Author: Eric Hedin

Grandfather spending time with his granddaughter on bench in park on autumn day

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Author
Eric Hedin

Date
August 20, 2025

Tagged
, biochemistry, communication, Darwinism, Eric Hedin, Evolution, fungal network, hearing, Intelligent Design, irreducible complexity, life, Materialism, Natural Selection, Neo-Darwinism, non-life, non-living matter, origin of life, speech, trees}

In a Universe of Non-Living Matter, Communication Sets Us Apart

_{Eric Hedin
August 20, 2025

Uncategorized

3}

Meaningful communication is found across all life forms, from the signals sent by trees through fungal networks to the deep conversations we can have with each other. It's one feature that makes life uniquely different from a vast universe of non-living matter. But where does our ability to communicate come from? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid continues his conversation with physicist and author Dr. Eric Hedin about the remarkable features that separate living systems from non-life. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. Look for Part 1 in a separate episode. Read More ›

Asian woman under an umbrella in the rain.

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Author
Eric Hedin

Date
August 18, 2025

Tagged
, biochemistry, biology, cognition, Darwinism, educated ignorance, Eric Hedin, Evolution, Evolutionary Biology, information processing, Intelligent Design, laws of nature, living systems, Materialism, Natural Selection, Neo-Darwinism, non-living matter, physics, sentient beings}

Physicist Eric Hedin: Information Processing as a Hallmark of Life

_{Eric Hedin
August 18, 2025

Uncategorized

3}

What if life isn’t just a collection of molecules bumping around? What if every living thing, from a single cell to a human being, is doing something much more surprising—processing information and communicating in complex, purposeful ways? On this episode of ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid begins a two-part conversation with Dr. Eric Hedin, a physicist and author who’s been asking bold questions about the hidden patterns of life. He’s argued recently that the way living systems handle information—and communicate—is more likely evidence of intelligent design, not blind, undirected processes. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. Read More ›

Young ballerina in a beautiful dress is dancing in a dark photostudio

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Author
Eric Hedin

Date
May 26, 2025

Tagged
, ballerina, Canceled Science, Darwinism, disorder, energy, energy production, energy state, equilibrium, Eric Hedin, Evolution, Intelligent Design, laws of physics, life, life after death, Materialism, natural energy state, Natural Selection, Neo-Darwinism, physics, specified complexity, The Immortal Mind}

Why Life Is the Most Unnatural Thing in the Universe

_{Eric Hedin
May 26, 2025

Uncategorized

2}

We usually think of life as the most natural thing there is – blooming plants, flowing water, the cycles of nature. But what if that perspective is fundamentally challenged by the very laws of physics that govern our universe? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid welcomes physicist Dr. Eric Hedin to the podcast to discuss the compelling idea that life is the most "unnatural" thing in the universe. Dr. Hedin contends that the complex, organized nature of life defies the natural tendency of matter and energy towards disorder and equilibrium, suggesting that life requires something only an intelligent designer could provide. Read More ›

Piles Of Rare Earth Elements Mined And Refined

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Author
Eric Hedin

Date
August 14, 2024

Tagged
, astronomy, biochemistry, Charles Darwin, chemistry, Darwinism, Eric Hedin, Evolution, fine tuning, finely tuned, gold, Goldilocks Zone, Intelligent Design, Materialism, metals, microbes, Natural Selection, Neo-Darwinism, origin of life, platinum, rare earth elements, silver, stars, stellar nucleosynthesis, trace metals}

Metals: The Gifts That Keep On Giving

_{Eric Hedin
August 14, 2024

Uncategorized

2}

A confluence of conditions conspired to bring metals to Earth and make them accessible to humans. Can a Darwinian process take the credit? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid concludes a two-part conversation with Dr. Eric Hedin, professor emeritus of physics and astronomy at Ball State University in Indiana. Dr. Hedin describes the conditions within ourselves and the conditions within our environment that were finely tuned to allow for our successful utilization of metals. He also speaks to what our use of metals reveals about the moral character of human nature, and why metals remain vital to us today. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. Don't miss Part 1! Read More ›

Process of casting in foundry, liquid molten metal pouring in ladle. Heavy metallurgy industry.

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Author
Eric Hedin

Date
August 12, 2024

Tagged
, astronomy, biochemistry, Charles Darwin, chemistry, Darwinism, Eric Hedin, Evolution, fine tuning, finely tuned, Goldilocks Zone, Intelligent Design, Materialism, metals, Natural Selection, Neo-Darwinism, origin of life, stars, stellar nucleosynthesis, trace metals}

Metals & Life: A Finely Tuned Alliance

_{Eric Hedin
August 12, 2024

Uncategorized

2}

Humans have successfully utilized metals for millennia, and trace amounts of metals are crucial to our survival. Is that coincidence or something more? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid begins a two-part conversation with Dr. Eric Hedin, professor emeritus of physics and astronomy at Ball State University in Indiana. Dr. Hedin tells the fascinating story of the origin of metals, the finely tuned set of conditions that allow for our use of metals, and the crucial role metals play in our survival. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. Look for Part 2 next! Read More ›

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Author
Eric Hedin

Date
July 17, 2024

Tagged
, Andrew McDiarmid, biology, Charles Darwin, consciousness, Darwinism, engineered systems, engineering, Eric Hedin, Evolution, evolution of sleep, Intelligent Design, irreducible complexity, Natural Selection, Neo-Darwinism, origin of life, sleep, sleeping, systems biology, systems biology revolution}

Sleeping and Waking: A Designer’s Gift

_{Eric Hedin
July 17, 2024

Uncategorized

2}

Are we to credit an unguided evolutionary process for the gift of sleeping and waking? Or are these intricate systems further evidence of design? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid concludes his conversation with Dr. Eric Hedin on the intelligent design of sleep. In Part 2, the pair dig deeper into the purpose of sleep and why it’s so essential to living organisms. They also look at why it’s unlikely that a gradual Darwinian process can be credited for the origin of sleeping and waking, and why intelligent design is a better explanation. This is Part 2 of a two-part discussion. Read More ›

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Author
Eric Hedin

Date
July 15, 2024

Tagged
, Charles Darwin, consciousness, Darwinism, engineering, engineering principles, Eric Hedin, Evolution, evolutionary theory, Intelligent Design, irreducible complexity, Materialism, Natural Selection, Neo-Darwinism, origin of sleep, purpose of sleep, push-pull principle, sleep, survival of the fittest}

Eric Hedin on the Intelligent Design of Sleep

_{Eric Hedin
July 15, 2024

Uncategorized

2}

We’re asleep an average of about 26 years of our life! Most people have a sense that sleep is important, but many of us aren't sure exactly why. Why is sleep so crucial to survival? And how did the processes of sleep emerge in living things? Could a gradual Darwinian process be responsible, or are the systems involved another instance of intelligent design? On this episode, host Andrew McDiarmid begins a conversation with Dr. Eric Hedin about the origin and intelligent design of sleep. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. Look for Part 2 next! Read More ›

Tennis player focused on other player hitting ball with racket on court. Men sport athletes players playing tennis match together. Two professional tennis players on hard outdoor court during game.

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Author
Eric Hedin

Date
November 6, 2023

Tagged
, biology, Ethics, Evolution, evolutionary, free choice, Free Will, freedom of choice, George Ellis, Hamas, human agency, human behavior, human evil, Intelligent Design, Israel, laws of nature, laws of physics, moral agency, moral responsibility, Morality, Naturalism, neurobiology, Robert Sapolsky}

Eric Hedin on Free Will and Morality in a Designed World

_{Eric Hedin
November 6, 2023

Uncategorized

2}

Are we responsible for our choices? What can the laws of nature teach us about morality? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid welcomes back Dr. Eric Hedin, Professor Emeritus of Physics and Astronomy at Ball State University, to conclude a discussion about his two recent articles on suffering, free will, and morality in a designed world. Some scientists continue to argue that human free will is an illusion and that we have no more control over our choices than the decision to breathe. But this idea, known as determinism, flies in the face of our human experience. Dr. Hedin explains that far from being slaves to external forces, humans have a great latitude of freedom in the universe. In other words, the ball is in our court. This is Part 2 of a two-part discussion. Read More ›

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Author
Eric Hedin

Date
October 23, 2023

Tagged
, animal behavior, animal world, Darwinism, Determinism, drought, earthquake, Eric Hedin, Evolution, evolutionary, fine tuning, free choice, Free Will, human behavior, human evil, hurricane, Intelligent Design, Israel, laws of nature, laws of physics, Materialism, moral responsibility, Morality, natural disaster, natural disasters, natural evil, Naturalism, neurobiology, rationality, Robert Sapolsky, sickness, suffering}

Eric Hedin on Suffering in a Designed World

_{Eric Hedin
October 23, 2023

Uncategorized

3}

Is natural evil an argument against intelligent design? And is human evil more consistent with naturalism or theism? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid speaks with Dr. Eric Hedin about his recent article "Thoughts of Evil in a Designed World." First, Dr. Hedin discusses the problem of natural evils like earthquakes, hurricanes, droughts, and other natural disasters. He reports that in the last century, the human death toll from such tragedies has dropped as we have learned to mitigate the effects of these natural forces in our lives. Hedin also discusses the impact of sickness on our bodies. "Any complex system can break down," Hedin reminds us, "because we do live in a world where the second law of thermodynamics applies not just to stars and mountainsides and physical systems but also to our own bodies." But suffering, tragic as it can be for all of us to endure, is not inconsistent with design. Then there's the other major cause of suffering in life: human evil. If humans are products of an evolutionary process, we'd expect human evil to more or less match what we see in the animal world. But as recent attacks on the people of Israel starkly demonstrate, that is not the case. We are capable of much worse, as well as much better. Dr. Hedin explains that humans have the gift of rational override, something determinists tend to forget. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. Read More ›

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Author
Eric Hedin

Date
June 30, 2021

Tagged
, abiogenesis, Arthur Hobson, Boundaries of Science, crystals, entropy, generalized second law of thermodynamics, information, information content of a system, open systems, ordered systems, origin of life, primordial soup, single-celled organism, star formation}

Physicist Eric Hedin: Information, Entropy, First Life

_{Eric Hedin
June 30, 2021

Uncategorized

1}

On today’s ID the Future, Canceled Science author and physicist Eric Hedin talks with host Eric Anderson about the challenge the generalized second law of thermodynamics poses for purely naturalistic scenarios for the origin of the first living organism. The problem is generating the reams of exquisitely orchestrated biological information required for even the simplest self-reproducing cell, and fundamental principles of physics, Hedin argues, mitigate against chemical processes getting the job done. What about the fact that the Earth is an open system, gaining energy from the sun? Does that provide an end-run around the second law? Hedin says no and explains why, using easy-to-grasp illustrations. His recent book from Discovery Institute Press, Canceled Science: What Some Atheists Don’t Want Read More ›