Re: [asa] Earth's crust, Earth's atmosphere and Creation

Speaking as a geochemist - Os is an extremely rare metal in Earth's crust, and it prefers to associate with other metals such as platinum (it is a part of the Platinum Group Elements). I highly doubt that Os in any form is present in the atmosphere in a measurable amount. The compound osmium-oxide (OsO4) is a volatile material, but also in a strongly oxidized state that is so reactive as an oxidizing agent that I highly doubt it exists naturally.
 
It should be noted for this conversation that there is a strong inverse correlation between the toxicity of an element an it's natural abundance - highly toxic materials such as Os are present only in extremely small amounts in nature. Alternatively, materials in high abundance, such as N2 gas, SiO2, or CaCO3, are pretty much inert and pose little if any health risks in their natural state. However, nearly all materials can kill/harm if in present in high enough concentration or administered in a certain way, even H2O as hinted at previously. Therefore, it is silly to state that life or the universe was not designed since toxic materials exist. Human beings and all other life forms are not thermodynamically stable in their environment with respect to a combination of CO2-CH4-H2O.
 
Best,
Charles
 
 
 
_______________________________
Charles W. Carrigan, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Geology
Olivet Nazarene Univ., Dept. of Physical Sciences
One University Ave.
Bourbonnais, IL 60914
PH: (815) 939-5346
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"To a naturalist nothing is indifferent;
the humble moss that creeps upon the stone
is equally interesting as the lofty pine which so beautifully adorns the valley or the mountain:
but to a naturalist who is reading in the face of the rocks the annals of a former world,
the mossy covering which obstructs his view,
and renders indistinguishable the different species of stone,
is no less than a serious subject of regret."
          - James Hutton
_______________________________

>>> Johan Jammart <j_jammart@yahoo.fr> 12/30/2006 9:44 AM >>>

Thank you for your answer. "Osmium is a scarce metal found in only 0.005 ppm of the Earth's crust" (http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/oso4/oso4v.htm), enough to get osmium oxide in the atmosphere? If yes it must be low. The review of Denton's book seems to indicate that a low concentration in the air is dangerous. I don't know if it means that there is a low concentration in the air.

Blessings,

Johan

George Murphy a écrit : I don't know if I can add much on this point - for 1 thing, I don't know what concentrations of osmium oxide actually are. But it won't surprise me if there's some. If Os is formed by the same types of process that give rise to other elements in the earth's crust then there'll be some of it here, some of it will oxidize & some of the oxide will be in the atmosphere. But what are the "somes"?
 
Shalom
George
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
----- Original Message -----
From: Johan Jammart
To: George Murphy
Cc: asa@calvin.edu
Sent: Saturday, December 30, 2006 9:31 AM
Subject: Re: [asa] Earth's crust, Earth's atmosphere and Creation

Thanks to all for your insight and your help on this subject. I understand now pretty well that heavy metals which are potential chemical poisons are result of natural process used by God to create our universe, but how to explain the presence of Osmium-oxide in the atmosphere? Is this due to the same natural process?

Blessings,

Johan

George Murphy a écrit : An interesting question. However, the statement "A universe fine-tuned for life should not contain poison" is a non sequitur. All being "fine-tuned for life" requires is that conditions be appropriate for the development of life, not that there be no threats to living things. After all, their are plenty of threats to physical life implied by gravitation, electrodynamics &c, all of which are basic to the development of life: The fact that living things can get killed by falling off cliffs or by lightning isn't an argument against fine tuning.
 
The existence of heavy elements is probably a necessary consequence of the same fine tuning that allows life to develop in the 1st place. If you're going to have life, you have to not only make C-12 in stars (requiring the proper "tuning" of strong & E-M forces) but also get the carbon into interstellar space so it can be part of the next generation of stars. That happens in supernova explosions, & another result of such explosions is the formation of heavy elements as nuclei are subjected to a high flux of neutrons. (& this means, I think, not only that there will be Hg, Os & other heavy metals which are potential chemical poisons, but that there will be radioactive elements & the stuff that nuclear weapons can be made from.)
 
Apparently God created a universe with sufficient integrity to bring forth living things via natural processes with divine cooperation, in full awareness that such a universe would in many ways be a dangerous place. & that means that it would also be a dangerous place for God himself when he became incarnate.
 
Shalom
George
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/

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Received on Tue Jan 2 11:39:12 2007