• Probability law • Bike path’s time has come • Gas tax cut • All invited to Ross presentation Probability law Common sense tells us that it is impossible to roll a 13 on a pair of gaming dice. But
• Probability law
• Bike path’s time has come
• Gas tax cut
• All invited to Ross presentation
Probability law
Common sense tells us that it is impossible to roll a 13 on a pair of gaming dice. But this can be proven with the math-ematical laws of probability. Dr. Emile Borel who first formulated the basic Law of Probability which states that the occurrence of an event where the chances are beyond 1 chance in 1050 (the 200th power is used for scientific calculations), is an event which we can state with certainty will never happen, regardless of the time allotted or how many opportunities could exist for the event to take place. For instance scientists agree that the chance of picking any given atom out of the entire universe is 1 chance in 1080.
Now amino acids occur in both right- and left-handed forms. However only left-handed amino acids can be used for the proteins of life. If only one right-handed amino acid is placed on the protein chain the protein is useless for life.
Proteins consist of thousands of amino acids in a very specific sequence. If just one amino acid is out of sequence the protein is again useless. Now, what is the probability in a pool of both right and left-handed amino acids, that at random, and completely by chance, all left-handed amino acids would combine in the very complex sequence necessary to form the 2000 different proteins necessary for an amoeba to have life. (Remember we are not even looking at the probability of its DNA forming by chance or that there has to be a special decoding language all ready present within the cell to make the DNA information meaningful. Nor are we considering that you cannot have oxygen or water present.) Nobel Prize winner in mathematics, Sir Fredrick Hoyle with a whole host of mathematicians and the aid of super computers calculated the probability to be 1 chance in 1040,000. That’s a 1 with 40,000 zeros after it! This number is far larger than Borel’s upper limit and makes the supposed spontaneous origin of life nothing short of impossibility! Sir Fredrick Hoyle, after his mathematical calculations were completed, stated in Nature, Vol. 294:105, November 12, 1981,
“…it is enough to bury Darwin and the whole Theory of Evolution. There was no primeval soup, neither on this planet nor any other; and if the beginning of life were not random, they must therefore have been the product of purposeful intelligence.”
Bike path’s time has come
Attn: Glenn Mickens
Glenn, you cited, in the OPINION section of The Garden Island, a study of almost 20 years ago that indicated a bike path is not needed now.
If we double that time frame using similar just “plain ‘ol observed” studies on the amount of cars on Kuhio Highway showed that on some days only about two cars a day would go from Kapa’a towards the north past Moloa’a. Many people still recall those “easy” days of Kaua’i. But thinking like you, that “your” bike study indicates no need for a bike path 20 years later (in a few years from now when portions of the bike path will be done) is the same as saying how could we have ever needed today the two bridges for public traffic over the Wailua River, and a Kapa’a town bypass, and three lanes on Kuhio Highway with coning the Kuhio Highway in the a.m.; and frozen traffic in Kapa’a in the heat of the summer … but we did and do need these things and more, even though the word “traffic” had not been used on Kaua’i a mere 40 years ago.
Let’s go an emergency step further … you yourself cry that the bike path must be used for transportation. How’s this very possible scenario. Re: ‘Iniki rears its ugly head … all the utility poles go down like before … how about fire, police, ambulance, and Civil Defense and National Guard locked down in Lihu’e as the Kuhio Highway may be shut down for days … our bike path from Lihu’e to Anahola just may be the artery that saves lives, etc., and feeds families and children.
Mr. Mickens, you do a lot of public good, but being a naysayer on an issue in which you clearly do not participate may be at the very least a little selfish. Sit along the bike path anywhere between Smoky Louie’s/Kapa’a swimming pool and the south end of Baby/Fuji Beach. Check bike sales and rentals at the local bike shops and the big-box places in Lihu’e.
Glenn, the bike path is an idea whose time has come; stay out of the way and let current and future generations have this access to our shoreline and improved personal health; and back-up emergency transport.
Gas tax cut
Recently in The Garden Island, I read about the possible 13 cents per gallon cut the Kaua’i government is thinking of giving us. This money, they say, is used for repaving projects.
Well, hooray! Give us the 13 cents per gallon cut, because as far as I can see, there is no repaving going on on this island anyhow. Where does all this money go for repaving? Am I the only one who drives around, from pothole to pothole, tank trap to tank trap, on every single road on this island? Why is it that the other islands have money for paving?
Having recently been to Maui, I have seen their beautiful roads. Also, the Big Island’s roads are great! What is wrong with Kaua’i? Can someone in charge please write in to the newspaper and inform us of any forthcoming paving projects? I’m on my way to have my car’s front end aligned…. again. Please let me know before more damage is done to my car. Mahalo.
All invited to Ross presentation
I have been very much enjoying the Evolution vs. Intelligent Design debate occurring on this page. The arguments from both sides have been intriguing enough to keep me reading even though my personal beliefs have been shamelessly ridiculed by the Pro-Evolution camp. In an editorial last week I was lumped together with a group of people labeled “wingnuts and boobs” (I guess we haven’t evolved beyond insults and mockery!)
However, contrary to what you are used to seeing in the media, not all Intelligent Design theorists are bible-thumping backwoods hicks who wouldn’t know a quasar if it jumped in their lap. And likewise, not all scientists, even pro-evolution scientists, are strict atheists.
With this in mind, I have great news for everybody interested in this debate. Coming to Kaua’i is astrophysicist Dr. Hugh Ross and his team of accredited and credible scientists. On Friday night, Oct. 21, at the Kauai Performing Arts Building at KCC, he and his team will present their testable model for intelligent design, with a question and answer period to follow. I strongly urge anyone interested in this debate to attend. Their goal is to stimulate thinking, discussion and give those who struggle to assimilate the sciences with their faith, confidence and a much bigger picture of God than perhaps they had before. These guys have been invited to speak at over 300 university campuses and I would especially challenge all skeptics to attend.
There is no charge for admission to this event. Bring a friend and an open mind, all opinions will be respected.
