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THE  SPARK  OF  LIFE

Good evening everyone!

I’m up late trying to get this blog completed for all of you, my favorite readers. This past week I have been so busy getting ready and then filming a portion of my new book video trailer. There was so much to do, matching everything up, making sure things looked as authentic as possible and so on. I am exhausted but would really like to get this blog out. So please excuse me if my writing is not as good as usual.

Speaking of authenticity, have you heard the recent excitement about the spark of light when conception occurs? Yes you heard me correctly. The Telegraph News/Science released an article on April 26, 2016 Bright flash of light marks incredible moment life begins when sperm meets egg, by Sarah Knaption. If you do not read the entire article, you would be amazed at this news, like so many people have

been. Unfortunately, the spark they are referring to is not a flash of light, but what is known as a “zinc spark.” “The ‘flash of light’ only refers to the ‘inorganic signature’ of the ‘zinc spark’ detected with fluorescence microscopy in the laboratory—an analytical technique. Calcium levels rise in the egg when a sperm enters it. These high calcium levels cause zinc to be released outside the egg. Researchers wanted to see the zinc, so they simulated fertilization in the lab and put the eggs in a solution containing a fluorescent tag (FluoZin™-3). When the zinc is released, it is chemically labeled because this tag bonds to it. The tag (also called a fluorophore) can be illuminated with light of one color, and it emits light of a different, specific color. That ‘fluorescence’ can be detected under a suitable microscope, thus revealing the zinc.”¹

In other words, the scientists marked the egg, sperm and surrounding fluid with different colors. As the sperm enters the egg, the zinc reacts to it shows a different color. This is what they call a zinc spark. It is not actually a spark of light. The secular scientific community was not trying to deceive anyone; “The clarification is found right in the abstract: “Here we show that zinc fluxes accompany human egg activation. We monitored calcium and zinc dynamics in individual human eggs using selective fluorophores…” The analytical procedure is detailed in the Materials and Methods. The same research group reported this mechanism five years ago in mice eggs. This newest paper reports the ability to detect the zinc release in human eggs. The research teams propose that the ‘inorganic signature’ identifies the healthier fertilized eggs

during in vitro fertilization (IVF) so the good ones can be selected for implantation over the others, which in my opinion means no pro-life advocate should have been promoting this research in the first place.” 

I can see how we as Christian would be powerfully excited about a scientific article stating there is a spark of light at conception. But we must first make sure what we are about to repeat it the whole truth. In their May 23, 2016 article in The National Catholic Register, a good point is made. “Northwestern’s newscenter is partially at fault for the mix-up. They reported the research as a ‘stunning explosion of zinc fireworks’ when a human egg is ‘activated’ by sperm enzyme, but they also correctly (of course) explained the other details later in the article. It seems the Telegraph’s science writer mistook the opening metaphor as literal, and apparently the writers citing the Telegraph took it from there.I am addressing those writers, as well as all the people who shared these articles on the internet: I totally understand that you wrote and shared about the ‘flash of light’ story because you love life. You were excited to ‘see’’what you know to be true—that the moment of conception is awesome. In your zeal for truth, you quite reasonably reported what was reported. But I implore you as Christians to take extra precaution when speaking of science.”³

We must never forget that we are ambassadors of Christ Himself. So the next time an amazing “fact” is reported, dig a little deeper, and get all the facts. Then let God’s word shine!

Until next time, God bless and take care,

Willow Dressel 

References:

^1-3http://www.ncregister.com/blog/trasancos/pro-lifers-there-is-no-flash-of-light-at-conception

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/04/26/bright-flash-of-light-marks-incredible-moment-life-begins-when-s/