the University of Utah institute of religion, the Deseret News and Bonneville Productions.
“We’re deeply pleased,” said Bob Johnson, Bonneville International executive vice president and Salt Lake market manager, “to offer Bonneville’s broadcasting resources and industry reputation to further extend the reach and impact of Mormon Channel, a high-quality, values-oriented new product. Through our 29 radio stations in eight major markets coast to coast, we look forward to utilizing the unequalled qualities and capabilities inherent in HD radio technology to share the unique Mormon Channel content with our ever-expanding listening audiences." (Source)
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