Discovery Institute

 

PODCASTS

This episode of ID the Future features a clip from Discovery Senior Fellow, biologist Jonathan Wells, whose new book, The Myth of Junk DNA, is out now. Where did this idea of junk DNA come from? How did it become the dominant view of science? And what’s the problem with this argument? Listen in as he explains.
Evolutionists have long cited pseudogenes as a type of “junk” DNA that demonstrates an unguided evolutionary origin of the genome, but what if this Darwinian mindset is setting us up to miss important biological functions of pseudogenes? On this episode of ID the Future, Casey Luskin discusses how the research shows that pseudogenes are increasingly found to have function.
On this episode of ID the Future, Logan Gage interviews historian Richard Weikart on his book, now out in paperback, Hitler’s Ethic: The Nazi Pursuit of Evolutionary Progress, and how Darwinism influenced and inspired much of Nazi ideology.

Weikart’s provocative book, out tomorrow, argues that Hitler’s immorality was not the result of ignoring or rejecting ethics, but rather came from embracing a coherent — albeit pernicious — ethic of improving the human race through “evolutionary progress.” Directly inspired by Darwin’s theory of evolution, this ethic underlay or influenced almost every major feature of Nazi policy: eugenics (i.e., measures to improved human heredity, including compulsory sterilization), euthanasia, racism, population expansion, offensive warfare, and racial extermination. By embracing this particular brand of ethics, Hitler perpetrated much greater evil than he would have had he been merely opportunistic or amoral.

On this episode of ID the Future, Casey Luskin interviews microbiologist and immunologist Donald Ewert about his previous work as associate editor for the journal Development and Comparitive Immunology, where he realized that the papers published were comparative studies that had nothing to do with evolution at all. Listen in to learn how, in Dr. Ewert’s words, “evolutionary theory doesn’t contribute to experimental biology.”

Donald L. Ewert is a research immunologist/virologist who spent much of his career studying the molecular and cell biology of the immune system, as well as theories about its evolution. Dr. Ewert received his Ph.D. from the University of Georgia in 1976. As a microbiologist, he operated a research laboratory at the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia for almost twenty years. The Wistar Institute is one of the world’s leading centers for biomedical research. His research, supported by National Institute of Health, National Science Foundation, and Department of Agriculture grants, has involved the immune system, viruses, and cellular biology.

On this episode of ID the Future, Casey Luskin interviews Biologic Insitute director Douglas Axe about his peer-reviewed paper in BIO-Complexity, “The Limit of Complex Adaptation: An Analysis Based on a Simple Model of Structured Bacterial Populations.”

Dr. Axe explains complex adaptations — adaptive changes that require more than one simple mutation to a genome in order for a particular adaptation to work — and the difficulty Darwinian evolution faces when beneficial mutations have maladaptive intermediate stages.

On this episode of ID the Future, Anika Smith interviews CSC senior fellow Jay Richards, who explains what the artificial intelligence of computers, like IBM’s Watson, mean for intelligent design.

Dr. Richards is an author and editor of several books, including Are We Spiritual Machines?: Ray Kurzweil vs. the Critics of Strong A.I.

On this episode of ID the Future, Casey Luskin examines the lament of some Darwinists that new PhDs aren’t being taught enough about evolution. How can “a generation of biologists without an adequate background in evolution” work as scientists? Tune in to find out the answer is so obvious that few committed evolutionists will accept it.

On this episode of ID the Future, Casey Luskin examines the pattern of development for marsupial embryos and how they challenge common ancestry.

This special academic freedom edition of ID the Future features an interview with Frank Manion, senior counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, who represented astronomer Martin Gaskell in a recent lawsuit against the University of Kentucky (UK). By all appearances, UK denied Dr. Gaskell a job because of his perceived views on evolution and religious beliefs. Mr. Manion sheds light on what is an unfortunately common procedure in academia. Listen in as Mr. Manion shares revealing details in the case, including a flip-flop from NCSE’s Eugenie Scott.

This episode of ID the Future features a special report on the academic freedom case of David Coppedge, who was fired last week by NASA’s JPL after filing a discrimination lawsuit. Coppedge was targeted by his employer for his views on intelligent design.

David Coppedge is not alone, but he needs your help. Please stand with us against our government’s firing of David Coppedge. Get ready now to call or email Charles Bolden, NASA’s administrator, phone: 202-358-1010; email: , to send a respectful message that NASA should not get away with their discrimination.

On this episode of ID the Future, Casey Luskin interviews Felipe Aizpún, author of (Evolutionism and rational knowledge), a great resource for those who want to learn about intelligent design in Spanish. Listen in as Mr. Aizpún explains how evolution is not only a scientific issue, but a philosophical and epistemic one, and discusses the dissent from Darwinism in the Spanish-speaking world

Mr. Aizpún has written widely on philosophy, ethics and science, and he is the Editorial Director of Organización Internacional para el Avance Cientifico del Diseño Inteligente (OIACDI). Mr. Aizpún contributes at the Spanish-language blog Darwinodi.com/.

How did fruit flies and fossil tracks derail the Darwinian paradigm in 2010? Listen to this episode of ID the Future as Access Research Network executive director Dennis Wagner begins a countdown of the Top Ten Science Stories of 2010.
Each year at this time the Access Research Network releases several lists of the top intelligent design and evolution related stories of the past year. It’s a great reminder of all the interesting stories, and the incredible amount of science that goes on each year in support of intelligent design. ARN executive director Dennis Wagner joins Casey Luskin in this first of three podcasts about 2010’s top ID science stories. You can browse all of ARN’s top ten lists here.

On this episode of ID the Future, Dr. Dominic Halsmer, Dean of the College of Science and Engineering at Oral Roberts University, shares how he became fascinated by science and engineering. Great pedagogy involves making education fun, a principle he learned at a young age. Listen to his stories of scientific experiments (and mishaps) in his family and how he came to understand intelligent design as a scientific enterprise.

On this episode of ID the Future, Casey Luskin interviews Michael Behe on his new peer-reviewed scientific paper in Quarterly Review of Biology. Dr. Behe explains why most examples of evolution in bacteria and viruses entail loss or modification of function rather than gain of a new function at the molecular level. In Behe’s view, this could pose a challenge to Darwinian explanations of molecular evolution.
On this episode of ID the Future, research immunologist and virologist Dr. Donald L. Ewert gives his take on the discussion of the evolution of the immune system that happened five years ago today in Dover, Pennsylvania. Was Michael Behe correct to argue in the Kitzmiller case that there isn’t a Darwinian explanation for the origin of the immune system? Listen in and find out.
On this episode of ID the Future, Discovery Institute senior fellow David Klinghoffer examines the ways the Church of Science is losing its congregants — and why that points to hope for shifting paradigms and the retreat of materialist dogmatism.
On this episode of ID the Future, Dr. Donald L. Ewert, an original signer of the Scientific Dissent From Darwinism, explains how he became interested in the debate over evolution.

Dr. Ewert received his Ph.D. from the University of Georgia in 1976. As a microbiologist, he operated a research laboratory at the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia for almost twenty years. The Wistar Institute is one of the world’s leading centers for biomedical research. His research, supported by National Institute of Health, National Science Foundation, and Department of Agriculture grants, has involved the immune system, viruses, and cellular biology.

In this ID the Future podcast, Casey Luskin interviews Philip S. Skell, Emeritus Evan Pugh Professor at Pennsylvania State University and member of the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Skell discusses his research, which has included work on reactive intermediates in chemistry, free-atom reactions, and reactions of free carbonium ions.

Dr. Skell is a signer of Discovery Institute’s “Dissent from Darwinism” list, and he is the author of “Why Do We Invoke Darwin?: Evolutionary theory contributes little to experimental biology.”

On this episode of ID the Future, Dr. Donald L. Ewert continues to explain why the vertebrate adaptive immune system does not use “random” or “chance” processes like Darwinian evolution to generate antibody diversity. Instead, he argues that the immune system is intelligently designed. Listen in as Dr. Ewert shares one of the most interesting stories in science, the generation of antibody diversity.

Read the final part of Dr. Ewert’s continuing response at ENV here.

Dr. Ewert received his Ph.D. from the University of Georgia in 1976. As a microbiologist, he operated a research laboratory at the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia for almost twenty years. The Wistar Institute is one of the world’s leading centers for biomedical research. His research, supported by National Institute of Health, National Science Foundation, and Department of Agriculture grants, has involved the immune system, viruses, and cellular biology.

On this episode of ID the Future, Casey Luskin interviews Donald L. Ewert, a research immunologist/virologist who spent much of his career studying the molecular and cell biology of the immune system, as well as theories about its evolution. Dr. Ewert recently wrote a response at Evolution News & Views to BioLogos’ Dr. Kathryn Ewert. Listen in as Dr. Ewert explains how the immune system works and why it’s not an example of Darwinian evolution at work.

Read part of Dr. Ewert’s continuing response at ENV here.

Dr. Ewert received his Ph.D. from the University of Georgia in 1976. As a microbiologist, he operated a research laboratory at the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia for almost twenty years. The Wistar Institute is one of the world’s leading centers for biomedical research. His research, supported by National Institute of Health, National Science Foundation, and Department of Agriculture grants, has involved the immune system, viruses, and cellular biology.

On this episode of ID the Future, Casey Luskin interviews Dr. Donald E. Johnson about his new book, Programming of Life, which compares the workings of biology to a computer. Listen in as Dr. Johnson explains what inspired his latest book as an information scientist addressing the origin of life.

Donald E. Johnson holds two Ph.D.s, one in Computer & Information Sciences from the University of Minnesota and another in Chemistry from Michigan State University. His website is ScienceIntegrity.net.

On this episode of ID the Future, Anika Smith interviews writer Robert Deyes on The New Spontaneous Generationists, who argue that “matter and energy somehow self-originated into complex forms without outside intelligence.” While we may have moved beyond expecting rats to materialize from garbage heaps and maggots from decaying meat, materialists today are trying to simulate the origin of first life without intelligent agency — and they’re failing. Listen in to learn why, and read Deyes’ article at ARN’s ID Report for more.

On this episode of ID the Future, Casey Luskin interviews University of British Columbia at Vancouver philosophy faculty member Richard Johns on his recent paper in the journal Synthese titled “Self-organisation in dynamical systems: a limiting result.” In the paper, Dr. Johns argues that there are limits to the complexity of structures that can be produced by self-organization. Johns shows that Darwinian evolution is actually a type of a self-organizing process, and that it too is limited in the types of biological structures it can produce.

An Atheist Discusses the Scientific Merits of Intelligent Design

On this episode of ID the Future, atheist philosopher Bradley Monton defends intelligent design as science, discussing methodological naturalism and the evidential force of ID with Casey Luskin. Listen in as Professor Monton shares how ID-critic Robert Pennock tried to intimidate him (and click here for more of that story).

Bradley J. Monton, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Colorado, Boulder, is the author of Seeking God in Science: An Atheist Defends Intelligent Design (Broadview Press, 2009).

Atheist Philosopher of Physics Bradley Monton on Intelligent Design Debate, Part One

This episode of ID the Future features part one of Casey Luskin’s interview with atheist philosopher of physics Bradley Monton, author of Seeking God in Science: An Atheist Defends Intelligent Design. Prof. Monton has a unique perspective of the debate over intelligent design as an atheist who is trying to elevate the debate.

Is “Ardi” All Washed Up?

On this episode of ID the Future, Casey Luskin examines the rise and fall of “Ardi,” the once-purported “oldest human ancestor.” What happens to a once “missing link” when the hype wears off? Listen in and find out.

On this special video episode of ID The Future, Dr. Stephen Meyer answers the question: What is the key thing that needs to be explained in origin of life research? According to Meyer it is all about biological information.

Watch other videos about intelligent design featuring Dr. Meyer:

Stephen Meyer on What Intelligent Design Is

Is Intelligent Design Science?

On this episode of ID the Future Casey Luskin interviews Caroline Crocker, who shares about her experience during the filming of “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” and how she first became interested in the debate over origins. What was it like for Dr. Crocker when she was expelled for questioning Darwinian evolution (and having Ben Stein write the Foreword for her new book, Free to Think)? Listen in and find out.

For more information on Dr. Crocker’s story, be sure to check out the new website for her book, www.freetothinknow.com.

The Design Argument Is Unrefuted: Stephen Meyer Responds to Critics In Signature in the Cell,

On this episode of ID the Future philosopher of science Stephen C. Meyer continues the story of how he became involved in intelligent design, sharing some of what he studied while at Cambridge University. What methods do scientists use to study biological origins? Is there a distinctive method of historical scientific inquiry? Meyer set off to investigate not only the history of scientific ideas about the origin of life, but also questions about the definition of science and about how scientists study and reason about ancient events in the past.

Listen in to learn, and check out Dr. Meyer’s book, Signature in the Cell, which tells more of the story, the culmination of over 20 years of study and research on the origins of life. SITC is now available in paperback at Amazon.com and through bookstores everywhere.

This episode of ID the Future features the third and final part of Casey Luskin’s interview with James Le Fanu, author of Why Us?: How Science Rediscovered the Mystery of Ourselves, which discusses the problems for the materialist account of the human mind. How do we get from the electrochemical activity of the brain to the richness of the human mind? Listen in as Dr. LeFanu summarizes the five things that material science can’t tell us about the non-material mind.

Listen to part one of the interview here.
Listen to part two of the interview here.

To learn more about Dr. Le Fanu, visit his website here or read a review of his book at Evolution News & Views.

This episode of ID the Future features part two of Casey Luskin’s interview with James LeFanu, author of Why Us?: How Science Rediscovered the Mystery of Ourselves. According to Dr. LeFanu, one of the problems with Darwin’s theory and where it stands today is that it presupposes that the argument is closed, draining interest and fascination from the question of our origins.

Dr. LeFanu discusses the problems with the Darwinian explanation for the evolution of the eye and how the development of genetics has brought our attention to the deep inscrutability of the nature of genetic structures and the origin of life. Can natural selection acting on random mutations account for these features? Listen in as Dr. LeFanu explains how science is on the cusp of this intriguing moment, rediscovering the mystery of ourselves

This episode of ID the Future features part one of Casey Luskin’s interview with James Le Fanu, author of Why Us?: How Science Rediscovered the Mystery of Ourselves. Dr. Le Fanu shares his perspective as someone who straddles two worlds, encountering science on a micro level in his practice as a medical doctor, and reflecting on the broader aspects of science and medicine as an author and columnist for the UK’s Daily Telegraph. Dr. Le Fanu explains why he doubts the too-simplistic Darwinian account, where the “façade of knowing” is daily challenged by the inescapable complexity of life.

Dr. Le Fanu is also a recent guest-blogger at Evolution News & Views. Click here to read his article, “The Façade of Knowing.”

This episode of ID the Future features an excerpt from an interview on the Albert Mohler program featuring CSC Director Stephen Meyer, author of the recent book, Signature in the Cell. Was there intelligent design in the recent experiments on artificial life? Listen in as Meyer discusses the science behind the latest headlines.

Critics of intelligent design often try to dismiss the theory as not worth addressing, as a question already settled, even as being too boring to countenance. Then they spend an amazing amount of energy trying to refute it. On this episode of ID the Future, Anika Smith interviews David Klinghoffer, editor of the new digital book Signature of Controversy: Responses to Critics of Signature in the Cell. Listen in as Klinghoffer examines the responses of these various critics in this new volume, available as a free digital book.

Click here to download the new book, featuring essays by David Berklinski, David Klinghoffer, Casey Luskin, Stephen C. Meyer, Paul Nelson, Jay Richards, and Richard Sternberg.

Fitness Costs and the Genetic Barriers to Evolution
On this episode of ID the Future, Casey Luskin interviews Scientific Dissent From Darwinism signer, biologist Mauricio Alcocer Ruthling, about the scientific problems with evolution. Dr. Alcocer Ruthling received his Ph.D. in plant science from the University of Idaho and is now Director of Graduate Studies at the Universidad Autónoma in Guadalajara, Mexico. Dr. Alcocer Ruthling has studied the importance of fitness costs to the use of herbicides and explains why fitness costs demonstrate the existence of genetic barriers to evolution

Testing Evolution in the Lab With Biologic Institute’s Ann Gauger

On this episode of ID the Future, CSC Director of Research Jay Richards interviews Ann Gauger, senior research scientist at Biologic Institute, on a new article she and Dr. Ralph Seelke have in the peer-reviewed journal BIO-Complexity. Working with her co-authors, Dr. Gauger experimentally tested two-step adaptive paths that should have been within easy reach for bacterial populations. Listen in and learn what Dr. Gauger was surprised to find as she discusses the implications of these experiments for Darwinian evolution.

Dr. Gauger’s paper, “Reductive Evolution Can Prevent Populations from Taking Simple Adaptive Paths to High Fitness,” is available here.

The Case Against a Darwinian Origin of Protein Folds

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On this episode of ID the Future, CSC Research Director Jay Richards interviews protein scientist Doug Axe on his critical review paper published in the new journal, BIO-Complexity.

Dr. Axe’s new paper rigorously assesses the Darwinian mechanism to create new protein folds and is the featured article at BIO-Complexity, a new, open-access journal embracing the scientific controversy over origins and intelligent design.

Is Darwinism a Science Stopper?

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On this episode of ID The Future, CSC’s Robert Crowther examines whether intelligent design is an impediment to scientific progress, and says the answer is an emphatic no. According to Crowther, Darwinists making this claim are mistaken — listen in to find out why.

When It’s Wise to Question the Scientific Consensus

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On this episode of ID the Future, Anika Smith interviews CSC Research Director Jay Richards about when it’s wise to doubt a “scientific consensus.” With growing skepticism on issues where the public is told that scientific consensus exists — most notably Darwinian evolution, but also climate change. How can we tell if the consensus is based on social pressure or on scientific evidence? Listen in, and be sure to read Dr. Richards’ article at The American here.

Is Antibiotic Resistance Evidence for Darwinian Evolution?

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This episode of ID The Future features audio from the Icons of Evolution curriculum modules DVD. Antibiotic resistance is an example of natural selection acting on random mutation and is often referred to as one of the hallmark pieces of evidence for Darwin’s theory of evolution, but is it truly strong evidence supporting modern evolutionary theory? Biologist Scott Minnich thinks not and explains why.

Is the Brain Just an Illusion?

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On this episode of ID The Future, Anika Smith interviews science writer Denyse O’Leary about her book, The Spiritual Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Case for the Existence of the Soul.

In the book O’Leary and her co-author Mario Beaurogard, neuroscientist and Associate Professor at Université de Montréal, explore the question of whether or not the mind is an illusion as materialists believe. The Spiritual Brain looks at whether religious experiences come from God or are merely the random firing of neurons in the brain. Drawing on his own research with Carmelite nuns, Beauregard shows that genuine, life-changing spiritual events can be documented. He and O’Leary offer compelling evidence that mind creates matter, rather than matter creating mind.



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Darwin, Then and Now is a journey through the most amazing story in the history of science - the history of evolution; encapsulating who Darwin was, what he said, and what scientists have discovered since the publication of The Origin of Species in 1859.

With over 1,000 references, Darwin’s life, climaxing with the search for a natural law of evolution, is investigated in the context of the scientific evidence since discovered in the fossil record, embryology, molecular biology and genetics. Darwin The and Now is a historical chronicle of the rise and fall of Darwinism.

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