Book Review: The Evolution Cruncher

'The Evolution Cruncher' by Vance Ferrell: Scientific facts which annihilate evolutionary theory, a collection of facts to help insulate one from the desolating effects of evolutionary theory. 

The author tells in the beginning about the order to Graduate School of the Institute for Creation Research (ICR), that it would have to close its doors if it did not begin teaching evolutionary origins and processes in its science classes, is the spark, which led to this book.

Chapter 1 presents the evolutionary theory, and its position of disadvantage, in brief, through crisp statements like, Nothing + nothing = two elements + time = 92 natural elements + time = all physical laws and a completely structured universe of galaxies, systems, stars, planets, and moons orbiting in perfect balance and order. 

Or how, Mendel’s work laid the basis for modern genetics, and his discoveries effectively destroyed the basis for species evolution. The ardor shown by a few opposed to evolution contributed to its fame, he tells further. For example, "Someone inserted various dead microbes, and then covered it over with a surface appearing like the meteorite. The objective was to show that life came from outer space. But the hoax was later discovered". The next chapter is about the Big Bang and stellar evolution, where the elements of that theory is debunked one after the other. Like "The Big Bang should have produced a “homogeneous” universe of smooth gas ever flowing outward with, at best, almost no “non-homogeneities,” or “lumps” such as stars and island universes" Other theories like, the steady state universe, the oscillating universe, origin of solar system, etc are then disproved one after the other.

Next chapter examines the origin of earth. Here, the book lists down a large number of inconsistencies in the observed parameters, like age indicating rings of trees, to make a conclusion that the existing astronomical and other human records do not support evolutionists' data. Chapter 5 and the inconclusiveness of time causing the evolutionary changes, comes next. The production of DNA, how, protein and other essentials of life cannot happen as a random event, mutation, and its limits, etc. are discussed in the next few chapters. How unsatisfactory is the data we have gathered from fossils, the book then shows. Since there is no blending between them, evolution cannot occur today, and it never occurred earlier, it concludes. Finally the book examines the two pillars of evolution and the two laws that destroy them: 

"(1) Evolution teaches that matter is not conservative but self-originating; it can arise from nothing and increase. The First Law of Thermodynamics annihilates this error. 

(2) Evolution teaches that matter and living things keep becoming more complex, and continually evolve toward greater perfection. 

Just as inorganic matter becomes successively more ordered and perfect (via the Big Bang and stellar evolution), so living creatures are always evolving into higher planes of existence (via species evolution). The Second Law of Thermodynamics devastates this theory.

I found this book presenting a lot of arguments based on rather premature assumptions, and not according due allowance to the dynamic nature of knowledge. All scientific theories are consistent only with the known science of the day, anyone can say. A giant leap in one area can alter many things, and such alterations rather than posing a question, should be making scientific views more acceptable. Looked at this way, even if evolution cannot be named as a theory, it is a good hypothesis. Even then, the tone and tenor of the opposing arguments  presented in this book do not do a good job of dethroning evolution from its pedestal of eminence. Most of those express distaste rather than sound reasoning. For example, 

"Dirt + water + time = living creatures." or

"According to the evolutionary theory, life began in this way: 

(1) There was just the right atmosphere—and it was totally different than the one we now have. 

(2) The ground, water, or ocean where life began had just the right combination of chemicals in it—which it does not now have..." 

can at best lead to a scornful smile, on those less aligned with evolution. It is true, evolution is not a theory like the other theories of science. The arguments against it, especially those like the ones presented here, effectively adds mettle to it.