How to Use Water for Natural Stress and Pain Relief
We all experience some form of stress in our lives. Clinically, stress is a negative element that can threaten our physical and emotional health. One form of stress can diminish our resistance to other forms of stress. Therefore, stress seems to take on a momentum or it's own i.e. stress can cause more stress. When our healthy resistance, i.e. our immune system, begins to break down under too much stress, physical damage and disease results. In addition to physical stress e.g. sore muscles, pain, aches, tension, overexertion, exercise and inactivity that causes back pain, minor strains and sprains, we also experience emotional stress as well. Emotional stress can come from many sources. Emotional stress, as we know, comes from discord in our work and personal relationships, economic pressure, loss, grief, anger, fear, etc. Over time, stress actually builds up toxic deposits in our cells. Stress can create physical pain and chronic fatigue that leaves us without energy or rest, leaving us accident prone and effects our emotional and cognitive abilities leading to even more stress. Again, stress builds upon itself and causes a vicious cycle. Our lives can be charted in a energy wave pattern with healthy activity being at the high point of the wave and rest being at the lower point of the wave. If one phase suffers, it effects the other phase. Our energy wave pattern becomes almost flat. We then experience restlessness, lack of energy, depression, insomnia, muscles tension, less frustration tolerance, exaggeration of emotional reaction e.g. constant anger of a feeling of our wanting to cry constantly. This in turn strains our work and personal relationship and our relationship with ourselves. Sleep and relaxation interrupts this vicious cycle of stress and restore a healthy energy wave pattern of activity and rest which interrupts stress building on itself and causing us to experience emotional and physical distress. Water can play a vital natural role in helping us experience the rest and relaxation we need to end the cycle of stress and pain we are experiencing.
Our natural, innate relationship with water is both primordial and present. We live in water for months before we are born. Our bodies are composed of a large amount of water. We could say that we are water. We all know the natural attraction we have to creeks, lakes, and the ocean. Although not always in our conscious awareness, we instinctively "know" that water is vital and "alive". All our physical, intellectual, and emotional functions are modalities of water functions. Water provides all living things/beings with a flow of nutrients as well as a means of elimination. All living forms exist within the Earth's great hydrosystem. Water is the origin and present source of all life. In a full hot bath we become surrounded by water, the source of all life. This stimulates our primordial security feelings and responses and provides us with comfort, relaxation, and pleasure. Heated water relaxes our muscle tension that restricts fluid and energy flow. The magnetic fields of our nervous system flow through the surrounding water malecules. We experience the profound and relieving effects of water's releasing us from stress and pain.
We can turn our bath into a therapeutic anti-stress, anti-pain treatment. Our bathroom should be warm and we should have clean towels and a robe ready for coming out of our bath. We just fill our tubs with hot water increasing or decreasing the temperature as is comfortable for us. When our tub is as full as we can get it, without running over as we get into it, is the right temperature for us, we can note the time. We need to stay in the bath for 15 to 20 minutes, not longer. Submerge yourself with only your head above water. Let your thoughts drift into the quietness of your awareness of your breathing in and out. Inhale and exhale fully, which releases tension from our muscles. Relax into the water and become "one" with the water. Add hot water if you need it, but beyond that, stay as still as possible. When time as passed, rise slowly and towel off lightly and put on the robe. This process will greatly help reduce stress, break the stress cycle, and allow our bodies to fall into a deeper rest. Regular use of anti-stress, anti-pain bath will release many stress factors through relaxation. This allows us to recover our energy and stimulate a stronger natural resistence, enhance our immune system and recover our health.
We can further enhance the effectiveness of water's stress and pain reduction by adding herbal extracts and essential oils to our therapeutic bath. Herbal extracts and essential oils are made from natural plans by various means of distillation. Essential oils, e.g. Lavender, provide a relaxing aroma that in itself reduces stress and pain. These essential oils are used in the treatment modality of aromatherapy and can be added to our bath water for added benefit. We can also use aromatherapy candles by our bath to add even more effective benefits to our therapeutic bath experience. Aromatherpy candles add a soothing light and aroma to ease stress and pain.
In natural thermal pools found in nature are many dissolved minerals that also have an effective therapeutic benefit. Minerals play an important role in water conditioning. Natural sodium (salt) minerals such as sodium borate, sodium caronate, and sodium cloride neutralize metals and provide a mild electrolyte solutions which disperses botanicals evenly throughout the water and helps attract the botanical molecules to our skin. Aromatherapy bath salts and minerals added to our bath water helps us receive full benefit from aromatherapy essential oils that we have added to our bath
Water is a powerful therapeutic natural source of stress and pain relief. We are water. Water is life. We often take this for granted and therefore do not make full use of this natural healing agent. Many of us do not even drink enough water. If we are wanting to manage stress or to break a vicious stress cycle, we need only remember that water is a powerful resource. The next time we are feeling stress, we can remember to simply wash our hands, splash some water on our faces, or take a soothing drink of water. If possible spend time with creeks, rivers, and where possible with the ocean. If possible, we can introduce swimming to our exercise program. If this is not possible, we can naturally soak away stress and pain with hot baths enhanced with aromatherapy bath salts, aromatherapy mineral baths, aromatherpy essential oils or stress and pain formulas specially designed to be used with water such as ABRA Herbal Hydrotherapy Muscle Bath or ABRA Hydrotherapy Stress Bath.
About the Author
Jenny has more than twenty years experience with all natural health care products. More information about aromatherapy bath, aromatherapy and natural stress and pain relief formula is available at => http://www.sweetmedicineessentials.com/aromatherapy-bath-c-8.html
Know the Best Business Intelligence Strategy for your Investment
When you are investing your money on a certain business, you would want it to be successful. You would not want something which you have worked hard for to go down the drain within a matter of time. In order for you to make sure that you will rise above the challenges when setting up a business, you need to come up with an effective business intelligence strategy. But before you develop a strategy, you have to know more about business intelligence. In general, business intelligence is learning how the minds of your clients work. This way, you will be able to determine the right things to do in order to serve them well. On the other hand, it is also about sizing up your competitors so that you will get to emerge amidst great competition. What is more, business intelligence is about knowing the weaknesses of your organization and strengthening those weaknesses. When you are able to learn more about business intelligence, you will know how to come up with a business intelligence strategy that will surely make your investment successful.
Back Up Your Business Intelligence Strategy with Effective Tools
Your organization should plan a business intelligence strategy carefully if you want to rise above the competition. You should put in mind that when you work together as one group, you will be able to come with the best tactic to make your business victorious. Your team should continue to be goal-oriented and united. If you want to make sure that each member of the group possesses the right knowledge, choose from your organization wisely. A team which has expertise over business intelligence will help you develop an efficient business intelligence strategy. Other than great teamwork, you should also back up your strategy with the best tools. Examples of these tools would be intelligence applications or management software. Even though your business plan sounds just perfect, it will never be one unless you pair it with the right tools.
The Huge Importance of Developing a Business Intelligence Strategy
If you want to direct more profit into your business, you must comprehend the importance of a business intelligence strategy. Once you are aware the benefits that it can provide you, you will be able to come up with an intelligence solution which suits the objectives of your business. You should make it a point to create a tactic to make your business intelligence venture more successful. However, it does not have to end only with awareness and comprehension. Careful planning and development of ideas are also needed. Your business preparation should be thorough before you think of implementing any business intelligence strategy.
What Makes Your Business Intelligence Strategy Successful?
Before you develop a business intelligence strategy, you have to know the certain factors which make it more effective. There are major factors which define an efficient intelligence tactic. These include the following:
• The continuous alignment of your business’ goals with your intelligence strategy.
• The practical integration of business intelligence applications into the major workflow and processes of your business.
• Constant consultation with the right members of your organization, such as business authorities.
• Leveraging the practices of your business with technology.
• The utilization of efficient definition process for your business intelligence strategy.
Business Intelligence Strategies Change with the Growth of Your Business
Your business does not remain within a certain level. As time passes, your investment will expand and grow. This goes especially when your business intelligence strategy is effective and successful. With the growth of your business, your strategies should also change. This is due to the fact that you need to improve your tactics in order to comply with the growing demands of your clients. Your competitors are also thinking of ways to gain victory. This is why you need to enhance your business intelligence strategy all the time to gain an edge against them.
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The world of extreme sports, traditionally a man's world, is slowly opening up to women. In Texas, and the cities of Houston, Dallas and Austin, women are becoming increasingly interested in three of the six X-Game categories: speed climbing, wakeboarding and in-line skating. A group of women was also invited to demonstrate their talent in freestyle motocross and both vertical (or "vert") and street skateboarding. Although the women showed they were capable of creating excitement in the audience with their feats, the money available to female competitors is still an issue in championship events.
At a recent Xbox World Championship of Skateboarding, for example, the top three male street skaters took home a total of $34,000, while the top three females took home $3,600.
While young women have participated in alternative and extreme sports from the very beginning, they have not been given the same recognition as their male colleagues, although many are doing their part to break through.
The category "alternative sports" may have been around for decades but only recently has it been called "extreme." Publicity around the word "extreme" extends into the world of marketing, with the "extreme flavor" of a brand of chips or a drink being given "extreme taste." For the industry, an extreme sport is defined as a "non-traditional sport that focuses on extreme and varying conditions, and challenges both the mental and physical abilities of its participants."
While most extreme athletes average in their early 20s, some involved are much younger, even in their early teens.
It's not necessarily the money that drives young women to compete. Another motivation is to break the stereotypes about men being the only ones out to get a rush of adrenaline. Despite having a love of extreme sports, young women competing in extreme sports seem to have accepted the fact that the money is not (yet) there for them. Sponsors now may pay entry fees, travel expenses and equipment, but the big money is still reserved for male competitors who often get paid by sponsors.
Part of the problem, observers say, is that extreme sports are driven by big business, the point being that if the industry doesn't expect a large enough audience - - consumers ready and willing to buy the products -- they don't think its worth supporting the athletes. Others say the world of extreme sports has its share of sexism, with judging seemingly based on how women look rather than on their athletic ability.
Some women say they feel uncomfortable about the way skate magazines and images on the skate decks portray women. Advertising can also be an issue for some; clothing companies are known to hire models to wear the clothes in ads rather than the female athletes - - something observers say would not occur with men's sporting apparel. That can create a problem when it comes to young girls choosing female athletes as role models: if they pick up a magazine, the only females they see are models skimpily dressed or in fashion photography, not competing.
Other women have taken the initiative, one being the founder of Chickabiddy, a surfing and snowboarding clothing company geared to women. Along with a line of women's clothing, Chickabiddy sells a rash guard, a top worn during surfing to help prevent chaffing, and made especially for women's bodies. Chickabiddy sponsors eight girls in both snowboarding and surfing, and also has a website for the "female action sports enthusiast."
There are other people with the aims of Chickadiddy founders on the web, making the Internet one place where women interested in extreme sports can start changing their world. One place is Mxgirls-dot-com, which focuses on the world of women in motocross, its founder having created the site due to a lack of Internet exposure.
Women are slowly breaking into the world of extreme sports, a world where men have long dominated. The more of an audience they build, the more likely it will be that interest continues to build. If you're a young woman looking to "push the limits" maybe you should check to make sure you're ready in every part of your life, including health insurance.
About the Author
Pat Carpenter writes for Precedent Insurance Company. Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at Precedent.com
Playing Unfair: The Media Image of the Female Athlete
This digital document is a journal article from Psychology of Sport & Exercise, published by Elsevier in . The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase...
The idea of a Bible study for athletes is nothing new. For years, authors have written material to help athletes develop into individuals who utilize their abilities to glorify God. The unique thing about this particular book is that it focuses exclusively on female athletes...
The Female Athlete Triad describes the clinical and physiological basis of the three components that make up the female athlete triad--disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis. The DVD provides up-to-date information regarding the warning signs and symptoms of the female athlete triad, as well as recommendations for the prevention and treatment of each of these conditions. Among the topics covered: prevalence of the female athlete triad, clinical basis of components, clinical consequences, signs and symptoms, and recommendations. Produced in cooperation with the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
Tumors of the central nervous system win first place on frequency among solid malignant tumours at children, making 20 % of all oncological desease in children's age. These tumors occurs frequency 2-2,8 on 100000 children's population, taking the second place among the reasons of death of children with an oncological pathology. Children of preschool age fall ill more often: the peak of desease is necessary for 2-7 years. Though the parameter lethality from these tumours till now exceeds lethality's parameters at many malignant processes at children, modern therapeutic approaches and advanced achievements in the diagnostic opportunities, allowing early to diagnose a tumour and precisely to plan treatment, allow to cure a lot of children.
Etiology of this group of tumors now it is unknown, though there are data about predisposition of patients for example, with neurofibromatosis, to occurrence at them glioma a brain. Communication of occurrence neurogliocytoma at children with a syndrome basocellular nevus (defeat of a skin, anomaly of a skeleton, a leather, brushes, feet and anomalies of central nervous system) is known. The raised desease of tumors of a brain is marked at children with a congenital immunodeficiency, at children with ataxia-venous lake.
Often tumor of a brain arises as the second tumor at children, suffering sharp leukosis, a hepatocellular cancer, adrenocortical tumors. All these data attest to availability of some contributory causes for progress of malignant tumours of a brain, to decipher which and to define their influence on the forecast it is necessary in the future.
Classification of tumors of a brain at children.
According to the international classification the CART (1990, the second edition) biological behaviour of tumours central nervous system it is defined (in addition to presence of histologic features of a differentiation) so-called, a degree malignity or anaplasia: from I (good-quality) up to IV (malignant). To tumors low degrees of malignity belong to tumor I-II of a degree (Low grade), to a high degree of malignity - III-IV degrees (High grade).
The histologic structure of tumours of a brain at children significantly differs from those at adults. Meningiomas, neurilemmomas, tumors of a hypophysis and metastasises from other bodies which rather often amaze brain of adult patients, very seldom meet at children's age. At children of 70 % of tumours make gliomas.
The first classification of tumors of a brain has been offered in 20th years of our century Bailey and Cushing. This classification is based on histogenesis fabrics of a brain and the subsequent classifications have all in to the basis this principle.
The tumors of a brain diagnosed for children of the first years of a life, have the central arrangement, i.e. amaze more often the third ventricle, hypothalamus, chiasm optic nerves, an average brain, the bridge, a cerebellum and the fourth ventricle. In spite of the fact that the volume of substance of a brain of a back cranial pole makes only the tenth part from all volume of a brain, more than half of all malignant tumors of a brain at children is more senior than 1 year make tumors of a back cranial pole. It mainly - neurogliocytoma, cerebellar astrocytoma, gliomas of a trunk of a brain and ependymoma the fourth ventricle,.
Clinical picture.
Generally speaking, any tumor of a brain has malignant behaviour irrespective of it the histologic nature as its growth occurs in the limited volume, and irrespective of the histologic nature of a tumour the clinical picture of all tumours of a brain is defined, mainly, localization of tumoral growth, age and a preclinical level of development of the sick child.
Cebtral nervour system neoplasms can cause neurologic frustration by direct infiltration or prelum normal structures, or mediated, causing of obstruction neurolymph ways.
The factor defining dominating symptoms at children by tumours of a brain, the raised intracranial pressure is, in consequence of that there is a classical triad - a morning headache, vomiting and drowsiness. Heavy, anticipate the headache seldom arises at children, but it is especially important to pay attention to this complaint. Spasmes - the second symptom on frequency after a headache, especially at children with suprasternal tumors. Approximately at a quarter of such patients of a spasm are the first demonstration of a tumour. Sometimes these children aspire to incline a head in one party. Involving in process of a cerebellum can cause ataxia, nystagmus and others cerebellar frustration.
Diagnostic.
Besides routine clinical inspections, including survey of the oculist, to such children should be necessarily lead CT and MRT with contrast substance head and a spinal cord. Especially at localization of a tumor in back to pole MRT it is extremely informative, as this method has greater resolution. These researches with success have replaced intrusive procedures - arterial angiography or air ventriculography.
Histologic verification of a tumor is necessary, but is at times complicated because of the technical difficulties connected with localization of a tumour, involving in process the vitally-important structures. Now with gradual ocurrence in practice of neurosurgeons of a new hi-tech method of operative intervention - stereotactic surgeries begins possible to make biopsy tumors practically any localization. Sometimes in communication with substantial growth of intracranial pressure by a first step operation of shunting is, that considerably improves the neurologic status of the patient.
Cerebrospinal research will give a-brain liquid the information about possible extracratonal distribution of malignant process. In rare cases of distribution of a tumor for central nervous system limits (for example, at presence neurogliocytoma) carrying out of additional diagnostic actions, such as x-ray of a thorax, ultrasonic of a belly cavity, myelogram is necessary.
About the Author
There are number of diseases children have mostly. It is important for woman to know the signs and symptoms of most common of them. Use deep web search to find more.
From the Harvey Award-nominated creative team of Elk''s Run comes Tumor, the critically acclaimed sensation that was the first graphic novel to debut exclusively on the Kindle E-Book Reader! Tumor is the story of Frank Armstrong, a man at the boot heel of the world, barely scraping up a living as a private investigator in modern day Los Angeles. He finally lands a big case, finding the missing daughter of a drug kingpin, just as he''s taken by the symptoms of a late-stage brain tumor. Memories blend with reality, as the missing girl case starts to seep into the memory of his own missing wife from 20 years prior. Now, with days, maybe even hours, left to live, he must save this girl, while the one thing he''s relied on all of his life fails him - his mind!
General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1905 Original Publisher: A.R. Elliott Pub. Co. Subjects: Cerebellum Brain, Tumors of Medical / Neurology Medical / Neuroscience Science / Life Sciences / Anatomy
Here's a wonderful opportunity to raise brain tumor awarenss by wearing this unique Finding A Cure Brain Tumor t-shirt. This cool Brain Tumor Awareness tee design is also on a tote bag, mug and more.
Here's a wonderful opportunity to raise brain tumor awarenss by wearing this unique Finding A Cure Brain Tumor t-shirt. This cool Brain Tumor Awareness tee design is also on a tote bag, mug and more.
Here's a wonderful opportunity to raise brain tumor awarenss by wearing this unique Finding A Cure Brain Tumor t-shirt. This cool Brain Tumor Awareness tee design is also on a tote bag, mug and more.
One of life's little riddles is the bombardier beetle. As far as evolution is concerned, it's a tough nut to crack. This small insect has a very imposing chemical defense system. When threatened, it aims it's two abdomen tubes at its adversary, often an ant or spider. Then the bombardier fires off a series of miniature explosions peppering its victim with boiling acid. It is quite effective at keeping predators at bay.
What makes it work? The defense weapon is made of two storage glands, a combustion chamber, a couple of machine-gun type of swivel tubes, and of course the bombardier's expertise and instinct for using it. The chemicals are stored separately and are combined when used.
When combined, the toxic mixture is 25 percent hydrogen peroxide, 10 percent hydroquinone, water, and free oxygen plus enzymes which detonate the explosion. Of course, all of these chemicals must be stored, combined, and used in the right places, amounts, and concentrations. Otherwise, this little bug could easily blow itself into extinction or boil itself alive. The fact that it doesn't do either shows how well this insect is put together.
The bombardier controls, aims, and fires its chemical weapon through a series of specialized nerves and muscles. Each rapid explosion is heard as a "pop." Oxygen spews out a hot jet of steam and quinone solution under high pressure. It is a well-coordinated delivery system for firing droplets of boiling, burning acid at anyone who dares bother the bombardier beetle.
How did such an elaborate defense system come about? Every minute detail of it had to be programmed in the DNA.
Consider what is involved here: Storage compartments, combination chamber, separate chemicals and enzymes, the intake of exact amounts of water and oxygen, plus hundreds of nerves, muscles, and fibers intricately woven into a working system. All of these items are coded and integrated into the bombardier's DNA.
To say that this extraordinary defense system resulted from a series of errors is not a reasonable conclusion. It's on the same level as saying a jig-saw puzzle of a thousand pieces happened, by sheer accident, to fit together perfectly forming a complete mosaic.
That's asking too much of an accident or any series of accidents. Someone with intelligence put the puzzle together; likewise, Someone with intelligence put together the bombardier beetle.
There is another reason for doubting the evolution of such a complex defense system. Predators would not have allowed it. Can you imagine ants, spiders, and praying mantis idly standing by for millions of years patiently waiting for mutations to gradually perfect the bombardier's defense? No?
Given the opportunity, you can be sure, predators would have devoured this otherwise helpless little bug into extinction. Thus we are compelled to say, the bombardier's chemical defense system in all of its complexity had to come onboard, intact as a single unit. It was designed.
Millipede Apheloria Corrugata
What's true of the bombardier is also true of the millipede Apheloria corrugata who shoots hydrogen cyanide at its enemies. Again incremental steps are not practical. The only reasonable explanation for these complex, integrated chemical defenses is design - design by Someone with an in-depth knowledge of physics, chemistry, biology, and microbiology.
Darwin Quote on Eye and Natural Selection
Next let's consider the eye. Here is where the rubber meets the road. This is the acid test for evolution. Darwin recognized the problem and mentioned it in the Origin of the Species: "To suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree."
Who can argue with that?
Vision
This is what we know about human vision: Light enters the eye through the transparent window called the cornea which covers the pupil. The pupil is an opening in the iris, the colored part of the eye. Light continues through the aqueous humor, a watery substance, until it lands upon the lens. The lens in turn focuses the light on the retina.
On the way to the retina, light must travel through the vitreous humor, a transparent jelly which fills out the center of the eye, helping it to keep its shape. When light hits the retina, it stimulates up to 137 million specialized cells know as rods and cones. (Cones are the color detectors; rods are the black and white detectors.)
Both rods and cones are chemical switch receptors. Light triggers these miniature on-off buttons generating as estimated one billion nerve impulses per second. The mass of electrical impulses is forwarded to the cerebral cortex via the optic nerve and a complex nerve network.
The cerebral cortex is equipped with a visual processing center which integrates data from both eyes and inverts the upside down image. That provides us with our three-dimensional right-side-up picture. Exactly how the brain interprets those electrical impulses and turns them into a picture is still a mystery.
Eye Components and Functions
Just how complicated is the eye? Each human eye contains over 137 million essential working parts. Can you imagine a machine that complex? Let's take a look at some of these components and their functions.
The outside layer is called the sclerotic layer. It's white, semi-rigid, and gives the eyeball its basic shape and provides a measure of protection as well.
The middle layer is called the choroid layer. It's a dark pigment containing numerous blood vessels. Its job is to prevent light from reflecting within the eye.
The inner layer is called the retina. It contains 130 million rods which see in black and shades of gray, and 7 million cones which provide sharp, clear color vision. Each cone is sensitive to only color: red, green, or blue light. Rods and cones are actually photoreceptor cells connected to sensory neurons. The retina changes light into electrical nerve impulses.
Conjunctiva - A mucous membrane which lines the inner surface of the eyelid and the exposed surface of the eye and lubricates both.
Cornea - A uniformly thick, transparent nearly circular disc covering the lens. It serves as a window letting light into the eye, and it also protects the lens.
Aqueous humor - A clear, lymph-like fluid between the cornea and lens.
Iris- The color-pigmented membrane separating the cornea from the lens. It adjusts the size of the pupil regulating the amount of light admitted to the eye.
Pupil - The black circular hole through which light enters the eye.
Ciliary muscles - Controls the shape of the iris which in turn adjusts the size of the pupil.
Lens - A transparent part of the eye that focuses light to form an image of the retina.
Vitreous humor - The transparent substance which fills the eye.
Eye muscles - Six muscles attached to the eye which provide movement.
Tear ducts and glands - A system for lubricating and protecting the eye.
The eye also has a few accessories:
Eyelashes and eyebrows - Both assist in keeping out debris. Each serves as a defense mechanism for the eye.
That is a remarkable number of parts working together for a common purpose. Don't forget that each of these items must be coded into the DNA at its appropriate location to integrate and coordinate with all the other eye features. It has all the appearances of design. It's difficult to see how it could be anything else. The same thought occurred to Charles Darwin. The eye "with all of its inimitable contrivances" gave him second thoughts about his natural selection theory.
Television Analogy
Have you ever looked inside of a television set? Inside you find a number of panels with numerous miniature parts seemingly all mixed together in a hodge-podge collection. But that is not really the case. Those panels are circuit boards. And on those circuit boards are carefully positioned transistors, capacitors, resistors, conductors, transformers, and other electronic parts all creating an image on the picture tube.
Each tiny part is exactly the correct type, size, and strength needed for that particular spot on the circuit board. If anything is out of line, chances are you will not get a picture. Just as in the eye, all parts are essential.
We know that television didn't just happen. It took some intelligent people a good number of years to figure out the technology and put it into place. The eye is considerably more complicated than any TV. It has far more parts to harmonize than even the most expensive television set. All indications are that the human eye was put together by Someone whose intelligence and technology are vastly superior to our own. In Origin of the Species, Charles Darwin seems to agree.
Evolutionists' Explanation for Vision
How do evolutionists account for eyesight? They believe that the eye began as a light-sensitive spot on a cell. Step-by-step, random mutation after mutation, light-sensitive cells folded inward to form a retina. Somehow mutations made the skin on the surface transparent, part of which turned into a lens focusing light on the newly formed retina.
Again, random mistake after mistake after mistake added parts to the eye which in time became the fully functional, complex, detailed organ we have today. Evolutionists arrange a series of compound eyes from different creatures which they claim show the evolutionary steps leading up to the human eye.
What's wrong with the evolutionist's story? Quite a bit. The speculation about a gradual mutation-led construction of the eye is just that - speculation. There are no partially formed eyes in the fossil record. Different types of eyes? Yes,. But they are all complete, fully functional systems with every component in place and accounted for.
Furthermore, the eye by itself does not give us vision. The optic nerve, the thalamus, and a series of nerves linking the eye to the brain are all required. And there's more. The brain has a primary visual cortex and a visual association cortex set up to decode and interpret the incoming information.
See how complex it is? The eye, the optic nerve, the thalamus, the nerve network, and the brain's visual processing centers all had to be in place and fully operational before sight was possible.
How do evolutionists account for these extra components in our visual system? They don't. They ignore them. Evolutionists can only say, "Mistake after mistake in the DNA must have produced these essential ingredients." Incremental evolutionary steps is not a reasonable explanation for sight. Furthermore, observation and dissection of plants and animals have not revealed any developing incomplete organ of any type presently in nature. And the fossil record has yet to show any developing, incomplete organ of any type in the past.
Color Vision
Color vision, says biologist Michael Pitman in his book Adam and Evolution, presents yet another problem for the evolutionists. Most creatures don't have it. Only several bony fishes, reptiles, birds, bees plus other assorted insects, and primates see in color. Yes, that does leave out other mammals such as cats, dogs, horses, and bulls, all of which see in black, white, and shades of gray.
That's just an interesting quirk of nature unless, of course, you are a protozoa-to-man evolutionist. Then you have a problem. You find yourself defending the following proposition: Fish evolved retinal cones allowing color vision.
Evolving into amphibians, color vision was somehow lost, only to resurface (maybe we should call it re-evolve) in certain birds and related reptiles. But when it came to mammals color vision was lost again. However, color vision did another about-face and reemerged in primates. How's that for a twisted story?
Two Eyes Standard
If you were to line up every amphibian, reptile, bird, and mammal, and look each one squarely in the face, what would you see? About the same as you see when you look at your own reflection in the mirror. You find a balanced symmetrical face: two ears - one on each side, two eyes overlooking a single nose in the center with a mouth directly below. Species after species fit that general description including the vast majority of fish too.
But why two eyes? Evolutionists have an answer: "Three dimensional vision was essential for our ancestors swinging through the trees." Using our imagination, we can see luckless one-eyed primates banging into trees due to their lack of depth perception.
With their extinction only the two-eyed types were left to carry on. Even if we accept natural selection's bias against one-eyed tree swingers, that still does not explain all of those other two-eyed amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, and fish who never had to contend with tree swinging.
For all practical purposes, one eye should suffice. Think of all it takes to make one eye work. Well over a hundred million individual parts must work in unison - with each other and with a nerve network and a specialized optic nerve section of the brain. When the whole system is in gear and producing - you have vision.
It's next to impossible to see how evolution's haphazard errors could ever accidentally conjure up one eye. Even so, that's far more feasible than two eyes emerging from such a questionable source. One-eyed creatures, however, are nowhere to be found - in or out of the fossil record.
Of course two eyes are better than one. They cover a wider territory, and you have a built-in spare should one go bad. Depth perception does assist predators in pinpointing their prey, and it helps the prey to avoid the predators. But if we start considering evolutionary advantages, why not three eyes instead of two? Wouldn't that be even better? Sure, why not four or five eyes while we are at it?
And how many times has a predator slipped up on the back of as unsuspecting prey? If the prey had an eye or two in the back of its head, wouldn't it be a leg up in the evolutionary sweepstakes?
Yet no amphibian, reptile, bird or mammal has opted for either the evolutionary shortcut of a single eye or the evolutionary advantage of more than two eyes.
If the only thing at work here is random, haphazard, off-the-wall mutations, those persistent two-eyed creatures extending back millions of years make no sense at all. On the other hand, if those amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals were designed, there is a logical explanation for the consistent pattern. The designer liked the two ears, two eyes, single nose and mouth look. And that's the way he made them.
Ear Components and Functions
Turning our attention to the ear, we find a repeat of the eye story. The characters are different, but the theme is the same. The outer ear, ear canal, eardrum, eustachian tube, hammer, anvil, stirrup, cochlea, cochlear nerve, and the auditory center of the temporal lobe - all work in harmony for a common purpose. Actually, ears serve two purposes: hearing and balance.
Here is how the ear works: The outer ear collects sound and funnels it into a one-inch irregularly shaped ear canal. The canal acts as a filter. Numerous hairs plus four thousand wax-producing glands keep out foreign particles and provides a constant moist temperature for the delicate middle and inner ear.
The eardrum is located at the end of the ear canal. Sound vibrations are passed from the eardrum to a trio of linked bones in the middle ear. They are named for their shapes: the hammer, anvil, and stirrup. These three tiny bones amplify the sound into the inner ear. Air pressure is equalized on either side of the eardrum by a vent leading from the middle ear to the throat. It's called the eustachian tube.
In the inner ear, we find what appears to be a small snail shell. This little device is the cochlea. The cochlea is only about the size of a hazelnut, but it has a big job. It is usually compared to one of two things. Some say it is similar to a telephone system with enough circuits to service a good-sized city.
Others liken the cochlea to a piano keyboard with twenty thousand or so different keys. Either way, you get the idea; it is a very small but extraordinarily complex structure.
Incoming sound frequencies which have been amplified by the hammer-anvil-stirrup combination, vibrate hair-like sensory cells in the cochlea. The cochlea's job is to translate sound waves into nerve impulses. Varying sound frequencies strike different sections of the sensory cells in numerous combinations. Nerve impulses travel from the cochlea on to the auditory nerve and on into the brain. And that is what we hear.
Once again we see an organ which has all the appearances of design. It takes a great leap of faith to claim it is an accumulation of DNA errors. There is no evidence for such a claim nor facts to support it. The only reasonable conclusion is that Someone with a good solid knowledge of physics, biology, and micro-technology designed and made this complex, intricate, and delicate organ.
Analogies and Conclusion
Have you ever seen a cornfield? A cornfield is nothing but acre after acre of cornstalks all about the same height, all in neat rows with little on no grass between. After seeing a cornfield, it would never occur to you that the whole thing could be an accident. Nature just doesn't do that sort of thing. Someone cleared the ground and planted the seeds.
Let's try another example. On either side of the road you notice a row of evenly spaced dogwood trees. And each tree is circled by a single row of flowers. No one needs to tell you that somebody purposely planted those trees and flowers.
We know that Mount Rushmore bears the likenesses of four U.S. presidents. If your geography teacher were to tell you that those heads of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt were accidentally formed by natural erosion, would you believe it? If your English teacher were to tell you the first unabridged English dictionary resulted from an accidental explosion in a print shop, would you laugh?
Nature is not neat. It's not symmetrical; nor is it artistic or creative. No, it is just the opposite -- disorganized, erratic, and chaotic. You and I know if nature is left to its own devices, it will grow an irregular assortment of weeds, but not a neat row of crops. It will grow an odd collection of various trees scattered hither, thither, and yon, but not evenly spaced dogwoods with a single row of flowers circling each.
Erosion will create ugly gashes in hillsides, but it won't carve statues of presidents out of rock. An explosion can blow a print shop to smithereens, but it is not going to create a dictionary. Nature doesn't build things up; it doesn't create patterns; and it doesn't produce complex designs.
Nature did not create the bombardier's chemical defense system, nor the millipede's hydrogen cyanide system, nor the human eye or ear. Nor did nature create the extraordinary computer called the brain, whose operation is still beyond our full understanding. The only logical explanation is that each was designed. And where we find such clear evidence of design, it's reasonable to assume a Designer.
Speaking in vague generalities, evolution often seems plausible. But getting down to the nitty-gritty of specific organs such as eyes and ears, we find evolution an inadequate and impractical answer.
About the Author
Jerry Boone, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, United States webmaster@merechristianity.us Mr. Boone is a sailor, author, and webmaster of http://merechristianity.us with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from Georgia State University. His works include: Mere Christianity.us and SAFETY LINE - EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN, an apologetic study published 1998.
The thalamus is a group of cells placed centrally in the brain that serve a critical role in controlling how both sensory and motor signals are passed from one part of the cerebral cortex to another. Essentially, all information reaching the cerebral cortex and thus consciousness is relayed through the thalamus. The role of the thalamus in controlling the flow of information (such as visual, auditory, and motor) to the cortex has only recently begun to be understood. This book provides an in-depth look at the function of the thalamus and its role as relayer of information to the cerebral cortex. The authors explore how the thalamus controls messages that are passed to the cortex and they introduce the novel suggestion that the thalamus serves a critical role in controlling how messages pass from one part of the cortex to another. Exploring the Thalamus is a comprehensive, up-to-date reference for researchers. It discusses problems concerning the function and structure of the thalamus and concludes each chapter with thought-provoking questions regarding future research.
The thalamus plays a critical role in perceptual processing, but many questions remain about what thalamic activities contribute to sensory and motor functions. In this book, two pioneers in research on the thalamus examine the close two-way relationships between thalamus and cerebral cortex and look at the distinctive functions of the links between the thalamus and the rest of the brain. Countering the dominant "corticocentric" approach to understanding the cerebral cortex -- which does not recognize that all neocortical areas receive important inputs from the thalamus and send outputs to lower motor centers -- S. Murray Sherman and R. W. Guillery argue for a reappraisal of the way we think about the cortex and its interactions with the rest of the brain. The book defines some of the functional categories critical to understanding thalamic functions, including the distinctions between drivers (pathways that carry messages to the cortex) and modulators (which can change the pattern of transmission) and between first-order and higher-order thalamic relays -- the former receiving ascending drivers and the latter receiving cortical drivers. This second edition further develops these distinctions with expanded emphasis throughout the book on the role of the thalamus in cortical function. An important new chapter suggests a structural basis for linking perception and action, supplying supporting evidence for a link often overlooked in current views of perceptual processing.
This book presents the latest research by leading researchers on different aspects of the organization and function of the basal ganglia and its output nuclei projections to the thalamus. The major diseases associated with dysfunction of the basal ganglia are Parkinson's, Huntington's, dystonia (abnormal fixed posture with spasms), tremor, and drug-induced dyskinesias. Chapters address both basic sciences, such as the physiology and molecular signaling aspects, and clinical applications, such as lesions and stimulation of the thalamic area of the brain.
Edward G. Jones' The Thalamus is one of the most cited publications in neuroscience. Now more than 20 years on from its first printing, the author has completely rewritten his landmark volume, incorporating the numerous developments in research and understanding of the mammalian thalamus. As a leading authority on thalamus biology and function, Edward G. Jones shows how knowledge of the thalamus has developed with the introduction of new technologies and ideas. The author's photographic skills are exhibited in brilliant preparations of thalamic structure in a wide range of common and uncommon species. The Thalamus is both an up-to-date scientific review of virtually all aspects of forebrain function and a work of immense neuroscientific scholarship. It forms an essential reference for neuroanatomists, neurophysiologists, molecular neurobiologists, developmental neurobiologists and clinicians its deep historical perspective will be of value to historians of science.
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