How many of you saw Iron Man 2 last weekend? If you did, you’re not alone. With over $128 million in ticket sales, the second film in the Iron Man trilogy now ranks as the fifth highest-grossing film debut of all time.
In this sequel, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is being slowly poisoned by the palladium in his suit of armor. While most moviegoers might leave the popcorn-littered theatre wondering what superpower they’d want or how they’d use it, others (like those who work with, or are themselves, scientists) might appreciate the talk about palladium and other chemical elements.
Palladium plays a helpful role in medicine, dentistry, water treatment, even arc reactors, among other things. But, just like that giant tub of extra-buttery popcorn, too much of this metal can be hazardous to your health. On the other hand too little of such metals, including iron, can also be dangerous. (A fact I’m all too aware of, having dealt with anemia most of my life.)
Life is dependent not just on the existence of elements, but on the just-right amount of them. And according to RTB astronomer Hugh Ross, Earth’s crust does, in fact, contain the “‘just-right’ quantities of all the elements necessary for the existence and sustenance of advanced land life.”
For example, though molybdenum can be harmful, it plays a “crucial and unique role in ‘nitrogen fixation’” (the process by which nitrogen is converted to ammonia). Without nitrogen fixation, land life cannot exist. And this fixation process cannot exist unless the just-right amount of molybdenum is present.
Hydrogen is another essential substance. In his article “Lightest Element, Heaviest Load,” RTB guest writer Dr. Christopher Wells (University of Notre Dame) notes,
Without hydrogen we wouldn’t have clear blue ocean waters or gasoline for our cars or steel or plastic to make cars.
We also wouldn’t have stars. And, of course, without stars there’s no us.
Not to be overlooked are uranium and thorium, both of which play vital roles in our planet’s plate tectonics and volcanic activity. Sure earthquakes and volcanic eruptions don’t sound very appealing, right? (Especially in light of the recent devastation caused in Haiti and Iceland.) Yet a highly stable level of seismic and volcanic activity is necessary for the development and sustainment of continents and oceans.
What’s most amazing here is that the just-right-for-life quantities of these elements are unique to planet Earth. So how do other planets stack up against ours? They don’t come close. When compared to other planets of similar size and distance from their stars, Earth’s ensemble of elements and compounds is radically different.
For example, we have 23,000 times more thorium and 2,400 times less nitrogen than other comparable planets.
Ross explains,
Today, the list of such uniquely abundant or scarce substances includes water, carbon, sulfur, phosphorous, uranium, and thorium. Each of these anomalous amounts proves to be a vital requirement for advanced life and a significant piece of evidence that Earth was supernaturally designed for humanity’s benefit.
And as the evidence continues to grow that Earth’s elemental abundances are unique, so too does our confidence that the Creator meant for us to be here.
–Sandra
Resources: See the latest issue of New Reasons to Believe for Hugh Ross’ article “Elemental Evidence for Earth’s Divine Design” and a table of Earth’s Anomalous Abundances.
It’s giveaway time! The first 10 comments to this post will receive a free copy of Hugh Ross’ May 2009 audio message titled “Why the Universe Is the Way It Is,” based on the book by the same title. Happy commenting!
May 14, 2010 at 10:21 am
Great facts. This is something that is greatly downplayed in the media (both scientific and “main-stream”). The “just-right-ness” of Earth is truly amazing.
May 14, 2010 at 10:31 am
Thanks for the comment, David. Please email publicity@reasons.org with your mailing address and we’ll get the May 2009 message “Why the Universe Is the Way It Is” out to you right away.
-Sandra
May 14, 2010 at 10:32 am
Great info. Always informative.
May 14, 2010 at 10:37 am
it seems on my end that my comments did not go through. lets try this again. Our GOD is so great. There is 0 chance that this is all by chance. I’m in awe with the designing of our, well, everything.
May 14, 2010 at 10:40 am
Thanks for the comments, Stephen and Rich. Be sure to email publicity@reasons.org with your mailing address for the giveaway! 🙂
-Sandra
May 14, 2010 at 10:46 am
Thanks for the good info. It is always nice to have more evidence for the fine-tuning of the universe and of course our planet. It seems to be growing as fast as scientific knowledge. Creation truly does declare the glory of the Lord.
May 14, 2010 at 10:52 am
To all those who commented, please be sure to email publicity@reasons.org with your mailing address, and please put “Take Two giveaway” in the subject line.
Thanks for reading!
-Sandra
May 14, 2010 at 12:10 pm
And here I was thinking this was a movie review! Hahaha:-) Always enjoy your articles and RTB.
May 14, 2010 at 5:52 pm
Hey – thanks for the giveaway and the blog article.
-Chuck
May 18, 2010 at 9:51 am
Taylor, Ramon, and Chuck
If you haven’t already done so, please be sure to email publicity@reasons.org with your mailing address. And don’t forget to put “Take Two giveaway” in the subject line. 🙂
Thanks for the comments. Keep ’em coming!
-Sandra
May 29, 2010 at 3:38 am
So, like, gee wiz. Won’t a billion years after the “primordial soup” randomly create the right balance of the elements, in their place, at their time, with their relavent constituents to allow disbelief to merrily saunter down the avenue?
I finally came to my happy and satisfying faith just 18 months ago (baptized in 1963). I, at times, wonder what is wrong with my belief because God’s creation and plan of salvation through faith in the promises established by the sacrifice of Christ Jesus MAKES PERFECT SENSE for man as he is.
Thank you for your information.