Latest news with #Noah'sArk
Straits Times
a day ago
- General
- Straits Times
Today in Pictures, June 5, 2025
A woman drawing water from a well near Trinity Church, outside the village of Drovnino, Moscow, on June 4, 2025. The church, shaped like Noah's Ark, was built in 2015 for the 200th anniversary of the victory in the war with French Emperor Napoleon I. PHOTO: AFP
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
What does the Catholic Church say about artificial intelligence?
Faith is an integral part of millions of Americans' daily lives. 'One Nation Under God' is committed to reflecting America's voices, values and communities covering stories of faith and religion, from the latest headlines to stories of hope. Subscribe here. (NewsNation) — Shortly after being elected, Pope Leo XIV identified artificial intelligence as one of the central challenges for the modern world and said he intends to make the Christian approach to navigating it a hallmark of his pontificate. In his first address to the college of cardinals, the first American pope called the developments in AI a new industrial revolution that 'pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labor.' He said the Church offers a 'treasury' of resources to use it safely and ethically. Kardashian family Bible study? Kourtney and Khloé float idea Pope Leo has referred to the 'immense potential' of artificial intelligence, which he said required 'responsibility and discernment in order to ensure that it can be used for the good of all, so that it can benefit all of humanity.' So, until now, what has the Catholic Church said about artificial intelligence? In January 2025, the Vatican released a document signed by Pope Francis that addressed the ethical challenges raised by artificial intelligence. 'Like any product of human creativity, AI can be directed toward positive or negative ends,' the Vatican document says. 'When used in ways that respect human dignity and promote the well-being of individuals and communities, it can contribute positively to the human vocation. 'Yet, as in all areas where humans are called to make decisions, the shadow of evil also looms here. Where human freedom allows for the possibility of choosing what is wrong, the moral evaluation of this technology will need to take into account how it is directed and used.' The Vatican says artificial intelligence could be used for innovation and improvement in agriculture, education and culture. But it says the digital divide has also led to greater inequality. 'The inherent dignity of each human being and the fraternity that binds us together as members of the one human family must undergird the development of new technologies,' explains the Vatican document. Noah's Ark: Researchers claim they may have found it in Turkey While the Vatican says artificial intelligence can be used to foster connections, it also poses a serious risk to human relationships. It could hinder 'a true encounter with reality and, ultimately, lead people to a deep and melancholic dissatisfaction with interpersonal relations, or a harmful sense of isolation,' the Vatican warns. The Vatican warns the public about 'generating manipulated content and false information, which can easily mislead people due to its resemblance to the truth.' The Vatican encourages careful regulation since 'AI-generated fake media can gradually undermine the foundations of society.' Another serious risk posed by artificial intelligence involves weapons systems and the ability to conduct military operations remotely, the Vatican says. According to Pope Francis, these systems have led to a lessened perception of the devastation caused by war and 'an even more cold and detached approach to the immense tragedy of war.' 'Like any tool, AI is an extension of human power, and while its future capabilities are unpredictable, humanity's past actions provide clear warnings,' the Vatican warns. Opinion: When Americans use faith as a weapon According to the Vatican, health care professionals have the vocation and responsibility to be 'guardians and servants of human life.' So if AI replaces the relationship between patients and doctors, the sick would suffer greatly, increasing the loneliness and desolation that often accompany illness, the Vatican warns. Artificial intelligence poses both advantages and challenges in the field of education, the Vatican says. AI can be a valuable resource if used within a healthy teacher-student relationship. However, the technology can also damage students' critical-thinking skills since it provides quick answers and information. Gen Z Christians see uptick in the UK: Study In the face of the ethical challenges posed by artificial intelligence, the Vatican emphasizes that the professionals involved in its development should realize the moral responsibility they bear. 'AI should be used only as a tool to complement human intelligence rather than replace its richness,' the document concludes. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
South Wales Guardian
26-05-2025
- Health
- South Wales Guardian
Aberglasney Gardens donates Santa visit fees to Noah's Ark
The funds were raised during the gardens' Winter Fair events, where a fee was charged to visit Santa. Eleanor Keatley, chairman of Aberglasney's board of trustees, handed over the cheque. She said: "As a charity ourselves, we know the importance of donations. "We are delighted to be able to hand over a cheque for £1,634 to Noah's Ark Children's Hospital. "A small fee was asked of those that wanted to visit Santa at our recent Winter Fair events, and as requested by Santa, we were pleased to donate the proceeds to this life-saving charity." The Noah's Ark charity funds new and innovative medical equipment and facilities to improve treatment and outcomes for children. It also provides emotional support services and a play specialist team to support children and families. Nia Parfitt-Jones, Noah's Ark ambassador and former tearooms manager at Aberglasney, said: "Noah's Ark are very grateful to Aberglasney Gardens for agreeing to donate the proceeds raised from children visiting Santa in his grotto at recent Winter Fair events. "At the Noah's Ark Children's Hospital Charity, children and families are at the heart of everything they do. "As a charity that relies entirely on donations, the work at the hospital is all made possible thanks to generous donations like this one." The charity also invests in technology to train future clinicians and strives to make the hospital a less frightening place for children by adding elements of fun and happiness to hospital days.
Los Angeles Times
25-05-2025
- General
- Los Angeles Times
A century after Scopes trial, creationism persists. One proponent in Kentucky built a giant ark
WILLIAMSTOWN, Ky. — As a colossal manifestation of the biblical Noah's Ark rises incongruously from the countryside of northern Kentucky, Ken Ham gives the presentation he's often repeated. The ark stretches 1½ football fields long — 'the biggest free-standing timber-frame structure in the world,' Ham says. It holds three massive decks with wooden cages, food storage urns, life-size animal models and other exhibits. It's all designed to try to persuade visitors that the biblical story was literally true — that an ancient Noah really could have built such a sophisticated ship. That Noah and a handful of family members really could have sustained thousands of animals for months, floating above a global flood that drowned everyone else in the wicked world. 'That's what we wanted to do through many of the exhibits, to show the feasibility of the ark,' says Ham, the organizer behind the Ark Encounter theme park and related attractions. And with that, he furthers his goal to assert that the entire Book of Genesis should be interpreted as written — that humans were created by God's fiat on the sixth day of creation on an Earth that is only 6,000 years old. All this defies the overwhelming consensus of modern scientists — that the Earth developed over billions of years in 'deep time' and that humans and other living things evolved over millions of years from earlier species. But Ham wants to succeed where he believes William Jennings Bryan failed. Bryan — a populist secretary of State, congressman, three-time presidential hopeful and fundamentalist champion — helped the prosecution in the famous Scopes monkey trial, which took place 100 years ago this July in Dayton, Tenn. Bryan's side won in court — gaining the conviction of public schoolteacher John Scopes for violating state law against teaching human evolution. But Bryan was widely seen as suffering a humiliating defeat in public opinion, with his sputtering attempts to explain the Bible's fanciful miracles and enigmas. For Ham, Bryan's problem was not that he defended the Bible. It's that he didn't defend it well enough, interpreting parts of it metaphorically rather than literally. 'It showed people around the world that Christians don't really believe the Bible — they can't answer questions to defend the Christian faith,' Ham says. 'We want you to know that we've got answers,' Ham adds, speaking in the accent of his native Australia. Ham is founder and chief executive of Answers in Genesis, which opened the Ark Encounter in 2016. The Christian theme park includes a zoo, zip lines and other attractions surrounding the ark. Nearly a decade earlier, Answers in Genesis opened a Creation Museum in nearby Petersburg, Ky., where exhibits similarly try to make the case for a literal interpretation of the biblical creation narrative. Visitors are greeted with a diorama depicting children and dinosaurs interacting peacefully in the Garden of Eden. The group also produces books, podcasts, videos and homeschooling curricula. 'The main message of both attractions is basically this: The history in the Bible is true,' Ham says. 'That's why the message of the Gospel based on that history is true.' If Ham is the most prominent torchbearer for creationism today, he's hardly alone. Polls generally show that somewhere between 1 in 6 and 1 in 3 Americans hold beliefs consistent with young-Earth creationism, depending on how the question is asked. A 2024 Gallup poll found that 37% of U.S. adults agreed that 'God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so.' That percentage is down a little, but not dramatically, from its mid-40s level between the 1980s and 2012. Rates are higher among religious and politically conservative respondents. 'Scopes lost, but the public sense was that the fundamentalists lost' and were dwindling away, says William Vance Trollinger Jr., a professor of history and religious studies at the University of Dayton in Ohio. But the reach of Answers in Genesis demonstrates that 'a significant subset of Americans hold to young-Earth creationism,' says Trollinger, co-author with his wife, English professor Susan Trollinger, of the 2016 book 'Righting America at the Creation Museum.' Leading science organizations say it's crucial to teach evolution and old-Earth geology. Evolution is 'one of the most securely established of scientific facts,' says the National Academy of Sciences. The Geological Society of America states: 'Evolution and the directly related concept of deep time are essential parts of science curricula.' The issue has been repeatedly legislated and litigated since the Scopes trial. Tennessee repealed its anti-evolution law in 1967. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1968 that a similar Arkansas law was an unconstitutional promotion of religion, and in 1987 it overturned a Louisiana law requiring that creationism be taught alongside evolution. A federal court in 2005 similarly forbade a Pennsylvania school district to present 'intelligent design,' a different approach to creationism that argues life is too complex to have evolved by chance. Some lawmakers have recently revived the issue. The North Dakota Legislature this year debated a bill that would have allowed public school teaching on intelligent design. A new West Virginia law vaguely allows teachers to answer student questions about 'scientific theories of how the universe and/or life came to exist.' The Scopes trial set a template for today's culture-war battles, with efforts to expand vouchers for attendees of private schools, including Christian ones teaching creationism; and to introduce Bible-infused lessons and Ten Commandments displays in public schools. Such efforts alarm science educators such as Bill Nye, the television 'Science Guy,' whose 2014 debate with Ham was billed as 'Scopes II' and has generated millions of video views online. 'What you get out of religion, as I understand it, is this wonderful sense of community,' Nye says. 'Community is very much part of the human experience. But the Earth is not 4,000 years old. To teach that idea to children with any backing — be it religious or these remarkable ideas that humans are not related to, for example, chimpanzees or bonobos — is breathtaking. It's silly. And so we fight this fight.' Nye notes that the evidence is overwhelming, ranging from fossil layers to the distribution of species. 'There are trees older than Mr. Ham thinks the world is,' he adds. One weekday in March, visitors milled about the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum, which draw an estimated 1.5 million visits per year (including duplicate visits). 'We are church-going, Bible-believing Christians,' says Louise van Niekerk of Ontario, Canada, who traveled with her family to the Creation Museum. She's concerned that her four children are faced with a public school curriculum permeated with evolution. The Creation Museum, Van Niekerk says, 'is encouraging a robust alternate worldview from what they're being taught.' Many religious groups accommodate evolution, though. Gallup's survey found that among Americans who believe in evolution, more say it happened with God's guidance (34%) than without it (24%). In the Roman Catholic Church, popes have shown openness to evolution while insisting that the human soul is a divine creation. Many liberal Protestants and even some evangelicals have accepted at least parts of evolutionary theory. But among many evangelicals, creationist belief is strong. The Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest evangelical body, has promoted creationist beliefs in its publications. The Assemblies of God asserts that Adam and Eve were historical people. Some evangelical schools, such as Bryan's namesake college in Tennessee, affirm creationist beliefs in their doctrinal statements. Just as Ham says the creation story is important to defend a larger truth about the Christian Gospel, critics say more is at stake than just the human origin story. The Trollingers wrote that the Answers in Genesis enterprise is an 'arsenal in the culture war.' They say it aligns with Christian nationalism, promoting conservative views in theology, family and gender roles, and casting doubt on other areas of scientific consensus, such as human-made climate change. Nye, too, says the message fits into a more general and ominous anti-science movement. 'Nobody is talking about climate change right now,' he laments. Exhibits promote a 'vengeful and violent' God, says Susan Trollinger, noting the cross on the ark's large door, which analogizes that just as the wicked perished in the flood, those without Christ face eternal hellfire. And there are more parallels to 1925. Bryan had declaimed, 'How can teachers tell students that they came from monkeys and not expect them to act like monkeys?' The Creation Museum, which depicts violence, drugs and other social ills as resulting from belief in evolution, is 'Bryan's social message on steroids,' wrote Edward Larson in a 2020 afterword to 'Summer for the Gods,' a Pulitzer Prize-winning account of the Scopes trial. The protests that initially greeted the museum and ark projects, from secularist groups who considered them embarrassments to Kentucky, have ebbed. When the state initially denied a tourism tax rebate for the Ark Encounter because of its religious nature, a federal court overturned that ruling. Representing Ham's group was a Louisiana lawyer named Mike Johnson — now speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. And Ham's massive ministry charges forward. Expansion is next, with Answers in Genesis attractions planned for Pigeon Forge, Tenn., and Branson, Mo. — tourist hubs offering more opportunities to promote creationism to the masses. Todd Bigelow, visiting the Ark Encounter from Mesa, Ariz., says he believes that the exhibit vividly evoked the safety that Noah and his family must have felt. It helped him appreciate 'the opportunities God gives us to live the life we have, and hopefully make good choices and repent when we need to,' he says. 'I think,' Bigelow adds, 'God and science can go hand in hand.' Smith writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Dylan Lovan contributed to this report.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Could this be Noah's Ark? See mysterious site in Turkey
DOGUBAYAZIT, Turkey (WJW) — New soil tests and enhanced ground-penetrating radar scans from the Durupinar formation — a boat-shaped site in eastern Turkey long linked to the biblical story of Noah's Ark — have added support to the theory that a man-made structure lies beneath the surface. The findings, released by the Noah's Ark Scans project in collaboration with Turkish and U.S. researchers, reveal significant anomalies in both soil composition and underground geometry that experts say point to the possibility of an artificial structure buried in ancient mudflow. 'She's a miracle': Toddler bit twice by rattlesnake, received more than 30 vials of antivenom Soil samples taken in September 2024 and analyzed in December show elevated levels of organic matter and potassium — indicators of decayed wood or organic structures, according to a press release. 'The soil composition is markedly different from the natural mudflow, indicating something extraordinary at this site,' said William Crabtree, the lead soil scientist on the project. 'These are not the readings you'd expect from undisturbed geologic formations.' Alongside the soil analysis, a re-examination of 3D GPR scans conducted in 2019 has uncovered distinct architectural patterns, the group reported. Using advanced imaging tools, researchers identified a 234-foot-long corridor and symmetrical, right-angled features as deep as 20 feet, which appear to resemble rooms or hallways. 'The presence of these right-angled formations strongly suggests intelligent design,' said Andrew Jones, the lead investigator of the scans. 'Natural geology doesn't typically create structures like this.' Local lottery ticket wins $40K a year for 25 years 'The re-analysis confirms what we suspected: these are not random shapes in the mudflow. The presence of hallways and room-like structures points to a man-made origin for the boat shape,' Jones said. The Durupinar formation measures 515 feet in length — consistent with the biblical measurements of Noah's Ark — and lies near Mount Ararat, the traditional site linked to the flood narrative. Unlike the surrounding volcanic terrain, the site displays unique soil chemistry and geometric subsurface features that continue to intrigue researchers and biblical archaeologists alike. The Noah's Ark Scans team plans to conduct further testing, including more advanced geophysical surveys and potential core drilling in 2025 and Ark Scans is a joint initiative with Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University and international researchers. 'This is not just about archaeology,' Jones added. 'It's about using science to explore one of the world's oldest stories.' NewsNation interviewed the site's lead researcher. See more on that here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
