How Lightning and Water Make Life on Earth Possible
On this classic episode of ID The Future, we conclude a 2019 conversation between ID pioneer and biologist Dr. Jonathan Wells and distinguished Brazilian chemist Marcos Eberlin. The occasion for the chat was the publication of Dr. Eberlin’s book Foresight: How the Chemistry of Life Reveals Planning and Purpose. A member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, Eberlin is a world leader in the field of mass spectrometry. His book was endorsed by three Nobel laureates.
In the second half of the conversation, Eberlin explains how chemistry reveals foresight in the design of molecules and chemical systems. To the untrained eye, water looks like a simple clear liquid. To the chemist, it has 74 unique, even “weird” properties essential for life. And lightning seems purely destructive, but it, too, is essential for life. As Eberlin argues, both of these suggest foresight in the design of life — foresight to solve problems necessary to make life on earth possible.
We lost Dr. Wells, our good friend and colleague, in 2024 at the age of 82. In case you missed our series of interviews remembering Wells, find the links below.
This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. Listen to Part 1.
Dig Deeper
- Learn how the chemistry of life reveals purpose and plannning in Marcos Eberlin’s book Foresight.
- Get to know Dr. Jonathan Wells’s impact on the intelligent design movement through these recent remembrances:
- Jay Richards on the “Ground Clearing” Work of Jonathan Wells: WATCH | LISTEN
- Paul Nelson: My Adventures with Jonathan Wells (Part 1)
- Casey Luskin: How Jonathan Wells Dismantled the Icons of Evolution
- Humility and Humor: Richard Sternberg Remembers Jonathan Wells
- Tom Woodward on the Impact of Icons of Evolution (Part 1)
- Artist Jody Sjogren on Illustration the Icons of Evolution