Free Republic

Believe it or not, but ideas of artificial intelligence and automata were alive and well over 2,000 years ago within Greek mythology. The myth of Talos (‘Τάλως’)—the first robot-like creature in mythology—is certainly a fascinating example. Its name is related to Zeus, as on the island of Crete, Talos was not a human being but an automaton made by Zeus himself. Another version of the Greek myth attributes his creation to Hephaestus, the god of fire and iron. In other versions, Talos was the son of Cres and the god Hephaestus. Made by humans, rather than born of nature, the...

Moving to dismantle former President Barack Obama’s legacy on the environment and other issues, House Republicans approved a measure Wednesday that scuttles a regulation aimed at preventing coal mining debris from being dumped into nearby streams. Lawmakers also voted to rescind a separate rule requiring companies to disclose payments made to foreign governments relating to mining and drilling. Republicans said the votes were first in a series of actions to reverse years of what they see as excessive government regulation during Obama’s presidency. Rules on fracking, guns and federal contracting also are in the cross-hairs as the GOP moves to...

The Mystery of Missing Talus by Brian Thomas, M.S. * Evidence for Creation In August 2013 while on a week-long boat tour of Grand Canyon’s Colorado River, I got a close-up view of secular geology’s missing-talus problem. As our crew boarded the boats at Lee’s Ferry, our geologist guide Dr. Steve Austin explained how missing talus challenges the millions-of-years version of Earth history. Everyday weathering processes weaken the cliff face within view of Lee’s Ferry until the cliffs’ rocks tumble down. But only a handful of boulders lie on the canyon floor—not enough if millions of years of erosion have...