In 2026, one of the most influential books on science in our lifetime turns 30 years old. It’s Darwin’s Black Box, written by biochemist and professor Michael J. Behe. On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid concludes his conversation with Dr. Behe as we celebrate the milestone, revisit the book’s major insights, and examine its staying power over the last three decades. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. Look for Part 1 in a separate episode. Read More ›
One of the seminal books of the modern intelligent design movement is Darwin’s Black Box, written by biochemist and professor Michael J. Behe. In 2026, that book turns 30. On this episode of ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid talks to Dr. Behe about the book's impact and the staying power of its arguments. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. Read More ›
Today on ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid concludes his conversation with Dr. Robert Waltzer about the amazing molecular machinery and systems that allow muscles to generate force and movement.
How do microscopic structures help us move large objects in real time? In Part 2, Dr. Waltzer explores the remarkable molecular engineering required for nanometer-scale molecules to move massive bodies. He explains that muscle function actually involves constant microscopic damage as tiny proteins are strained far beyond their physical capacities. To prevent total failure, Waltzer says muscles operate like a plane being fixed while it's flying, utilizing specialized detection and signaling systems to replace large proteins at an astonishing rate: sometimes as frequently as every 25 seconds!
Waltzer unpacks key structures in muscle, including the intricate Z-disk that functions like a biological shock absorber or mattress box spring. Waltzer argues that the extreme order and nested irreducible complexity found in these systems defy unguided evolutionary explanations. Instead, the sophistication, coordination, and complexity of muscle function points to intelligent design as a more adequate explanation.
This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. Read More ›
Every movement you make—walking across a room, lifting a cup of coffee, even blinking your eyes—depends on trillions of microscopic molecular machines working in remarkable coordination. On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid begins exploring the hidden machinery of muscle with Dr. Robert Waltzer, professor of biology at Belhaven University and longtime researcher and lecturer on intelligent design. First, Dr. Waltzer takes us to right to the microscopic heart of muscle. Then he explains how muscle solves the formidable engineering challenge of repairing and replacing damaged muscle components in real time. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. Read More ›
If life is built on complex molecular machines and information that is both complex AND specified, can unguided evolution actually get the credit? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid concludes a two-part conversation with molecular biologist Dr. Douglas Axe and biochemist Dr. Michael Behe, two experts featured in the new movie The Story of Everything. Over two episodes Axe and Behe are discussing their participation in the movie and unpacking some of the insights they share in it. And you'll enjoy more exclusive clips from the movie too! Read More ›
On this episode of ID the Future, host Andrew McDiarmid sits down with freelance science reporter David Coppedge to explore the fascinating and emerging field of interoception. Unlike our five external senses or proprioception (the awareness of our limbs in space), interoception involves the constant internal communication between our organs and the brain. While much of this signaling happens unconsciously, it's vital in maintaining homeostasis, that dynamic equilibrium that allows our bodies to function under varying conditions.
In this discussion, Coppedge delves into the intricate mechanics behind this internal dialogue, highlighting the role of Piezo proteins—receptors that translate physical pressure into electrical signals via calcium ions. As an example of interoception in action, Coppedge explains how the gut functions effectively as a "second brain," utilizing a massive network of neurons to decide between "attack mode" against pathogens and "repair mode" for healing. By viewing the body as a system of systems, says Coppedge, rather than a collection of isolated organs, researchers are able to uncover new details of the stunning layers of engineering in the human body. Read More ›
How did the giraffe get its long neck? It sounds like the beginning of a children’s bedtime story, and it certainly has been that. But it’s also a matter of serious scientific debate, and the debate continues today. On this installment of ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid concludes his two-part discussion correcting claims of giraffe evolution with retired geneticist Dr. Wolf-Ekkehard Lönnig.
In Part 2, Dr. Lönnig challenges the prevailing narrative that the fossil Samotherium major serves as a transitional "missing link" in giraffe evolution. Lönnig argues that this evolutionary interpretation is contradicted by the facts. Instead, he identifies Samotherium as a "mosaic form," an organism possessing a combination of fully developed and basic traits that do not unequivocally connect it to the modern long-necked giraffe.
This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. Read More ›
Is life the result of purposeful design or unintended evolutionary accidents? It’s an ongoing debate that’s about to be impacted by new scientific evidence that suggests living things are full of optimal engineering. On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid concludes his conversation with award-winning British engineer and designer Stuart Burgess about his new book Ultimate Engineering. In it Burgess gathers together compelling examples of advanced structures and systems in the human body and other vertebrates that go far beyond what humans have produced and point to intelligent design, not the cobbled-together results of a blind, purposeless process. In Part 2, Burgess compares his professional work on European Space Agency satellites to the far more sophisticated systems found in biology. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. Look for Part 1 in a separate conversation. Read More ›
Any scientific theory for the origin of life and the universe is only as strong as its research program. For intelligent design, this is good news. On today's ID The Future, Dr. Casey Luskin describes the current growth and scientific maturity of the Intelligent Design (ID) movement. Luskin describes the progress of ID across three main areas: successful scientific predictions, the unresolved failures of Neo-Darwinism to account for life, and the growth of the ID community as well as scientists outside ID who are looking for alternatives to modern evolutionary proposals. Dr. Luskin compares the growth of the ID research program to a snowball; it started small and faced early setbacks, but it is now rapidly picking up size, speed, and scientific weight as it rolls forward. Read More ›
Bugs. Some of them we enjoy more than others! But there’s no denying they’re a part of life. And though they’re small, they’re examples of big engineering and design. Today, host Andrew McDiarmid welcomes Discovery Institute staffer Kate Kavanaugh to discuss ID Education Days, whole-day experiences hosted by the Center for Science and Culture and geared specifically for middle and high school students in home or private school settings. Lately, the theme of these events has focused on the creepy crawly complexity found within the world of insects and invertebrates. Far from being mere nuisances, these creatures function as tiny engineers that elegantly solve complex problems to sustain global ecosystems. Kavanaugh highlights insights from recent ID Education Day events and explains the importance of studying even tiny examples of intelligent design in nature. Read More ›
