ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Don Batten, B.Sc. Agr. (Hons), Ph.D. (Contributing Editor)

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Dr Batten received both his B.Sc.Agr. (First Class Honours) and his Ph.D. from the University of Sydney. He worked for over 20 years as a plant scientist with the NSW Department of Agriculture. His research included environmental adaptation of tropical/subtropical fruits such as mango, lychee, and custard apple (Annona); floral biology, floral induction; breeding; environmental physiology (especially water requirements, effects of water deficits), plant taxonomy, and mineral nutrition. His research on floral induction of lychee and mango overturned long-held ideas which had impeded scientific understanding of these plants, as well as causing economic loss due to inappropriate management of these crops. He has published a dozen papers in scientific journals.

Since 2015 Don has been Managing Director of Creation Ministries International (Australia) in Brisbane, Australia. Since joining the ministry in 1994 he has spoken around the world on the creation issue, showing the errors in the evolutionary ideas he was taught and once believed. He is co-author of 15 Reasons to Take Genesis as History and Evolution’s Achilles’ Heels, author of the booklets What about carbon dating?, What about arguments for evolution?, What about the Ice Age? and How did all the animals fit on Noah’s Ark? Don is also managing editor of Creation magazine, and has written many articles for Creation as well as the in-depth Journal of Creation and creation.com.

David Catchpoole, B.Ag.Sc. (Hons), Ph.D.

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Dr Catchpoole graduated with a B.Ag.Sc. (Hons) from the University of Adelaide and a Ph.D. from the University of New England (New South Wales, Australia). David’s Ph.D. investigated nitrogen transfer between tree legumes, associated grass and ruminant animals (goats). This was undertaken in Indonesia as part of a joint Australia–Indonesia project in forage research, aimed at improving the quality and availability of animal feed.

David subsequently worked for the Queensland Department of Primary Industries as a plant physiologist. His work primarily focused on plant nutrition of tropical fruit trees (especially mango), and varietal selection. He also worked as a science educator at James Cook University, which included lecturing in tropical horticulture.

David was once an ardent atheistic evolutionist, before being challenged to look critically at the problems of evolution, and the scientific evidence for creation and the Bible.

He went on to work full-time for Creation Ministries International (CMI) in Brisbane, Australia, for over 15 years, serving on the editorial panel of Creation magazine, and was a popular speaker, until his retirement in 2014. In addition to co-authoring The Creation Answers Book and Evolution’s Achilles’ Heels, David has contributed many articles for Creation magazine and CMI’s popular website, creation.com. He continues to write for CMI on a part-time basis.

Jonathan D. Sarfati, B.Sc. (Hons), Ph.D., F.M.

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Dr Sarfati was born in Ararat, Australia, but spent most of his life in New Zealand. He obtained a B.Sc. (Hons) in chemistry and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Victoria University of Wellington. He has co-authored papers in mainstream scientific journals on high-temperature superconductors and selenium-containing ring and cage molecules. To help Christians defend the faith, Jonathan cofounded the Wellington Christian Apologetics Society. He is also a former New Zealand Chess Champion, and represented New Zealand at the World Junior Champs and in three Chess Olympiads.

In August 1996, Jonathan joined full-time with Creation Ministries International in Brisbane. He is now working with CMI-USA in Powder Springs, GA, giving creation presentations throughout the USA and internationally. He also writes and reviews articles for Creation magazine and Journal of Creation, answers technical correspondence and contributes to the CMI website. Jonathan has written Refuting Evolution, Refuting Evolution 2, Refuting Compromise, By Design, The Greatest Hoax on Earth?, and The Genesis Account; and is a co-author of Christianity for Skeptics and Evolution’s Achilles’ Heels.

Carl Wieland, M.B., B.S.

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Carl Wieland was the Managing Director of Creation Ministries International in Brisbane, Australia, until his retirement in 2015. Dr Wieland has been involved in creation ministry since 1974, and in 1978 commenced Creation magazine, which now has subscribers in over 110 countries.

Carl is well known for his passion for making otherwise complex scientific subjects accessible to a wide range of people. While doing creation ministry part-time, he practiced as a family doctor for 13 years before becoming the fulltime head of the Australian ministry in 1987.

An accomplished public speaker on creation/evolution, he ministered widely in both Australia and overseas. Dr Wieland was also the executive producer of CMI’s acclaimed 2009 year-of-Darwin documentary, The Voyage that Shook the World.

He has written extensively for CMI’s website creation.com, as well as for Creation magazine and occasionally also for its peer-reviewed companion, CMI’s Journal of Creation. He has authored several layman’s creation books, including Dragons of the Deep: Ocean Monsters Past and Present, Stones and Bones, World Winding Down, and One Human Family.