Enceladus: Liquid Water But No Life
To National Desk
Contact: Kathleen Campbell, Campbell Public Relations, LLC; 877-540-6022
News Advisory, 28 March 2006, /Christian Wire Service/ -- Does the discovery of a water geyser on Saturn's Enceladus moon provide hope for finding evidence of life?
"Clearly this discovery is exciting, but we must be careful not to jump to conclusions about life's origin and naturalistic evidence for evolution when the data does not substantiate it," warns astrophysicist, Dr. Jeffrey Zweerink, research associate at the science/faith think tank, Reasons To Believe.
"Finding evidence of liquid water is not the remarkable discovery here," contends Zweerink. "Water is actually very abundant throughout the solar system.
Zweerink and many other scientists agree that the discovery of liquid water on Enceladus is significant because, even though it is not proof of a naturalistic origin of life, it demonstrates the astonishing diversity of geological environments throughout the solar system.
"What is truly remarkable about the discovery of the water geyser on Saturn's Enceladus moon is that scientists did not expect to find geological activity on such a small, relatively old moon.
Astrophysicist Dr. Hugh Ross, founder and president of Reasons To Believe points out, "The evidence of craters on Enceladus argues for episodic rather than continuous geological activity.
"What we are seeing here," continues Ross, "is that there are periods of time when some geological activity on Enceladus caused things to heat up and allow for the inconsistent, sporadic appearance of liquid water."
The presence of water is only the first in a long list of requirements for the origin of life. Enceladus meets this particular building block for life, but fails many equally critical tests.
"While liquid water is essential for life," notes Zweerink, "the environment of Enceladus precludes life's existence. Even the simple organic compounds found toward the moon's South Pole testify to an environment hostile to the diverse, complex chemistry necessary for life.
"The need for an adequate heat source, proper chemical nutrients, and precise environmental conditions resulting in the necessary chemical reactions must all simultaneously exist for life to occur," Zweerink says.
"Unless these specific requirements are in place, any expectations of finding life or evidence of naturalistic evolution are unfounded."
Jeffrey Zweerink, Ph.D. is a research associate at the science/faith organization, Reasons To Believe, (www.reasons.org.) He comes to Reasons To Believe from University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) where he served on the physics and astronomy research faculty. His specialty is high energy gamma-ray astrophysics. Although science has been a major interest for most of his life, Jeff's fascination with gamma rays-messengers from vastly distant black holes and neutron stars-began during his graduate studies at Iowa State University, where he earned his Ph.D. (1997).
Prior to joining Reasons To Believe, Jeff spent much time working on the STACEE and VERITAS gamma-ray telescopes. In addition, he was involved in research projects including the Solar Two Project and the Whipple Collaboration. Jeff has co-authored more than 30 refereed publications and numerous conference proceedings. Jeff lives in Southern California with his wife and four children.
Reasons To Believe (www.reasons.org) is currently celebrating its 20th Anniversary. Founded in 1986 by renowned astrophysicist Hugh Ross, Ph.D. Reasons To Believe is unique in its position of demonstrating that science and the Bible complement one another. The mission of Reasons To Believe is to remove the doubts of skeptics, strengthen the faith of believers, and offer solid answers to questions about God and science.
Reasons To Believe provides resources that will keep you informed about up-to-the minute discoveries in the sciences and how they harmonize with God's revelation in the words of the Bible. It is our conviction that since the same God who 'authored' the universe also inspired the writings of Scripture, a consistent message will come from both revelations. In other words, the facts of nature will agree with, not contradict, the Bible. Recent scientific discoveries support this now more than at any other time in history.
Hugh Ross, Ph.D. - After studying physics at the University of British Columbia and astronomy at the University of Toronto, Hugh Ross continued his research on quasars and galaxies as a postdoctoral fellow at the California Institute of Technology. While at Caltech he began serving as minister of evangelism for Sierra Madre Congregational Church.
Since 1986 he has led Reasons To Believe, an institute founded to research and proclaim new reasons -from the frontiers of science-for trust in God's Word and faith in Jesus Christ. Over the years Dr. Ross has given hundreds of apologetics lectures, seminars, and courses in universities, churches, business firms and other venues across the U.S. and around the world. He is a popular interview guest on a wide variety of nationally/internationally syndicated radio and television programs.
His books include The Fingerprint of God, The Creator and the Cosmos, Beyond the Cosmos, The Genesis Question, A Matter of Days, and as co-author, The Genesis Debate, Lights in the Sky and Little Green Men. He contributed a chapter on Mars in Dr. Rana's book, Origins of Life: Biblical and Evolutionary Models Face Off, and also contributed details for the new scientific model for creation in Who Was Adam: A Creation Model Approach to the Origin of Man
