Sunspots 980

 

Some things I have spotted that may be of interest:

Earth.com reports on the estimated number of ants living on earth. Lots and lots of them!

Quanta tells us that mammal (including human) and bird brains are significantly different, but both support intelligence.

You may have heard of the supposed feat of bringing extinct dire wolves back to life from ancient DNA. Todd Wood says that they didn't produce dire wolves.

Popular Mechanics tells us that there is no purple color.

NPR reports on experiments that show that crows can distinguish geometric shapes.

Sunspots 978

Things that I have spotted that may be of interest to others: 

SciTech Daily reports that fish can recognize and react to human divers.

Naturalis Historia concludes a series on the Bible and the geology of the Dead Sea,

ZDNet describes 10 on-line sites that carry free, or inexpensive digital books.

NPR and other outlets report on progress towards bringing live mammoths back, Their work has involved changing the genes of mice, so that they have long, fuzzy hair, and are able to use fat efficiently to keep warm.

Neuroscience News reports that detecting pain and itch is accomplished with two different sets of neurons.

NPR tries to keep track of President Trump's tariffs.

Thanks for reading!

Sunspots 977

Things I have spotted that may be of interest to others.    

ZDNet reports that a study, by the BBC, about how good artificial intelligence (chatbots) do in summarizing news stories, showed that they don't do that very well.

There are still Brazilian tribes that are unknown by the rest of us, according to Gizmodo.

Gizmodo also reports on dating apps, finding that using one is a way for a female user to be raped, more often than other means of connecting. The report also says that the companies involved could do a much better job of removing dangerous users, but has chosen not to.

MSN describes the animals with the longest lifespan. (Thanks to one of my brothers for this information)

CNN lists a number of GOP senators who deny Trump's claim that the Ukraine-Russia was started by the Ukraine.

South American tapirs were thought to be extinct. They aren't!

Thanks for reading.

Sunspots 975

 Things I have spotted that may be of interest to others: 

Gizmodo reports on diamond batteries, which would hold a charge for hundreds of years, and not have the dangers of lithium batteries.

Science Alert reports on evidence for high intelligence in Cephalopods (relatives of octopi).

SciTechDaily discusses the prevalence of saber teeth in animals of the past, and why they arose in more than one lineage, and why they disappeared from the fossil record.

Northern cardinal males are known for their bright red plumage. However, as Popular Science and other outlets report, occasionally they are yellow, not red.

Thanks for reading!

Sunspots 973

Things I have spotted that may be of interest to others:      

Earth.com reports on amazing mental ability in a butterfly.

Gizmodo reports that DNA has been used to store and retrieve graphic information. Another means of digital storage!

LiveScience suggests that the wheel was invented about 6000 years ago, in Carpathian mines.

Joel Edmund Anderson discusses inerrancy of the Bible, and related concepts, pretty thoroughly.

Thanks for reading!

Sunspots 971

 

Some things that I have spotted that may be of interest to others:

Newsweek reports that humpback whales appear to use tools. Really.

Politifact fact-checks the acceptance speech of Kamala Harris.

NPR presents the latest guidance on COVID.

NPR also reports that medical researchers are finally beginning to use menstrual blood in diagnoses.

NPR also reports that Australia is trying to allow workers to disconnect from the company when working hours have passed, 

CNN reports that marmoset monkeys can send messages to a specified individual monkey. In other words, they use names for each other.

Sunspots 931

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to others*:

Environment: A Conversation writer says that there is a giant mass of Sargassum seaweed hitting the beaches of Florida and nearby areas.

Science: Gizmodo reports that an elephant has learned to be selective in which banana parts to discard, and which to eat. (includes video)

A Conversation writer discusses the question of why trees die.

*I try not to include items that require a password or fee to view.

Thanks for reading.

 

Sunspots 923

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to others*:

Computing: Gizmodo reports that voice actors are in danger of losing compensation for their work, because of artificial intelligence productions.

Environment: Gizmodo reports that California authorities have restricted access to fields of wild California poppies, because of the damage caused by visitors/selfie photographers during the last superbloom (after a rain).

(and Science) According to Gizmodo, some scientists are exploring the possibility of slowing global warming by shooting moon dust into space, to block some of the sun's light.

Politics: (or something) NPR reports that the military shot down an "object" over Alaska. Whatever it was, it doesn't seem to have been as sophisticated as the Chinese balloon shot down off the South Carolina coast.

The Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms agency has released a report on the use and distribution of guns in the US. It's scary, and indicates that gun violence will increase.

FiveThirtyEight reports that President Biden's Cabinet officers have stayed put longer than is typical -- they must really like their jobs.

Science: A woodpecker, or a family of them, stored 700 pounds of acorns in a chimney, according to NPR.

*I try not to include items that require a password or fee to view.

Thanks for reading.

 

Sunspots 909

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to others*:

Christianity: Russell Moore, the editor of Christianity Today, is angry about the attack on Paul Pelosi, and about the lies that supported that attack (and still are).

     (sort of) A Christianity Today author reviews the scandals associated with Jerry Falwall, Jr., and Liberty University.

Environment: Gizmodo reports that composting plastics doesn't really work.

Finances: A Conversation writer on insurance fraud, which is described as all too common, and as a low risk crime.

Science: NPR reports on research showing that a lot of animals, not just birds, make noises.

Gizmodo reports on the tallest volcanic plume ever measured.

NPR reports on research that indicates that bumblebees play with objects in their surroundings.

*I try not to include items that require a password or fee to view.

Thanks for reading.

 

Sunspots 885

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to others*:

Christianity: Relevant has an article that discusses the harmful effects of watching pornography -- it leads to a decline in desire for sex with real people. The article mentions the effects on Christian young people.

Computing: Gizmodo tells us that Chicago (and other) police, with help from the FBI, are using fake social media accounts to trap criminals (or innocent people).

Environment: Gizmodo reports that legislators in Utah are considering piping ocean water into the Great Salt Lake, which is at record low levels, with no natural fix in sight.

Health: (and politics) NPR reports that the death rate from COVID has been significantly higher in counties that voted for Trump.

Politics: NPR reports that American right-wingers are praising the autocratic leader of Hungary.

Science: The Scientist reports that significant malaria transmission occurs, due to daytime mosquito bites.

Gizmodo reports that dolphins in the Red Sea apparently rub their bodies, or parts thereof, on corals, for medicinal reasons.

The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, it is free to use like this.

*I try not to include items that require a password or fee to view.

Thanks for reading.

Sunspots 878

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to others*:

Christianity: (or something) Relevant describes how well-meaning people have followed being against sex trafficking into conspiracy theories like QAnon.

Finances: NPR reports that large corporations are avoiding paying damages by spinning off a subsidiary to take over the lawsuits, and then declaring that the subsidiary is bankrupt, even though the parent corporation has plenty of money, and, in some cases, has done plenty of damage.

Science: (or something) A flamingo that escaped from a zoo in Kansas in 2005 has been spotted in Texas, according to NPR. Another source says that the bird was identified by a video, which showed its leg band number.

Gizmodo reports that the human genome has been almost mapped (about 20 years ago, we were given the impression that that had been done. About 8% of the human genome was not sequenced at that time.)

The Scientist reports that some fish can react to "more objects than before," or "less objects than before," indicating perception of quantities.

The Scientist also reports that Chicago-area birds are nesting a few weeks earlier than they did a century ago, probably because of climate change.

And The Scientist reports that dwarf mongooses punish bullies by shunning them.

The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, it is free to use like this.

*I try not to include items that require a password or fee to view.

Thanks for reading.

 

Sunspots 870

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to others*:

Computing: NPR reports that, in Belgium, some workers are not required to answer communications related to their job, at all hours of the day and night.

Politics: Relevant discusses the matter of white evangelicals being the only significant religious group that is strongly against allowing immigration, and a path to citizenship.

Pornography (There are no photos of pornography in the article(s) linked here): A Christianity Today article on what's wrong with pornography -- it's not about relationships.

Science: The Scientist reports that plants in the UK are blooming about a month earlier than they did a few decades ago.

Gizmodo reports on chimpanzees applying insects to a wound, probably as a treatment of some sort. 

The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, it is free to use like this.

*I try not to include items that require a password or fee to view.

Thanks for reading.

Sunspots 820

 Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

The Arts: (And archaeology) A 17,000 year old conch shell, apparently modified for producing sound, has been found.

Christianity: Joel Duff examines the reach of the most important young-earth creationist outlets.

Computing: Gizmo's Freeware recommends a site where you can find out about abbreviations and acronyms.

Gizmo's also pointed to HotSymbol, from which lots of symbols and emojis may be easily copied: 🙄

Education: (or something) An 8-year-old complained to National Public Radio, saying that there weren't enough stories about dinosaurs on NPR's "All Things Considered."

Relevant has a post on black history in the US.

Finance: (or something) Amazon has a use for used cardboard boxes, according to Gizmodo.

Humor: (or something) Listverse shows us 10 kitchen gadgets that you don't need.

Politics: FiveThirtyEight on why it is unlikely that there will be a successful third (or fourth) party.

(And Christianity) Christianity Today reports on a survey that indicates that quite a few white evangelicals are believers in QAnon.

FiveThirtyEight on the power of Trump loyalists in state and local politics.

Science: Gizmodo on missions to Mars (The UAE, China, and the US are involved, separately), which are so active now, and what these missions hope to accomplish.

Gizmodo also reports on research on pigs that are able to play video games -- and win.

And Gizmodo reports on new types of living things, found under the Antarctic ice.

The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, it is free to use like this.

Thanks for looking!

Sunspots 808

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

Christianity: Robert Hawes has posted excerpts from a forthcoming book (I think). Here is his discussion about the flood of Genesis. It's thorough, and presents some interesting ideas, for sure.

Computing: Gizmo's Freeware describes web sites that identify fonts that you don't have, but may want to use.

Gizmo's Freeware also considers web sites or apps that add color to grayscale photos.

Environment: Gizmodo reports that climate change appears to have caused an increase in the number of winter drownings.

Health: (and politics, unfortunately) NPR compares two rural states with Republican governors. Their different responses to COVID, and the results, tell a dramatic story.

Politics: FiveThirtyEight analyzes post-election trust, and finds that a lot of Republicans do not believe the election was conducted fairly.

The same source compares the common right-wing belief that Trump won the election to the belief, birtherism, that President Obama was not a natural-born citizen. That belief hasn't really died, even though Trump, himself, eventually repudiated it.

Science: I'm guessing that you have never heard of the African crested rat. I hadn't. But it exists, and it's strange.

Gizmodo asks experts about the biggest scientific fraud of the last 50 years. They came up with two such frauds, serious ones.

Gizmodo also discusses the Arecibo radio telescope, in Puerto Rico, which has been demolished after over 50 years of doing good science.

The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, it is free to use like this.

Thanks for looking!

Sunspots 807

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

Christianity: Christianity Today reports on religious persecution. That (and not just of Christians) is on the rise, world-wide.

Computing: (or something) National Public Radio reports on the movement of workers from home from expensive metropolitan areas to small cities like Burlington, VT, Knoxville, TN and Greenville, SC.

Education: Grammarphobia considers the question of how a final -ed syllable was pronounced, in previous times. (Example: was "learned" pronounced to rhyme with "burned," or with "turn head?")

Science: The Scientist reports on studies of the ability of zebra finches to identify vocalization from other individual birds of the same species. Their abilities are remarkable.

Sports: ESPN and other outlets report that Kim Ng has become the first general manager of a major North American pro sports team.

The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, it is free to use like this.

Thanks for looking!

 

Lions in the Bible

 

Image public domain - source, here. 

Lions in the Bible

A search, using the Bible Gateway, returned 119 occurrences of "lion," "lioness," or other derivatives of the word, "lion" in the Bible. Links below are to some of these scriptures, as given in the World English Bible, which is public domain. Other versions are readily available from the targets of these links.

Genesis 49:9; Numbers 23:24, 24:9; Deuteronomy 33:20-22 are comparisons of one of the tribes of Israel, or of the whole nation, to a conquering lion. Genesis 49:9-10 is part of the prophecy of Jacob, about the character and future of his sons. A name sometimes used for Christ, "the Lion of the tribe of Judah," is based on this passage. (See Revelation 5.)

Judges 14 includes the story of Samson, who killed a lion with his bare hands, and the results of this action.

1 Samuel 17 describes David, speaking to Saul, about how God helped him to fight off one or more lions.

2 Samuel 1:23, 17:10, and 23:20, praise valiant men, who fought like lions.

1 Kings 7:29 and 36 describe the use of lion figures as part of the appearance of the temple.

1 Kings 10:19-20 describe the use of lion figures in Solomon's throne. (Also 2 Chronicles 9:18-19)

1 Kings 13 includes a story of a prophet who disobeyed God, and was killed by a lion.

1 Kings 20:36 is, again, part of a story of a man being killed for disobedience to God.

2 Kings 17:25-26 tell us that God sent lions to kill some of the non-Jews that had been placed in Israel, because they didn't worship Him.

1 Chronicles 11:22 says that Benaiah, son of Jehoida, killed a lion. 

1 Chronicles 12:8 compares an elite band from the tribe of Gad to lions.

Job 4:10-11 describe the life of lions.

Job 10:16, 28:8 and 38:39 mention lions. 38:39 uses the word "lioness."

There are 11 mentions of lions in the Psalms, 7 in Proverbs. Ecclesiastes 9:4 mentions a lion, as does the Song of Solomon. That last reference also has the first of 8 uses of the word, "leopard," in the Bible. There are no occurrences of "tiger," which is not surprising, since tigers do not, and did not, live in Bible lands. There are no mentions of "cat," either, although there were cats, probably the ancestors of modern domestic cats, in Bible lands.

There are 10 uses of "lion" in Isaiah, who also uses "lioness." Isaiah 11 tells us about the coming "peaceable kingdom," wherein lions will be vegetarians, and other currently dangerous animals, and children, will get along with each other. Isaiah 65 repeats that idea. However, this is Isaiah 35:9: "No lion will be there, nor will any ravenous animal go up on it. They will not be found there; but the redeemed will walk there." Matthew Henry's commentary doesn't mention the possible differences between Isaiah 35:9 and the other passages. Neither does A. R. Fausset, or John Calvin.

See this post, which has reproductions of some of the 62 versions of The Peaceable Kingdom, which were painted by one man, Edward Hicks, and comments on this body of work.

Jeremiah refers to lions 10 times, all of them as examples of danger. The same is true of Lamentations 3:10. 

Ezekiel uses the word 10 times, also. Five of these are about how a nation started out well, like a lion cub, then went astray and was punished. But Ezekiel also presents the idea of "living creatures," with four faces, one of them that of a lion. And he describes the future final temple, which, like the first temple, has lion faces as part of the decoration.

Daniel uses the word 9 times. All but two of these are about the story of the den of lions. The next-to-last tells of God's delivery from lions, and probably also does. But the last reference, Daniel 7:4, is about some sort of angel (?) like those presented in Ezekiel.

Hosea has 4 occurrences, all about someone being like a lion.

Joel says that an invading nation will have teeth like a lion.

Amos has 4 verses that use the word, all deriving lessons from lion behavior.

Micah's one reference is about the remaining Jews being like a lion among other nations.

Nahum has 8 uses of the word, two of them "lioness," in three verses.

Zephaniah has 1 use, comparing the officials of unbelieving Israel to preying lions. 

There is 1 use in Zechariah.

In 2 Timothy, Paul compares God's deliverance of Paul, his servant, to being rescued from a lion.

Hebrews 11:33 says that the heroes of faith stopped the mouths of lions, through their faith, which is probably referring to Daniel's experience.

1 Peter 5:8 compares Satan to a roaring lion, trying to devour believers.

5 of the uses in Revelation are as part of the description of a "beast," and I won't discuss these.

† A passage in Revelation 5 tells about the Lion of the tribe of Judah, Christ. He is also described as a lamb in the same passage. Either way, He has won the victory, and will be praised for it. This title, Lion of the tribe of Judah, is used for Him only in the first and last books of the Bible. (See Genesis 49:9-10)

Lions are Christ-like in that they are awe-inspiring, graceful, alert, powerful, not subject to being preyed on or afraid of other animals, and have social lives. It's no wonder that C. S. Lewis's Narnia books have a lion as Christ-figure.

Thanks for reading!

Update, May 25, 2025: I have now published a similar post on the use of "bear" in the Bible.