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VOLUME TWO
Y-ORIGINS
ARTICLE 7:
The
Human
Enigma
SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE INDICATES HUMAN BEINGS ARE AN
UNIQUE SPECIES THAT IS FAR SUPERIOR TO ANY SPECIES
EXISTING TODAY OR IN THE PAST
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2 • Y-JESUS
The Human Enigma
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ENDNOTES Page 12
IMPRINTS OF DESIGN ON THE SOUL Page 13
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am indebted to Dr. Bill Bright, who passed away before this project was finished. Dr. Bright enthusiastically endorsed and
contributed to the development of the material presented in this endeavor.
Special thanks are also due to Rick James and Eric Stanford, who have both spent countless hours clarifying some of the concepts
presented.
Several others have contributed greatly to the writing of these articles, including Dr. Henry Brandt, Dave Chapman, Dr. Bert
Harned, and New Testament scholar, Dr. Ron Heine. The valuable input from Brian Ricci, ‘Jamin Latvala, and the Campus Crusade
staff at the University of Washington were especially helpful and constructive. Special thanks also are due Helmut Teichert of
Bright Media, who has been the overall director of the project. Finally I would like to thank my wife, Marianne, for inspiring me to
undertake this effort.
Larry Chapman
TABLE OF CONTENTS • 3
4 • THE HUMAN ENIGMA • ARTICLE 6
THE HUMAN ENIGMA • ARTICLE 6 • 5
6 • THE HUMAN ENIGMA • ARTICLE 6
BE DIGNIFIED AS
“The reality is that we are confronted with
total conceptual bankruptcy.”10
THAT HAPPENED TO
large brain. Yet, Neanderthal was a distinct
species according to DNA studies.13 And,
according to Olson they “seem not to have
COME ALONG.”
developed the fluent language that lets us
wonder, adapt, and create.”14
IAN TATTERSALL
So where did the human race originate, and lumpy gray matter floating around in our potential to be part of a memory. So the
does DNA confirm the uniqueness of our heads. memory capacity of a human brain is effec-
species? In Mapping Human History, Steve tively infinite.”20 Inside that three pounds
Olson traces the history of humankind THREE of gray matter of yours is enough informa-
through mitochondrial DNA analysis. By POUNDS tion to fill 20 million books (19 million if you
1. Once human beings appeared on the plexity of the human brain. Stephen Hawk-
scene, there is no evidence of evolution. So, what are we to make of the human ing compares the complexity of the human
Olson writes, “With the appearance of brain? We generally associate complex- brain with most present-day computers and
modern humans, the large-scale evolu- ity with intelligence. The more complex a reveals the overwhelming superiority of our
tion of our species essentially ceased.”15 building or machine, the more intelligence brains: “In comparison with most comput-
2. Human DNA is highly uniform com- is required to engineer it. The human brain, ers which have one central processing unit,
pared with that of other species. Olson for starters, contains 12 billion neuron cells the brain has millions of processing units
remarks, “What must count as one of intertwined with 100 trillion connections. … all working at the same time.”21
the most profound biological insights of To illustrate a number as large as 100 tril-
all time is the recognition of our remark- lion, molecular biologist Michael Denton Even if communication engineers could
able similarity.”16 suggests visualizing a solid forest of trees apply the most sophisticated engineer-
3. Modern human beings originated covering half the United States. If each tree ing techniques known to humanity, the
and migrated from one area. Paleoan- contains one hundred thousand leaves, the assembly of an object remotely resembling
thropologist at Cambridge University, connections in a human brain would equal the human brain would require an eternity
Marta Lahr, explains, “The bulk of the the total number of leaves in the entire of time. Even then, they still wouldn’t know
chronological and genetic data indicate forest. where to begin.22 The overwhelming pro-
a single origin of all modern humans.”17 cessing power takes place within an area
4. We have all descended from a single Yet the brain’s connections are not mere in- of our brains called the cerebral cortex, and
person. Olson pens, “The first time I tersections like those in a highway system, it is here where the human enigma is most
heard this statement I thought it highly but rather are a highly organized network apparent.
implausible. All 6 billion people on this far exceeding the complexity of all the com-
MYSTERY Our awareness, with its manipulation of defined, is equally puzzling. … We seem as
OF ideas, actually takes place in the prefrontal far from understanding cognitive processes
Y-ORIGINS MAGAZINE
DISCOVER IN Y-ORIGINS:
Leading scientists like Einstein admit to a “superintelligence.”
The Creator has left clues in the cosmos that tell us what He is like.
Discovery Institute
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www.discovery.com
Origins
Dedicated to intelligent design and philosophical theism, this
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