My experience in fourth grade science as I recall, was minimal—maybe a lesson or so on basics like Sunrise and phases of the Moon. But my first-hand experience— was beyond the classroom and more; it was down the road from the schoolhouse at Thiele Kaolin Mine. My dad and some other workers were checking chunks of clay from the Kaolin mine; they found imbedded within the Kaolin, teeth—sharks’ teeth. I overheard discussions about the source of the teeth. Millions of years ago, this area—this land where I attended church, school, swam, and played in open-pit Kaolin mines—was once covered by the Atlantic Ocean. My young sheltered mind began to stretch!
A young child in the early 20th century might hear such as fantasy—maybe, comic book grist. Only well-to-do families owned television sets. Fast forward through decades, beyond to a Moon Walk, an inhabited Space Station, and now the James Webb Space Telescope in the 21st Century (launched when my grandchildren were finishing college!!). The thought of shark teeth found this far inland, left so many millions of years ago, not only becomes more plausible, but also quite descriptive.
The JWST not only opens windows to our Universe of its past , but also reveals many other intricacies of the universe, including formation of new stars as they are happening; Shimmering ejections emitted by two actively forming stars make up Lynds 483 (L483). High-resolution near-infrared light captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope shows incredible new detail and structure within these lobes. (Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI).
The Psalmist didn’t have the JWST when he gazed at the heavens. Wow! He didn’t even have Galileo’s telescope. The Psalmist looked up into that clear, starry night and proclaimed…O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth,…When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,/ The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, / What is man that You are mindful of him, / And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, / And You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; / You have put all things under his feet,…O Lord, our Lord, / How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
Recently I moved my antique bookcase. While re-shelving the books, I skimmed through one I cherish; Your God is too Small! by J. B. Phillips— a reminder that God is not limited by frail human concept. So, when I see that JWST discovered yet another galaxy, I cannot say, “Oh. That’s speculation.” It causes my thinking not only to expand, but also to consider who we are and Whose we are. We can never have too big a conception of God and the more scientific knowledge (in whatever field) advances the greater becomes our idea of his best and complicated wisdom. (J.B.Phillips p. 120)
©Copyright Willis H. Moore 2025
Enjoyed reading your report on the Kaolin mines. I remember people talking about eating it