New Scholars Conference – A Unique Opportunity to Connect Young and Seasoned Researchers in Creation Science

This past week, the International Conference on Creationism hosted their first New Scholars Conference, a one of a kind opportunity for young creation scientists and students to interact with seasoned researchers. Hosted in Flagstaff, Arizona, it drew attendees from institutions across the US. It offered a unique opportunity to see the status of modern creation research and exchange the latest discoveries.

The views expressed in this article reflect those of the author mentioned, and not necessarily those of New Creation.

The conference had a three-fold purpose. First, to encourage the young researchers that are rising through the ranks of creation science. Second, to spotlight the forthcoming research of these young researchers. Third, to connect them with the community of seasoned researchers who want to invest in this pool of students. Though not all the presenters were students, it was an amazing opportunity for students to share their work, hear the latest research from the legends in their respective fields, and see how their work can be integrated into answering the bigger questions facing creation science.

The conference was broken into several sections: Catastrophic Plate Tectonics, Flood Boundaries, Fossilization, “Astronomy and other topics,” and Geology/Earth Sciences in general. In many ways, geology was perhaps overrepresented, yet in the presentations there was commonly a unique blending of geology with other disciplines (such as in the fossilization session) that highlighted the interdisciplinary approaches being adopted in modern creation research.

Discussions on Geology and the Flood

The Catastrophic Plate Tectonics session featured research from Dr. John Baumgardner’s research group at Liberty University. Following an overall presentation by Dr. Baumgardner, his student Oluwafemi S. Dada presented on his work as a mechanical engineering student applying numerical modeling to understanding the generation of tsunamis throughout the Flood in a Catastrophic Plate Tectonics framework. 

This tied into the Flood Boundary session that covered a wide swath of territory associated with this debate, ranging from quantifying the randomness in the order that organisms appear in the fossil record, applying baraminology to understand the Flood boundary, developing methods for quantifying the scale of erosion across folded regions, and developing a philosophy for approaching the end of the Flood discussion. This was followed by a panel discussion by researchers from Logos Research Associates on the state of current research, major questions facing the debate, and new approaches being taken to tackle these tantalizing questions.

Discussions on Fossils

The Fossils and Fossilization session tied into much of the work being conducted through the Creation Research Society, inspired by their iDino project. These student presentations featured the impact of microbial activity in fossilization, developing tools for extracting DNA from fossil materials, and determining decay rates of collagen. The latter two presentations discussed the difficulty  of explaining the presence of collagen and DNA in fossil and subfossil samples even after a few thousand years, highlighting the challenge to a deep time philosophy.

Discussions on Astronomy

The “Astronomy and Other Topics” session, as it was called, was a blend of astronomy and biology research. Cameron Ward at Liberty University investigated a specific mathematical  interpretation of General Relativity that provides insight into gravitational waves as ripples of the cosmic fabric. This work is an extension of the Cosmic Fabric Model which integrates General and Special Relativity into a unified mathematical framework to better understand the universe from a designed, engineered perspective rather than an evolved one. Biology was represented with a baraminological look at the unique diversity of cacti.

Discussions on Geology and Earth Sciences

Finally, Geology and Earth Sciences came in full force as the conference day wrapped up. Cedarville’s Jack Bradley presented research on what the texture of the Antarctic ice fabric can mean for understanding the early buildup of glaciers in the post-Flood Ice Age. High school student Gabriel Nulk presented with mentor Nathan Mogk on developing a mathematical strategy for understanding the frequencies and probabilities associated with arch collapse, intending to better understand how long natural arches can last.

This was followed by experimental studies developing an approach for synthetically producing coal to better understand how coal production fits into the Flood. I presented a revised philosophical framework to approach using analogues to understand Flood processes, specifically with illustration at Mount St. Helens. 

Cedarville University’s Dr. John Whitmore, known for his years of research on the Coconino Sandstone, presented a review of the growing evidence for the Coconino Sandstone forming under water, rather than in a desert, and how the deep time critique of a Flood interpretation continues to fall short in explaining the Coconino Sandstone. 

Finally, Logos Research Associate’s John Swan highlighted their program seeking to connect programming and engineering savvy “techies” with scientists to better facilitate cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Going Forward

The conference day was rounded out by a panel discussion on getting started in creation research. Perhaps one of the most significant highlights of this discussion was how exciting it is to be engaged in creation research today. Creation science is a youthful field with only some of the initial questions answered; so much remains for integrating new datasets in ways that have never been done before in creation or secular science, as highlighted by the conference day. Creation science opens the way to a plethora of new questions and methodologies that now is a fantastic time to enter creation science.

Of course, the conference’s location in Flagstaff, Arizona meant that not all scientific discussion had to stay in the confines of the conference building. As a closing feature, Canyon Ministries provided a rim tour of the Grand Canyon, bringing in experts from across the US to share the latest research on understanding the Grand Canyon through the Flood and post-Flood. 

The New Scholars Conference was a once in a lifetime opportunity for young researchers in creation science, but the journey of a lifetime doesn’t end there! The International Conference on Creationism hopes to continue funding a New Scholars Conference once every four years. The main International Conference on Creationism is scheduled for 2027 with the New Scholars Conference planned for 2029. Now is the time to start thinking about how you can get involved in creation research.