Abstract
I can imagine that nearly everyone who talks about his/her beliefs with friends and associates has at one time or another encountered objections to the factuality of the story of Noah and the ark. Many times in my travels I have heard people excuse their rejection of the scriptures with some comment about the incredulity of a boat and a handful of people rescuing all species of life from a global deluge a few thousand years ago. They assume that is what the Bible says--after all, countless children's books portray the story that way--and they know that science tells a different tale.