Science

During a gathering of entrepreneurs in Las Vegas one of the speakers was a brand architect at Lego. During his presentation, he handed each attendee six Lego bricks. Then he asked them to estimate the number of unique combina¬tions that could be created with those six bricks. This sounded like a trick question, so one attendee aimed high and guessed several hundred combina¬tions. That left him several hundred million short of the actual answer!

Are you ready for this? The total number of possible permutations—six bricks with eight studs each—is 915,403,765. Nearly a billion possible permutations with six Lego bricks!

While the number of possible Lego combinations is mind-boggling, it pales in comparison to the sheer complexity and potential combinations found within DNA. Here's why:

Legos have a limited number of ways they can connect. DNA, on the other hand, uses four different "bases" (adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine) that can pair in specific ways. However, the sequence of these base pairs is what carries the genetic information, and this sequence can vary enormously.

A single strand of DNA can contain millions or even billions of these base pairs. A gene, which is a specific segment of DNA, might be hundreds or thousands of base pairs long. The number of possible sequences for a gene, let alone an entire DNA molecule, is astronomically huge.

To give you a sense of the scale, the human genome contains roughly 3 billion base pairs.
Even a relatively short gene of 1,000 base pairs has 4^1000 possible sequences (4 because there are 4 bases). That's a 4 followed by 1,000 zeros, a number far exceeding the number of atoms in the known universe!

Possible Preaching Angle:
The information encoded in DNA is incredibly vast and precisely organized, making the Lego analogy seem in comparison. It serves as a powerful reminder of the awe-inspiring power and intelligence behind creation and is a testimony to the purposeful Creator behind life.

Don’t die. That’s the simple mission statement of Bryan Johnson, tech entrepreneur, who is on a mission to extend his life as long as possible. He is not alone in this quest. In fact, the preoccupation with longevity is everywhere. Entrepreneurs are using AI to crack the longevity code. Cities are vying to be the new “longevity hubs.”

Most of the longevity movement is not really about immortality but rather about extending life and limiting the damaging effects of aging. Of course, we all want longevity. The danger of Johnson’s obsessive approach is spending so much time trying to extend your life that you never quite get around to living it.

Indeed, keeping death close—even while pushing it as far into the future as we can—has many lessons to teach us about life…. Death can help us focus our attention on living our best life, because there’s nothing that can teach us more about how to live life than death. Death is the most universal experience, yet we will do anything and everything we can to curtain it off, to avoid dealing with the only plot twist that we know for sure will be in our story’s last act.

Here lies the crux of the error of those that see human beings solely as material beings, they have confused an immortal soul with an immortal body. As the philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin put it, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”

When we don’t allow death into our lives, we lose the clarity, perspective, and wisdom that only death can bring. That’s why psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross called death the key to the door of life: “It is the denial of death that is partially responsible for people living empty, purposeless lives; for when you live as if you’ll live forever, it becomes too easy to postpone the things you know that you must do.”

Scientists in China are working on an AI tool that they hope will be able to translate animal noises into human language. Much like the technology used in Disney’s movie Up, the goal is to translate animal communication into human communication to facilitate cross-species dialogue.

While research is unclear whether or not this is possible, some work is currently being done with dogs to see if they are able to use a tactile mats to communicate with their owners.

The desire to talk with our pets and other animals is a common one. Dating back to Ancient Greece and the myth of Melampus and more recently the book and movie series Dr. Doolittle, humans have been fascinated with the idea of being able to speak with our furry counterparts.

Even the Bible includes a story of a miraculous event where a Donkey is given the ability to warn his rider in Numbers 22.

Our desire and inability to talk to animals points to a valuable Biblical truth: We have things in common with animals, but we are necessarily distinct. In the Creation narrative of Genesis 1 and 2 we see God creating animals and humans on the same day, and yet with very different processes. And ultimately, only humans are made in His own divine image.

In a piece for Wired magazine, Claire Evans explores the surprising inability of scientists to create a computer simulation of a creature as seemingly basic and simple as a microscopic nematode (roundworm). The goal is "nothing less than a digital twin of the real worm, accurate down to the molecule."

Evans and others are asking: "Why, in the face of everything our precarious green world endures, of all the problems out there to solve, would anyone spend 13 years trying to code a microscopic worm into existence?"

The most basic answer is that "For much of its history, biology has been driven by the principle that the best way to understand the mind-boggling complexity of living things is to dissect them into their constituent parts—organs, cells, proteins, molecules. But life isn’t a clockwork; it’s a dynamic system. To truly understand life, you can’t just break it down. You have to be able to put it back together, too."

With less than a thousand cells in its body this worm can “reproduce, it can eat, it can forage, it can escape. It’s born and it develops, and it ages and it dies—all in a millimeter…. We know the wiring; we don’t know the dynamics. You would think that’s an ideal problem for a physicist or a computer scientist or a mathematician to solve.'

For an accurate computer simulation to be created, neuroscientist Gal Haspel estimates that pulling it off may take up to 10 years, cost tens of millions of dollars, and require something in the neighborhood of 100,000 to 200,000 real-life worms.

And what, in the end, will the reverse engineers have to show for it? Haspel said, 'All these people and all these computers. And we’ll end up doing what one little animal can do right now.'”

In his book, A Million Little Miracles, Mark Batterson believes we’re walking through a world brimming with the miraculous—we just don’t have the eyes to see it.

“There are miracles happening all around us all the time, hidden in plain sight,” Batterson says. “If you miss them, life can become a little bit of a chore and a bore. But if you rediscover the miracle that is life, it takes on a different dimension.”

It’s not just the big, cinematic miracles—the Red Sea parting or a blind man seeing. It’s the fact that we’re currently spinning at 1,000 miles per hour on a planet hurtling through space at 67,000 miles per hour, all while our bodies conduct trillions of biochemical reactions every second.

What if the real problem isn’t that miracles are rare—it’s that we’ve trained ourselves not to notice them? Psychologists call it “inattentional blindness.” If something is constant—like the sun rising, our hearts beating, or our lungs breathing—we stop paying attention to it. Batterson explains, “We should be startled by the sun, not the eclipse.”

The same is true of our own bodies. Batterson says:

Right now, you have 37 sextillion biochemical reactions happening inside of you. Your heart will beat 100,000 times today, pumping six quarts of blood through 60,000 miles of veins, arteries, and capillaries—that’s twice the circumference of the Earth. And yet, we go about our day saying, ‘Well, I’ve never seen a miracle.’ With all due respect, you’ve never not seen one. In fact, you are one.”

So how do we start seeing the miracles around us? Learn to take nothing for granted. To wake up each day and marvel at the ordinary. To stop waiting for the grand, spectacular moment and realize that the spectacular is happening all around us, all the time. And maybe, just maybe, if we start paying attention, we’ll realize that life itself is the miracle we’ve been waiting for.

On a cloudless November night in 1572, Tycho Brahe observed an unusually bright star in the northern sky that suddenly appeared in the constellation Cassiopeia. It had been assumed since antiquity that anything beyond the moon's orbit was eternally immutable. That star, SN 1572, is now classified as a supernova that is 7,500 light-years from Earth.

By 1592, Tycho Brahe had cataloged 777 stars. His mapping of those fixed stars blazed a trail for his protege, Johannes Kepler, to discover the laws that govern planetary motion. Several centuries later, it was a telescope named in Kepler's honor—the Kepler space telescope—that would catalog 530,506 stars.

Tycho Brahe is widely regarded as the greatest observer of the skies who had ever lived, but even Brahe couldn't have imagined the existence of half a million stars. And that's the tip of the iceberg. Astronomers now estimate the existence of more than two trillion gal¬axies. Each of those two trillion galaxies has an average of one hundred billion stars. Do the math, and that adds up to two hundred sextillion stars in the observable universe.

The point? Creation is much larger than any of us can imagine! And the same goes for the Creator. Like Tycho Brahe, some of us are quite content with our catalog of 777 stars. We think that's all there is. We've settled for a god we can measure and manage. If that's you, your god is too small.

Possible Preaching Angle: Why did God tell Abram to count the stars? (Gen. 15:5). God was messing with his mind, in a good way. He was giving Abram a nightlight—a visual reminder of both his history and his destiny. The same God who hung the stars in the sky can give you descendants. Faith adds God to every equation. When you do that, five loaves plus two fish equals all-you-can-eat for five thousand people. And there is more left over than you started with.

Humans have color vision because our eyes contain three types of cone cells. One cone helps us see blue, another to see green, and the third to see red. This is called trichromatic vision. The brain combines signals from these three types of cones to perceive a wide range of colors, allowing humans to distinguish millions of different colors from periwinkle to chartreuse.

There is, however, a rare breed living among us called tetrachro¬mats. They possess a fourth cone, allowing them to see a hundred mil¬lion colors that are invisible to the rest of us. For every color a trichromat sees, a tetrachromat perceives a hundred hues!

I can't help but wonder if we'll get a fifth cone in heaven, enabling us to perceive a billion colors. Or perhaps a sixth, seventh, or hun¬dredth cone! By earthly standards, we'll have extrasensory perception. Everything will smell better, taste better, sound better, feel better, and look better. With our newly glorified senses, we'll hear angel octaves.

Remember when Elisha was surrounded by the Aramean army? He said to his very confused assistant, "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." Elisha prayed that the Lord would open his servant's eyes, and it's almost like God created an extra cone. "He looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."

Possible Preaching Angle: If our spiritual eyes were opened, what would we see? We'd see what's really happening! We'd see guardian angels, as the scriptures describe them ministering to those who will inherit salvation (Heb. 1:14). We'd discern the manifest presence of God, perhaps like Moses who encountered God's glory on the mountain or Isaiah in God’s throne room (Exod. 33:18-23; Isa. 6:1-7). We'd perceive powers and principalities, those unseen forces at work in the world, as Paul warns us about (Eph. 6:12).

Amazon has unveiled its latest innovation in warehouse automation: Vulcan, a state-of-the-art robot equipped with touch-sensitive technology. Currently being piloted in fulfillment centers in Spokane, Washington and Hamburg, Germany, Vulcan represents a significant leap forward in robotic dexterity and efficiency. Unlike previous warehouse robots, Vulcan can “feel” its way around packages, allowing it to handle a wider variety of items with greater precision and care.

The introduction of Vulcan is part of Amazon’s ongoing commitment to improving both the speed and safety of its logistics operations. According to Amazon’s robotics division, “Vulcan’s ability to sense and adapt to the objects it handles is a game-changer for our fulfillment process.” The robot’s touch sensors enable it to detect the size, shape, and fragility of packages, reducing the risk of damage and improving overall workflow.

Warehouse employees working alongside Vulcan have noted the robot’s smooth integration into daily operations. The company also emphasizes that Vulcan is designed to work collaboratively with human staff, not replace them. “Our goal is to make our employees’ jobs easier and safer by automating repetitive or strenuous tasks,” an Amazon spokesperson explained. Regardless of its current level of efficacy, the e-commerce giant still reserves its most important tasks for humans.

As Amazon continues to expand its use of advanced robotics, Vulcan stands out as a symbol of the future of warehouse automation—a future where machines and humans work together more seamlessly than ever before.

Possible Preaching Angles:

1) Idolatry; Technology; Trust - The Bible warns against placing ultimate trust in human inventions or allowing technology to become an idol, such as the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1-9). Trust should be placed in God, not in human innovation (Psa. 20:7); 2) Cooperation, Teamwork - Vulcan is designed to augment, not replace, human workers, echoing the biblical theme of shared labor and partnership in work (Ecc. 4:9)

A reporter for Business Insider writes:

Recently, my family group chat buzzed when I asked if we should say "please" and "thank you" to ChatGPT when making requests. My mother, always polite, insisted on using manners with AI to "keep myself human."

As AI like ChatGPT becomes part of daily life, our interactions with these tools are shaping new social norms. Digital etiquette expert Elaine Swann notes that, just as we've adapted to new technology—like knowing not to take phone calls on speaker in public—we're still figuring out how to treat AI bots.

Kelsey Vlamis, another Business Insider reporter, noticed this shift personally. While vacationing in Italy, her husband had to stop himself from interrupting their tour guide with rapid-fire questions, realizing that’s how he interacts with ChatGPT but not with people. "That is not, in fact, how we talk to human beings," Vlamis said.

Swann emphasizes that maintaining respect in all interactions—human or digital—is important. After OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed on X that it costs "tens of millions of dollars" to process polite phrases like "please" and "thank you" sent to ChatGPT, Swann argued that it’s up to companies to make this more efficient, not for users to drop politeness.

"This is the world that we create for ourselves," Swann said. "And AI should also understand that this is how we speak to one another, because we're teaching it to give that back to us."

Altman, for his part, believes the expense is justified, saying the money spent on polite requests to ChatGPT is money "well spent."

As we navigate this new era, how we interact with AI may shape not just our technology, but our humanity as well.

Possible Preaching Angle:

This story about politeness toward AI can be used to illustrate several Biblical themes, such as human dignity, respectful communication, and ethical responsibility. 1) Kindness – Making kindness a habit reflects the nature of God (Eph. 4:32); 2) Human nature – The mother’s desire to “keep myself human” through politeness reflects the imperative of Col. 3:12 “Clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” 3) Respect for others - The husband’s struggle to avoid ChatGPT-style interruptions with his tour guide highlights the tension between efficiency and humility (Phil. 2:3-4).

Harvard geneticist David Sinclair’s business pitch has remained largely the same: Aging can be slowed or reversed, and we are about to figure out how.

“A lot of my colleagues dislike that phrase, the reversibility of aging,” he told a roomful of longevity investors. “But I truly believe that, based on my lab’s research and now others, that aging can be reversed. If I can make one medicine that would change people’s lives, I’d be very happy.” Sinclair also has co-founded companies that sell directly to consumers products such as supplements and tests that purport to show one’s “biological age.” He has also helped raise more than $1 billion.

But according to a report in The Wall Street Journal, the investors have almost nothing to show for it. Four companies trying to develop longevity drugs have gone bankrupt or largely halted operations. Another four either haven’t yet tested their drugs or gene therapies in humans or have run only small-scale trials that make it difficult to know whether a drug will work.

Sinclair has drawn criticism from fellow scientists, who say he exaggerates the findings and implications of age-related research. The board of the Academy for Health and Lifespan Research, a group Sinclair co-founded and led, asked him to resign as president earlier this year after he was quoted as saying a dog chew sold by a company he co-founded reversed aging in dogs.

Possible Preaching Angles:

It looks like we’re still living in the reality of the Fall, that human beings will age, grow old, and eventually die. We are still mortal!

Max Evans-Browning, a five-year-old from Wales, captured hearts worldwide by creating a touching tribute to Sir David Attenborough’s 99th birthday. Max spent four days drawing 99 animals — one for each year of the renowned naturalist’s life — demonstrating his admiration and artistic dedication.

Max’s project spanned eight A3 sheets, and his parents proudly shared, “He’s a huge fan of Sir David and wanted to do something special to celebrate his birthday.” The child’s detailed and colorful drawings include a wide variety of animals, from familiar pets to exotic wildlife, showcasing his keen interest in nature at a young age.

Attenborough himself has been a source of inspiration for many generations, and Max’s artistic gift is a heartfelt homage to the man whose documentaries have shaped public understanding of the natural world. Max’s mother said, “It’s amazing to see such creativity and enthusiasm in a child so young.”

The tribute also highlights the power of youthful curiosity and creativity in fostering a connection with nature and science. Max’s drawings not only celebrate a milestone birthday but also encourage others to appreciate the diversity of life on Earth.

Local media praised Max’s efforts as “a wonderful example of how children can be inspired by science and nature.” The story has resonated globally, reminding people of all ages to cherish the natural world and those who dedicate their lives to protecting it.

Possible Preaching Angle:

Like Max’s art honors Attenborough and creation, our worship honors God through our gifts and love for what He made.

A mallard duck was caught on a speed camera flying at 52 km/h (32 mph) in a 30 km/h zone, in the Swiss town of Köniz, near Bern. The event took place recently and has sparked a mix of amusement and fascination among locals and media alike.

What makes the story more intriguing is that a similar incident happened on the exact same date and location seven years prior, leading officials to jokingly suggest the duck might be a repeat offender. Officials from the local police department noted the odd coincidence: “The chance that the same bird would be flying at the exact same speed at the exact same spot seven years apart is remarkable.”

While no actual ticket was issued, the incident has sparked conversations about wildlife and human technology intersections. The story has since gained traction on social media, highlighting the lighter side of law enforcement and wildlife encounters. Residents of Köniz shared their amusement, with one saying, “It’s not every day you get to see a duck caught speeding!”

Possible Preaching Angle:

The story of the duck reminds us of the beauty and unpredictability of God’s creatures, and how even in a world full of human rules and technology, animals continue to live according to their own rhythms.

Okay, you've probably heard that well-worn illustration about how geese fly in V-formation. Well, here's a new twist about how the U.S. Air Force is starting to learn a thing or two from our geese friends. The Air Force calls it vortex surfing.

An Air Force scientist explained what they're learning from one of God's creatures: "People have been looking at how we can fly like birds since the earliest stages of aviation." So, here's how it works: The wingtips of every plane generate swirling coils of air called vortices. If an airplane is positioned in the right spot, the updraft from the vortex will help keep the airplane aloft. By surfing that vortex, we can transfer the energy that is lost by the lead aircraft and you can recapture some of that energy.

The Air Force consumes approximately 2 billion gallons of aviation fuel annually. Since the Air Mobility Command accounts for 60% of the Air Force's annual fuel bill, the savings from flying its large transports in a more efficient way could be significant. Another 5 to 15% fuel savings have been recorded for a fighter jet flying in the wake of a passenger jet.

So why hasn't anyone thought of doing this before now? The answer is avionics and incentive: The jet instrumentation needed to keep the planes in a safe, tight formation is much better than it used to be. Now, tie that to budget constraints as Congress scrutinizes military spending.

Possible Preaching Angle:

And all that was learned by following Jesus' advice to "consider the birds of the field."

Garfield, Puss in Boots, Aristocats' Toulouse – cultural icons maybe, but most certainly orange. Scientists across two continents have made a breakthrough in understanding the genetics behind the distinctive orange coloration in cats. They discovered that orange cats are missing a section of their genetic code, which means the cells responsible for their skin, eye and fur tone produce lighter colors.

Male cats have an X and a Y chromosome, and if the gene for fur color on their single X chromosome codes for orange, they'll be fully orange. Female cats have two X chromosomes, so they need that orange gene on both X chromosomes to be fully orange; otherwise, they're more likely to have mixed colors.

This finding not only solves a genetic puzzle but also opens doors for further research into feline genetics and pigmentation. Dr. Lisa Smith from Stanford remarked, “Understanding the genetic basis of coat color can help us learn more about gene regulation and inheritance.”

This breakthrough not only enriches our understanding of cats, one of the world’s most beloved pets, but also underscores the intricate relationship between genetics and appearance in animals.

Possible Preaching Angle:

Uniqueness is woven into the very DNA of creation—evidence of God’s intention, diversity, and creativity.

In a remarkable fusion of art and science, researchers have unveiled Anauchen picasso, a newly discovered microsnail species from Southeast Asia, named in honor of the iconic artist Pablo Picasso. This tiny creature, measuring less than 5 millimeters, boasts a uniquely angular shell that evokes the geometric forms of Cubist art. The team described it as resembling "a cubist interpretation of other snails with 'normal' shell shapes."

This species is one of 46 newly documented microsnails found in Southeast Asia. One researcher wrote, “Although the shell sizes of these snails are less than 5 mm, they are real beauties! Their shells exhibit extraordinary complexity.”

The complexity is not merely aesthetic. The snail has an aperture lined with tooth-like barriers, likely serving as defense against predators. Even more unusually, some of the snails carry their shells with the opening turned either upward or downward—creating an “upside-down” orientation. These details, including the shape and orientation of the final shell whorl, were key to distinguishing between species.

Some of the species were found in recent fieldwork, while others had been overlooked in museum archives for decades, collected all the way in the 1980s. Tragically, many of the snail habitats may no longer exist due to widespread deforestation and limestone quarrying in the region—two major threats to these endemic creatures.

The naming of Anauchen picasso not only pays tribute to artistic innovation but also underscores the intricate beauty and diversity found in nature's smallest creations. This discovery highlights the intersection of art, science, and conservation, reminding us that even the tiniest organisms can inspire awe and appreciation.

Potential Preaching Angles:

When we pay close attention to God’s creation, we can rediscover wonder and joy. God is the master artist, and continually displays His glory through the details of His creation.

Scientists at UC Berkeley have developed a groundbreaking technology called Oz that uses laser light to make people see a completely new color — a dazzling, ultra-saturated blue-green they named olo. This new hue is unlike anything found in nature.

“Olo” was described as “a profoundly saturated teal … the most saturated natural color was just pale by comparison,” said Austin Roorda, one of Oz’s creators. The platform works by firing precise, tiny bursts of laser light at up to 1,000 light-sensitive cells — called photoreceptors — in the eye at once. With this control, researchers can make people see shapes, moving images, and especially colors that aren't normally visible.

The name Oz is a nod to The Wizard of Oz — a journey to an unknown land with sights never seen before. “We chose Oz to be the name because it was like we were going on a journey to the land of Oz to see this brilliant color that we’d never seen before,” said James Carl Fong, a doctoral student who helped develop the system.

Typically, humans see color using three kinds of cone cells in the retina: one each for blue, green, and red. But because green and red cones respond to very similar light, it's impossible in nature to trigger just the green ones alone. Oz overcomes this by activating only the green cones with laser light, letting people see what might be the “greenest green” ever — olo.

In experiments, people described olo as peacock green or blue-green, and far more intense than even a laser pointer’s green. “When I pinned olo up against other monochromatic light, I really had that ‘wow’ experience,” said Roorda.

Beyond just making people see new colors, Oz could help study vision loss and even explore whether we can expand how humans perceive color. As Roorda puts it: “I think that the human brain is this really remarkable organ that does a great job of making sense of inputs, existing or even new.”

Possible Preaching Angle:

God’s light also reveals spiritual truths beyond our innate understanding

The owners of Captain's Quarters Riverside Grille in Kentucky have come up with a unique strategy to protect their restaurant from floodwaters. As the Ohio River floodwaters encroached, co-owner Andrew Masterson shared their plan: intentionally flooding the building with clean water to keep the dirty floodwaters out. In a Facebook live video, Masterson demonstrated how he and his team used sinks, faucets, and a well water pump to fill the restaurant with about six feet of fresh water. "We disconnected kitchen equipment and electrical panels beforehand," Masterson explained.

The method relies on maintaining a barrier of clean water to prevent the muddy floodwater from entering the building. Masterson believes that this strategy, if successful, could save the restaurant from costly cleanup. "If this works, it will save us a lot of time and money in the future," he said.

Despite the ingenuity of the plan, Masterson expressed concerns about the rising water levels, noting that they could still breach the restaurant through windows, doors, or ductwork if the floodwaters exceed six feet.

Possible Preaching Angle:

In a similar we can guard our hearts and minds by filling it full of pure things. God wants to fill us up with His Spirit so that we’re not overcome by the world’s evil.

In the quiet fields of Jackson County, Michigan, something wild—and wildly unexpected—was caught on camera: a zedonk, the rare hybrid offspring of a zebra and a donkey. With the sturdy build of a donkey and the striking black-and-white stripes of a zebra only on its hindquarters and legs, this animal is turning heads and stirring up scientific curiosity.

The unusual creature first drew attention when local police received early morning calls about a donkey obstructing traffic. But when officers arrived at the scene, they realized it wasn’t just any donkey—it was a zedonk. Unlike a zonkey, which is the result of a zebra father and a donkey mother, a zedonk comes from a zebra mother and a donkey father. This distinction matters to biologists because the parentage can affect both appearance and behavior in hybrid offspring.

Officers found the animal had already wandered into a pasture just north of the reported location. It turned out the zedonk had escaped from a nearby farm known for breeding hybrid animals. Fortunately, authorities confirmed that there was no sign of mistreatment or neglect contributing to the escape.

"Occasional escapes are just part of livestock farming," Public Safety Director Darin McIntosh told local reporters.

The zedonk’s brief adventure was caught on film. A local resident’s home security camera recorded the hybrid calmly strolling near parked vehicles, giving locals and officials alike an up-close look at this striking anomaly of nature.

Police later confirmed that the zedonk was unharmed during its wanderings. The zedonk now stands as a living reminder that nature still has surprises in store—and sometimes, they come with stripes.

Possible Preaching Angle:

The appearance of a rare and unexpected zedonks reminds us that God’s creation can surprise us, and that He often uses the unusual to capture our attention and teach us. Creation, in its diversity, is meant to bring glory and praise to its Maker.

Have you ever wondered what happens in your brain while you sleep? A good night's sleep does more than just help you feel rested; it might literally clear your mind.

A study published in the journal Cell shows how deep sleep may wash away waste buildup in the brain during waking hours, an essential process for maintaining brain health. According to one researcher, “It’s like turning on the dishwasher before you go to bed and waking up with a clean brain.”

Research sheds light on how deep sleep plays a crucial role in “cleaning” the brain by flushing out waste products that accumulate during waking hours. This process, known as glymphatic clearance, is driven by the brain’s glymphatic system to remove toxic proteins associated with neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.

The study identified norepinephrine, a molecule released during deep sleep, as a key player in this process. Researchers observed in mice that norepinephrine waves occur roughly every 50 seconds, causing blood vessels to contract and create rhythmic pulsations. These pulsations act as a pump, propelling brain fluid to wash away waste.

These findings, which likely apply to humans, highlight the importance of high-quality, natural sleep for maintaining cognitive health. Poor sleep may disrupt waste clearance, potentially increasing the risk of neurological disorders. Researchers noted that understanding these mechanisms can help people make informed decisions about their sleep and overall brain health.

Possible Preaching Angle:

Sleep is a precious gift from God, reminding us of the importance of rest in our lives. By modeling rest himself, God teaches us that taking time to recharge is necessary. Renewing our minds is crucial, and rest allows us to do just that—refreshing our thoughts and rejuvenating our spirit.

Computers used for gaming include a graphics card (GPU) separate from the CPU (central processing unit). How many calculations do you think your graphics card performs every second while running video games with incredibly realistic graphics? Maybe 100 million calculations a second?

Well, 100 million calculations a second is what was required to run a Mario 64 from 1996. Today we need more power. Maybe 100 billion calculations a second? Well, then you would have a computer that could run Minecraft back in 2011.

In order to run the most realistic video games in 2024, such as Cyberpunk 2077, you would need a graphics card that can perform around 36 trillion calculations a second. This is an incredibly large number, so let’s take a second to try to conceptualize it.

Imagine doing a long multiplication problem, such as a seven-digit number times an 8-digit number, once every second. Now let’s say that everyone on our planet does a similar type of calculation, but with different numbers. To reach the equivalent computational power of our graphics card and its 36 trillion calculations a second, we would need about 4,400 Earths filled with people, all working at the same time and completing one calculation each every second. It’s rather mind boggling to think that one device can manage all those calculations.

Now, let’s move from gaming to the world of Artificial Intelligence which were trained using a large number of GPUs. A flagship Nvidia A100 GPU can perform 5 quadrillion calculations per second (a 5 followed by 15 zeros). In 2024, a medium sized AI will be trained using at least 8 GPUs. Very large models can use hundreds or even thousands of GPUs. In 2024 Elon Musk showcased Tesla’s ambitious new AI training supercluster named Cortex in Austin, Texas. The supercluster is made up of an array of 100,000 GPUs, each one performing 5 quadrillion calculations a second, using as much power as a small city.

Possible Preaching Angle:

1) Omniscience of God – While artificial intelligence has made remarkable strides, it cannot compare to God’s omniscience which far surpasses any human creation. He sees all, knows all, and understands the intricacies of every life. The hairs of every head are numbered (Matt. 10:30), the length of our lives is known (Psa. 139:16), and not even the smallest bird falling to the ground escapes his attention (Matt. 10:29); 2) Knowledge of God; Wisdom of God – AI can only process events after the fact, and perhaps anticipate some possible actions. But God knows all things, past, present, and things to come before they even happen (Isa. 46:10)

Editor’s Note: For an excellent statement of the omniscience of God, see A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy, (Harper, 2009) p. 62 “He knows instantly and with a fullness of perfection that includes every possible item of knowledge concerning everything that exists or could have existed anywhere in the universe at any time in the past or that may exist in the centuries or ages yet unborn….”