Tag: Evolution | Page 7 | ID the Future

Abstract bacteria, probiotics, gram positive bacteria bacteria and viruses of various shapes against a light background. Concept of science, medicine. Microbiology background. 3d illustration.

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Author
Rob Stadler

Date
September 18, 2023

Tagged
, abiogenesis, adaptability, adaptation, Bacteria, bio-engineering, biology, bounded adaptation, Craig Venter, Darwinism, devolution, engineering, Evolution, genes, genome, Materialism, minimal cell, Natural Selection, origin of life, random mutation}

The Simple Life: Abiogenesis Gets Another Reality Check

_{Rob Stadler

September 18, 2023

Uncategorized}

When it comes to biological life, even the simplest single-celled organism is an astonishingly complex multi-part system. Just how simple can a living cell get? On this ID The Future, Eric Anderson hosts another conversation with Dr. Robert Sadler to evaluate the claims of abiogenesis researchers. A recent Nature paper reports on an engineered minimal cell and how it contends with the "forces of evolution" compared to the non-minimal cell from which it was derived. In an attempt to find life's lowest common denominator, experimenters reduced the minimal cell down from 901 genes to 473 genes. The result was a fragile, irregular organism, sheltered and well cared for. But does this reduction in genomic complexity demonstrate evolution or devolution? Is it an unguided process at work or adaptation within the boundaries of an organism's design? "When people speak of evolution, they speak of random changes and natural selection," Sadler says. "But are they really random? Or does the organism have a built-in ability to change the genome to its own benefit?" Sadler puts the paper's results and claims in perspective for us. Read More ›

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Author
John G. West

Date
August 30, 2023

Tagged
, Aleš Hrdlička, body parts, brains, Czech Republic, Darwinian Theory, Darwinism, documentary, Evolution, evolutionary racism, human remains, human zoos, indigenous peoples, Ishi’s Brain, John West, Michael Medved, National Museum of Natural History, native peoples, non-white peoples, physical anthropology, racism, scientific racism, skeletons, Smithsonian Institution, Social Darwinism, St. Louis World’s Fair, Washington Post}

The Washington Post Exposes the Smithsonian’s Racist Brain Collection

_{John G. West

August 30, 2023

Uncategorized}

On today’s ID the Future, host Michael Medved talks with Human Zoos film director John West about a recent Washington Post series exposing how the Smithsonian Institution collected hundreds of brains from indigenous peoples as part of an early-20th century effort to promote Darwinian racism. The motivation for the brain collection was to document how some people were supposedly lower on the evolutionary ladder than others. As West notes, many of these brains are still stored in steel vats at a non-public Smithsonian facility in Maryland. Tune in as West and Medved explore this disturbing topic and how it all ties into Darwin’s theory of evolution. And to watch the segment from the Human Zoos documentary detailing this gruesome collection and the man behind it, Aleš Hrdlička, click here.

colorful sunset on top of austrian mountain alps

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Author
Brian Miller

Date
August 28, 2023

Tagged
, Albert Einstein, Allen Guth, Ann Gauger, Aristotle, atomists, Brian Miller, Charles Darwin, chemicals, chemistry, cosmology, entropy, Epicureans, eternal cosmic inflation, Evolution, expansino of the universe, fine-tuning, God, God’s Grandeur, infinite, Intelligent Design, Luke Barnes, Materialism, materialism of the gaps, Michael Behe, multiverse, multiverse universe, Natural Selection, Natural Theology, origin of life, P.J. Steinhardt, Pat Flynn, Philosophy, Philosophy for the People, physics, Plato, Sean Carroll, stoics, string landscapes, systems biology, Theism, Thomas Aquinas}

The Return of Natural Theology

_{Brian Miller

August 28, 2023

Uncategorized}

Influenced by a long line of materialist thinkers, Charles Darwin proposed the mechanism of natural selection as a substitute for God. But how does his theory’s explanatory power measure up to recent scientific discoveries? On this ID The Future, physicist Brian Miller discusses the resurgence of natural theology in modern science with Pat Flynn, co-host of the Philosophy for the People podcast. Natural theology advances arguments for God based on reason and the discoveries of science. It’s an ancient pursuit that fell out of favor in the 19th century as a materialist account of life’s origins took center stage. But scientific findings of the last century point to mind, not a mindless process, as the likeliest explanation for a life-friendly universe. As a result, the pendulum is swinging back to teleology, ushering in a new heyday for natural theology. In addition to giving an historical overview of natural theology, Dr. Miller and Flynn also discuss fundamental problems in origin of life studies that demand a better explanation than materialists can offer. Miller speaks plainly about the problem: “Here’s the fundamental challenge,” he says. “All natural processes tend to create greater disorder (entropy)…The origin of life requires chemicals to go into a state of both high order and high energy. That never happens without help!” This is Part 1 of a 2-part discussion. With thanks to Pat Flynn and the Philosophy for the People podcast for permission to share this interview. Read More ›

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Author
James Tour

Date
August 23, 2023

Tagged
, abiogenesis, amino acids, chemical evolution, chemistry, Darwinism, Dave Farina, Evolution, hydrophobic, James Tour, Lee Cronin, origin of life, prebiotic chemistry, prebiotic conditions, prebiotic evolution, Professor Dave, Robert Shapiro, simulation experiments, warm little pond}

Why Hands-On Chemistry Experiments Can’t Simulate A Prebiotic Earth

_{James Tour

August 23, 2023

Uncategorized}

When scientists claim they have simulated early earth chemistry to create life from non-life, are they being honest? This episode of ID The Future is the fourth and final installment in a series of conversations between philosopher of science Dr. Stephen Meyer, author of Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design, and Dr. James Tour, a world-leading synthetic organic chemist at Rice University. Dr. Tour has recently been engaged in a series of back-and-forth responses to attacks on his work from YouTube science communicator Dave Farina. This has given Tour a new opportunity to critique experts in the field of abiogenesis and allows an interested public to better evaluate both sides of the argument. In Part 4, Meyer and Tour evaluate the work of chemist Bruce Lipshutz; specifically his work designing surfactant molecules that enable amide/peptide bonds. By itself, Lipshutz’s work developing synthetic techniques for doing chemistry in water is interesting and has value. But for those tempted to think that his work validates chemical evolutionary theories of the origin of life, Tour has bad news. Peptides don’t form in aqueous environments like water. A realistic prebiotic environment would not be capable of producing the reactions necessary to form proteins. And Lipshutz acknowledges this. In their conversation, Tour and Meyer discuss how Lipshutz applies hands-on chemistry that bears no resemblance to the likely conditions of a prebiotic earth. If anything, the work of Lipshutz and others in origin of life research is actually simulating the need for intelligent agency to move simple chemicals in a life-friendly direction. Says Meyer, "Even the modest movement they get towards life seems to be intelligently designed at each step of the way, and even the vocabulary will sometimes reveal that: ribozyme engineer, designer surfactants. Very curious!" Watch the series on video at Dr. Meyer's YouTube channel: @DrStephenMeyer Read More ›

Human heart with blood vessels. 3d illustration.

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Author
Howard Glicksman

Date
August 21, 2023

Tagged
, albumin, blood, capillaries, cardiovascular system, cell death, cellular life, Darwinism, diffusion, diffusion gradient, engineered systems, engineering, Evolution, heart, Human, human being, Intelligent Design, laws of nature, liver, Neo-Darwinism, osmosis, physician}

How Life Leverages the Laws of Nature to Survive

_{Howard Glicksman

August 21, 2023

Uncategorized}

Left to their own devices, the natural result of physics and chemistry is death, not life. So how are we still breathing? On this ID The Future, host Eric Anderson concludes his conversation with physician Howard Glicksman about some of the remarkable engineering challenges that have to be solved to produce and maintain living organisms such as ourselves. Glicksman is co-author with systems engineer Steve Laufmann of the recent book Your Designed Body, an exploration of the extraordinary system of systems that encompasses thousands of ingenious and interdependent engineering solutions to keep us alive and ticking. In the “just so” stories of the Darwinian narrative, these engineering solutions simply evolved. They emerged and got conserved. Voila! But it takes more than the laws of nature to keep us from dying. In Part 1, Glicksman discussed how two laws of nature - diffusion and osmosis - must be innovated by living systems to avoid cell death. In this episode, Glicksman provides another example: how we regulate the flow of water and blood through our bodies without the excess leakage or shrinkage that can lead to cell death. The protein albumin is crucial. Along with helping to transport minerals and hormones, albumin vitally maintains blood volume by regulating the water flow in and out of the capillaries. How does our liver know how to make albumin, or how much of it to make? Can a gradual Darwinian process be credited with these essential innovations? Or do they bear hallmarks of design? Listen in as Dr. Glicksman explains this remarkable system, just one of many engineering feats our bodies perform every day to keep us alive. Read More ›

Bright blue electromagnetic field in space isolated on black background.

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Author
Brian Miller

Date
August 14, 2023

Tagged
, constants of nature, cosmology, cosmos, elementary particles, Evolution, faith, Faith and Science, fine structure constant, God, Intelligent Design, Judaism, laws and constants of physics, laws of physics, multiverse, physicist, physics, Religion, Richard Feynman, Science, universe}

Physics to God: Rational Arguments for Design in the Universe

_{Brian Miller

August 14, 2023

Uncategorized}

Do you recognize the number 1/137.035999206? It might seem arbitrary, but if the fine structure constant were any higher or lower than it is, you might not exist! On this episode of ID The Future, host Brian Miller kicks off an engaging conversation with Rabbi Elie Feder and Rabbi Aaron Zimmer, hosts of the Physics to God podcast. Feder has a PhD in mathematics and has published articles on graph theory. Zimmer has training in physics, and has studied mathematics, philosophy, and psychology. Both men also have extensive rabbinical training. Through their podcast, Feder and Zimmer invite both secular and religious listeners on a journey through modern physics as they offer rational arguments for an intelligent cause of the universe. In Part 1 of a two-part discussion, Feder and Zimmer share their background and the inspiration for their podcast. They also explain their focus on the constants of physics - specific numbers and values built into the laws of nature that are the same everywhere. What do these numbers mean? How are they measured? Why are they important? Do they hint at design, or are they "magic numbers that come to us with no understanding," as noted physicist Richard Feynman put it? A physicist himself, Miller is the perfect host to unpack the efforts of Feder and Zimmer. It's time to get more intimately acquainted with the strange and wonderful numbers that hold our universe together! Read More ›

Composite image of composite image of dna helix

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Author
Casey Luskin

Date
August 9, 2023

Tagged
, Academic Freedom, Andrew Klavan, Big Bang, censorship, Darwinian Evolution, Evolution, evolutionary theory, faith, fine-tuning, information, Intelligent Design, Judeo-Christian religion, Materialism, molecular machinery, Molecular Machines, Natural Selection, Neo-Darwinism, Philosophy, Religion, Richard Dawkins, Science, Science and faith, science and religion, The Daily Wire, Theology}

Design or Chance? Casey Luskin on The Andrew Klavan Show

_{Casey Luskin

August 9, 2023

Uncategorized}

On this ID The Future, we're pleased to share Daily Wire host Andrew Klavan's recent interview with Dr. Casey Luskin. Klavan loves science, but he smells a rat when famous scientists like Richard Dawkins use their displaced authority to make proclamations about science's relationship with religion. So after reading Luskin's recent Daily Wire article about progressives and their long history of banning intelligent design from the classroom, Klavan invited Luskin on his show to help his viewers better understand the theory of intelligent design and the reality of the evolutionary paradigm. Luskin starts with the meanings of evolution and the questions that guide intelligent design researchers. He cites plenty of examples of design from biology and cosmology. Klavan then asks how badly people get censored for considering design perspectives in their work. Luskin explains, using the case of physicist Eric Hedin and his treatment at Ball State University as an example. Luskin rounds out the conversation by explaining how intelligent design uses the scientific method to detect the hallmarks of design in both living systems and the universe at large. "Science never gives us, under any conditions, absolute certainty," Luskin notes. "What it can allow us to do, though, is we can use the methods of historical sciences to infer the best explanation for a given situation given what we know about how the world works." Read More ›

Cell membrane, lipid bilayer, digital illustration of a diffusion of liquid molecules through cell membrane, microscopic view of a cell membrane, biology background, medical background

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Author
Howard Glicksman

Date
August 7, 2023

Tagged
, cellular life, CELS conference, chemical balance, chemical evolution, Conference on Engineering in Living Systems, Darwinian Evolution, Darwinian gradualism, diffusion, engineer, engineering, Evolution, friction, heat transfer, human death, human life, Intelligent Design, living systems, Molecular Machines, Natural Selection, osmosis, potassium, sodium pumps, survival}

The Innovative Cellular Engineering That Keeps Us Alive

_{Howard Glicksman

August 7, 2023

Uncategorized}

When left to their own devices, the laws of nature tend toward death, not life. So what does it take for life to exist? On this ID The Future, host Eric Anderson talks with physician Howard Glicksman about some of the remarkable engineering challenges that have to be solved to produce and maintain living organisms such as ourselves. Glicksman is co-author with systems engineer Steve Laufmann of the recent book Your Designed Body, an exploration of the extraordinary system of systems that encompasses thousands of ingenious and interdependent engineering solutions to keep us alive and ticking. In the "just so" stories of the Darwinian narrative, these engineering solutions simply evolved. They emerged and got conserved. Voila! But in this chat, Anderson and Glicksman explain that it takes more than the laws of nature to keep us from dying. "Chemicals on their own don't have any desire or tendency to turn into living organisms," says Anderson. "They tend to degrade, they tend to break down, they tend to go back to their basic constituents." Glicksman and Anderson discuss examples, including how the human body handles friction, heat transfer, and the crucial task of maintaining chemical balance at the cellular level. And where does all this essential innovation come from? Glicksman points to an intelligent cause that transcends matter and energy. Read More ›

classic science experiment, with smoke and bubbling liquid, in black and white, created with generative ai

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Author
James Tour

Date
August 2, 2023

Tagged
, abiogenesis, chemical evolution, chemistry, Darwinism, Dave Farina, Evolution, James Tour, Lee Cronin, origin of life, Professor Dave, Robert Shapiro, simulation experiments, Stephen Meyer, synthetic organic chemistry}

Smoke & Mirrors: Tour and Meyer Assess Origin of Life Experiments

_{James Tour

August 2, 2023

Uncategorized}

Have scientists made life in a laboratory? Two-thirds of the public think the answer is yes. What do you think? This episode of ID The Future is the third installment in a series of four conversations between philosopher of science Dr. Stephen Meyer, author of Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design, and Dr. James Tour, a world-leading synthetic organic chemist at Rice University. Dr. Tour has recently been engaged in a series of back-and-forth responses to attacks on his work from YouTube science communicator Dave Farina. This has given Tour a new opportunity to critique experts in the field of abiogenesis and allows an interested public to better evaluate both sides of the argument. In Part 3, Meyer and Tour continue their critique of the claims of chemist Lee Cronin, including his experiments on the formose reaction, autocatalysis, his attempts to conjure up lipids in oil, and more. Along the way, Tour explains how he got into the debate in the first place, providing some background on his interactions with Farina and how it led him to call out experts in the field. Tour and Meyer are careful to remind us just what life is and what it takes to build it. And on several occasions, you’ll enjoy Meyer’s insight into the big picture. These simulation experiments, says Meyer “are actually showing the difficulty of making life-relevant molecules…via an undirected process.” In other words, origin of life researchers are doing sophisticated chemistry with multi-million dollar equipment that can only be done in a modern lab! In the process, they’re showing us just how implausible chemical evolutionary theories actually are. This is Part 3 of a 4-part series. Watch the video versions of these conversations at Dr. Meyer's YouTube Channel: @DrStephenMeyer Read More ›

Heaven and Earth. The Milky Way over an Italian church.

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Author
Jonathan Witt

Date
July 31, 2023

Tagged
, Albert Einstein, Atheism, Atheist, Big Bang, book of nature, common descent, common design, cosmic comprehensibility, Darwinism, Evolution, Extended Evolutionary Synthesis, fine tuning, Gen Z, Generation Z, Heretic, Hubble telescope, Icons of Evolution, Intelligent Design, intelligibility, Judeo-Christian, Materialism, Miracles, Natural Selection, Neo-Darwinism, Science, Science and faith, Theism, theistic evolution, Theology}

How Modern Science Strengthens the Claims of Theism

_{Jonathan Witt

July 31, 2023

Uncategorized}

On this ID The Future, Liberty McArtor, host of the Know Why Podcast, interviews Jonathan Witt on the compatibility of science and faith, both past and present. Witt is Executive Editor at Discovery Institute Press, as well as a Senior Fellow and Senior Project Manager with Discovery Institute's Center for Science & Culture. His latest book, co-written with Finnish bio-engineer Matti Leisola, is Heretic: One Scientist's Journey from Darwin to Design. In his conversation with McArtor, Witt describes the unique time and place that helped inspire the rise of modern science. "They had the Judeo-Christian worldview," Witt notes, "and that fired the imaginations and ordered the reasoning of those that gave birth to the scientific revolution." Witt also reviews some of the abundant scientific discoveries of the last century that are causing even committed materialists to question or reject the neo-Darwinian explanation. The all-too-common assertion that science and faith are at odds with one another is outdated. Listen in to understand just a few of the reasons why! With thanks to Liberty McArtor and the Know Why Podcast for permission to cross-post this interview. Read More ›