The Essentials: A Healthy Portion of Science with a Dash of Romance (Part 1)

In light of the efficiency in which decomposers process a dead body the reality of fossils is really quite striking.  Worms, bacteria fungus, beetles and other animals looking for an easy meal all consume the dead as soon as they can gain access.  In order for a dead thing to become a fossil it has to be insulated from all of its possible afterlife attackers and be in a geological position to be preserved. Yet we do have fossils. Furthermore people often have a rare and special relationship with fossils and what they represent that is unusual for topics that come out of science or history.  Fossils can evoke thoughts tied to adventure, mystery, controversy and continuity and they need to be dealt with in discussions around faith, science and evolution.