Tag: Human

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post

Author
David Berlinski

Date
October 4, 2023

Tagged
Charles Darwin, Christopher Hitchens, Darwinism, Evolution, Human, human being, Intelligent Design, Materialism, mind, Natural Selection, Religion, Science and faith, science and religion, Steven Pinker, Steven Weinberg}

Berlinski: Men Are Not About to Become Like Gods

_{David Berlinski

October 4, 2023

Uncategorized}

Are humans progressing morally as well as materially? What does it mean to be human in the cosmos? On this ID The Future, we bring you the second half of a stimulating conversation between Dr. David Berlinski and host Eric Metaxas on the subject of Berlinski's recent book Human Nature. In Human Nature, Berlinski argues that the utopian view that humans are progressing toward evolutionary and technological perfection is wishful thinking. Men are not about to become like gods. "I'm a strong believer in original sin," quips Berlinski in his discussion with Metaxas. In other words, he believes not only that humans are fundamentally distinct from the rest of the biological world, but also that humans are prone to ignorance and depravity as well as wisdom and nobility. During the second half of their discussion, Berlinski and Metaxas compare and contrast the ideas of thinkers like psychologist Steven Pinker, author Christopher Hitchens, and physicist Steven Weinberg. The pair also spar gracefully over the implications of human uniqueness. Berlinski, though candid and self-critical, is unwilling to be pigeonholed. Metaxas, drawing his own conclusions about the role of mind in the universe, challenges Berlinski into moments of clarity with his usual charm. The result is an honest, probing, and wide-ranging conversation about the nature of science and the human condition. This is Part 2 of a two-part interview. Read More ›

Human heart with blood vessels. 3d illustration.

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post

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 ›

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post

Author
Wesley J. Smith

Date
November 15, 2017

Tagged
__edited, Bioethics, CRISPR, Gene-Editing, Human, Personhood, Sarah Chaffee, Value}

What Does Gene-editing with CRISPR Portend for Bioethics?

_{Wesley J. Smith

November 15, 2017

Uncategorized}

On this episode of ID The Future, Sarah Chaffee talks with bioethicist Wesley Smith about the gene-editing technique known as CRISPR. Smith describes it briefly and discusses its larger implication for bioethics.