Report on the 2013 International Conference on Creationism | The Institute for Creation Research

Report on the 2013 International Conference on Creationism

In August, 354 creation scientists and supporters from nine different countries attended the 2013 International Conference on Creationism (ICC) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dozens of authors presented their peer-reviewed papers—nearly all of them technical in nature. Well represented at this year’s ICC, the Institute for Creation Research sent its entire science staff, several of whom presented a number of papers, which are also available for online viewing at www.icr.org.

Geologist Tim Clarey discussed gravity-driven “overthrusts,” showing that these geological features (in which older strata are found on top of younger strata) are exceptionally difficult to explain in an old-earth framework. However, they do fit the catastrophic, gravity-driven events that occurred during the Genesis Flood.1 Dr. Clarey was also the lead author on another paper discussing catastrophic earth movements.2

Geneticist Jeffrey Tomkins co-authored a paper that described how a reassessment of evolutionary literature, including previously published data, reveals a huge gap in DNA similarity between the human and chimpanzee genomes.3 The oft-touted figure of 98 percent DNA similarity was shown to be based on “cherry-picking” only the highly similar data and ignoring the many dissimilar regions between the two genomes.4 Dr. Tomkins also presented his own independent systematic chromosomal comparison results of the chimp and human genomes, indicating an average DNA similarity of only about 70 percent overall.5

Biologist and science writer Brian Thomas presented the phenomenon of original tissue fossils, including the Tyrannosaurus rex soft tissue discovered by paleontologist Mary Schweitzer and dozens of similar finds.6 The existence of such original tissue fossils is an enormous challenge for those who believe in an old earth, as biochemical decay rates are much too fast for fragile soft tissue to have survived for tens of millions of years.7

In addition to technical papers, ICC speakers shared informative talks during the evening sessions, and a lively panel also discussed meteorites within a biblical framework.

Russell Humphreys (Ph.D., physics), John Baumgardner (Ph.D., geophysics), and Steve Austin (Ph.D., geology) received the Byron C. Nelson Award for their significant contributions to creation science. Ken Ham, founder and president of Answers in Genesis, was honored with the Luther D. Sunderland Award for his contributions to the cause of biblical creation.

Those unable to attend the 2013 ICC in person can access recordings of the five informative evening sessions, which are currently available for online viewing until the end of December at www.creationicc.org. In addition, ICC attendees may view online recordings of the technical presentations and conference proceedings; proceedings from most of the earlier years may be purchased from the ICC website.

Many thanks to the Creation Research Foundation; Reid Moon, ICC Executive Committee Chairman; Mark Horstemeyer, ICC Editor; the technical referees; and all the other hard-working volunteers who helped to make this ICC a success!

References

  1. Clarey, T. L. 2013. South Fork and Heart Mountain Faults: Examples of Catastrophic, Gravity-driven “Overthrusts,” Northwest Wyoming, USA. In Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Creationism. M. Horstemeyer, ed. Pittsburgh, PA: Creation Science Fellowship.
  2. Clarey, T. L. et al. 2013. Superfaults and Pseudotachylytes: Evidence of Catastrophic Earth Movements. In Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Creationism. M. Horstemeyer, ed. Pittsburgh, PA: Creation Science Fellowship.
  3. Bergman, J. and J. Tomkins. 2013. The Chasm Between the Human and Chimpanzee Genomes: A Review of the Evolutionary Literature. In Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Creationism. M. Horstemeyer, ed. Pittsburgh, PA: Creation Science Fellowship.
  4. Tomkins, J. 2013. New Research Evaluating Similarities Between Human and Chimpanzee DNA. In Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Creationism. M. Horstemeyer, ed. Pittsburgh, PA: Creation Science Fellowship.
  5. Tomkins, J. 2013. Comprehensive Analysis of Chimpanzee and Human Chromosomes Reveals Average DNA Similarity of 70%. Answers Research Journal. 6 (1): 63-69.
  6. Thomas, B. 2013. A Review of Original Tissue Fossils and Their Age Implications. In Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Creationism. M. Horstemeyer, ed. Pittsburgh, PA: Creation Science Fellowship.
  7. Thomas, B. 2009. Dinosaur Soft Tissue Is Here to Stay. Acts & Facts. 38 (9): 18.

* Dr. Hebert is Research Associate at the Institute for Creation Research and received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Texas at Dallas.

Cite this article: Jake Hebert, Ph.D. 2013. Report on the 2013 International Conference on Creationism. Acts & Facts. 42 (11).

The Latest
CREATION.LIVE PODCAST
Struck: Risking It All for the Truth | Creation.Live Podcast:...
In this unique episode, host Trey talks with three key people involved in creating Struck—an upcoming miniseries that shows the special ties between...

NEWS
Giant Ants Buried in Receding Flood Rocks
Evolutionary scientists are baffled by a large ant fossil found in British Columbia, Canada. Known as Titanomyrma, this same ant had been found previously...

CREATION PODCAST
Why Do Animals Hibernate? | The Creation Podcast: Episode 45
The word hibernation is often used in reference to deep sleep, but what is it really? What kinds of creatures hibernate? How does this demonstrate the...

NEWS
Thalattosuchians—Extinct Crocodile Relatives?
The Thalattosuchia are an extinct group of marine crocodylomorphs (a group that includes the crocodiles) that allegedly transitioned from land to water...

NEWS
The Star-Nosed Mole
The star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata) is a fascinating semi-aquatic mammal found in eastern Canada and the United States. Moles (placental mammals)...

NEWS
The Hexagon: An Indication of Order and Design in Nature
In nature, noncoincidental patterns and geometry exist everywhere. But the number six appears to overshadow nature’s mathematical landscape. Whether...

NEWS
Neanderthal Crab Bake
The evolutionary science community said it perfectly in their headlines: “Proof that Neanderthals ate crabs is another 'nail in the coffin'...

CREATION PODCAST
Is There Any Truth to Dragon Legends? | The Creation Podcast:...
Dragons are considered by many to be made-up creatures in fairytales and legends, but our ancestors produced many descriptions and depictions of "dragons,"...

NEWS
Our Sun, Finely Tuned for Life on Earth
Aside from appreciating the splendor of the sun during a beautiful sunrise or sunset, many rarely consider how special, necessary, and finely tuned...

NEWS
March 2023 ICR Wallpaper
"Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; Sing praises on the harp to our God, Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who prepares rain for the earth, Who...