Intelligent Design the Future

Did life on earth spring up early and easily through evolutionary processes? Or does the emergence of life represent another infusion of information into the biosphere that is best explained by intelligent design? On this episode of ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid and Dr. Casey Luskin discuss the implications of a recent study on the last universal common ancestor, also known as LUCA. They explore the nature of LUCA as a hypothetical organism, its complexity, and the challenges it poses to evolutionary theory. The conversation also touches on the media's portrayal of scientific findings and the problems associated with molecular clock techniques used to date LUCA. Ultimately, they highlight the rapid emergence of complex life on Earth and the implications for origin of life theories.

Every Friday we repost a gem from our archive of hundreds of episodes. Today’s pick from the vault takes us to a conference in Turin, Italy, where scholar John West speaks about the roots of intelligent design, roots that stretch back to ancient Greek and Roman philosophers. In his talk, West also makes the case that design thinking was crucial to the rise of modern science, and he traces how Darwinism has eroded design thinking, fueled scientific racism, and undermined belief in human exceptionalism.

When Charles Darwin formulated his theory of evolution, he offered up a new god and a new understanding of mankind. But does his creation myth satisfy the scientific evidence we have today for the design and complexity of life? I'm Andrew McDiarmid. On this ID The Future, I read an excerpt of a new book that exposes the inadequacy of Darwinism and dispels the darkness of Darwinian materialism. A Catholic Case for Intelligent Design, by Father Martin Hilbert, is now available from Discovery Institute Press.

For too long now, Catholic scholars and many of the faithful have felt compelled to align themselves with a Darwinian account of life's origins. But as modern evolutionary theory faces a rising wave of disconfirming evidence, the evidence for both intelligent design and a first human couple, Adam and Eve, is stronger than ever. So it's a good time for Catholics to reevaluate their relationship with Darwin. On this ID The Future, physicist Dr. Brian Miller welcomes Father Martin Hilbert to the podcast to discuss his new book A Catholic Case for Intelligent Design.

On this ID the Future, Discovery Institute senior fellow Andrew McDiarmid explores the roots of the idea that our universe is just one of many universes, an idea stretching back to the ancient atomists and given new life in the modern era, first by physicist Hugh Everett. McDiarmid then looks at how the idea percolated into comic books and from there into popular culture. He caps off the episode with a reading of a recent article about the multiverse hypothesis by Stephen Meyer, author of the recent bestseller, Return of the God Hypothesis.

In The God Proofs, two friends embark on an epic journey to tackle the ultimate mystery: does God exist? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid speaks to author Douglas Ell about his new graphic novel. Ell tells about his own journey from theism to atheism and what convinced him to return to belief in God. He describes how his experience as a successful attorney prepared him to argue the case for God in his books. He also unpacks the three lines of evidence featured in The God Proofs: the numbers proof, the common sense proof, and the logic proof. Whether you’re new to the arguments for intelligent design or have been studying them for years, The God Proofs Read More ›

Survive. Reproduce. Repeat. Is that all we're here for? Some people make this claim, including noted evolutionary biologist and atheist Richard Dawkins. But does it match up with the scientific evidence? On this ID The Future, we're sharing selections from a recent talk by geologist Dr. Casey Luskin on the origin and uniqueness of human beings.

You’d be hard-pressed to find another lecture that accomplishes what Casey does here in 30 minutes: review the fossil history of hominids and humans to show the large, unbridged gap between the two, bust the myth that humans are 99% genetically similar to chimps, demonstrate the plausibility of intelligent design to explain the Big Bang origin of the genus Homo, and argue that the human race is unique and unparalleled in its moral, intellectual, and creative abilities.

We were saddened to learn of the recent loss of our friend and colleague Tom Gilson. You may have heard Tom occasionally hosting episodes of the podcast. And if you're a long-time listener, you've been listening to his work regularly. For several years, Tom sound engineered this podcast, taking raw audio files and producing a polished finished product. His reliable, professional work, coupled with his extensive knowledge of the arguments for intelligent design, made him an ideal candidate to work with. On this ID the Future from the archive, Tom offers honest advice to opponents of intelligent design on how to improve their persuasive strategy.

On this ID The Future, enjoy the second half of an intimate conversation between philosopher of science and bestselling author Stephen Meyer and one of his dearest friends and longest-standing colleagues: Dr. David Berlinski. In Part 2, Berlinski discusses the books he has written, his career in teaching, and some of his memorable experiences critiquing the Darwinian paradigm. Don't miss the first half of the conversation, available in a separate episode. Learn more about Dr. Berlinski at davidberlinski.org.

On this ID The Future, philosopher of science and bestselling author Stephen Meyer invites us to join him for an intimate conversation with one of his dearest friends and longest-standing colleagues: mathematician, writer, and thinker Dr. David Berlinski. The occasion for the exchange was a recent gathering of Discovery Institute supporters and colleagues in Cambridge, England. In Part 1, Berlinski shares the harrowing story of how his parents survived the Holocaust and immigrated to New York, how he learned mathematics, and when he began to take an interest in the mathematical challenges to Darwinian evolution.