Intelligent Design

This article, published by California Wild Magazine, contains a review of The Privileged Planet by Discovery Institute Center for Science & Culture Senior Fellows Guillermo Gonzalez and Jay Richards:

The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos is Designed for Discovery, by Guillermo Gonzalez and Jay W. Richards. Regnery Publishing, Washington, DC, 2004. 444 pp., $27.95 hardcover.

Is there scientific evidence that an intelligent designer created our universe? Scientists and theologians have debated this issue for centuries, but now the arguments are heating up. The battle between evolution and creationism has been joined in schools around the country, and each new discovery in astronomy invites people to consider their place in the cosmos. Now authors Guillermo Gonzalez and Jay Richards have stepped into this breach with a provocative new book claiming that our ability to learn about the universe arises from its careful design.

The Privileged Planet links two concepts that at first seem unrelated: “habitability” and “measurability.” Habitability considers whether a place in the universe is suitable for advanced life to develop. Our planet is a cozy place for liquid water, while our large moon prevents Earth from suffering climate-changing swings on its axis. Our sun is a stable star with a life-friendly temperature, and our place in the Milky Way galaxy-like baby bear’s porridge-is “just right” for many astrophysical reasons.

The text of the Cobb County disclaimer is as follows: This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully, and critically considered.

Sir, Terence Kealey (Comment, December 18) says that proponents of intelligent design are “devilishly intelligent”. Since the British philosopher and former atheist Antony Flew has just washed up on to the shores of intelligent design, he too is now “devilishly intelligent”. What has his Faustian intellect uncovered? Peering into the world of even the simplest functional, self-reproducing cell— — the Read More ›

SEATTLE, DEC. 21 – Students in Kansas will be allowed to learn about the scientific evidence both for and against Darwinian evolution if the State’s Board of Education adopts a set of proposed revisions from a group of scientists on the science standards writing committee. The eight proponents of the proposal made it very clear in a statement to School Read More ›

This article, published by Insight On The News, mentions Discovery Institute Center for Science & Culture Senior Fellow Jonathan Witt: To its credit, however, the Seattle Times permitted Jonathan Witt of the Discovery Institute to write a column noting Flew’s conversion in the context of discussing the usually taboo subject of the holes in Darwinian theory. The rest of the Read More ›

British philosopher Antony Flew has been called the world’s most influential philosophical atheist. As far back as his debates with Christian apologist C.S. Lewis in 1950, he argued that there simply wasn’t enough evidence for a creator. Now Flew has changed his mind. Those who admired his intellect when he was an atheist should listen carefully to his reasoning now—for Read More ›

In today’s Washington Post: Who’s Afraid of Intelligent Design?” SEATTLE, Wash. – The Discovery Institute is featured in a commentary on the op-ed page in today’s Washington Post about the controversy over the teaching of evolution. The commentary, written by Post education reporter Jay Matthews, argues in favor of teaching the controversy over evolution in public schools and goes even Read More ›

SEATTLE, DEC. 14 – The policy on teaching evolution recently adopted by the Dover, PA School Board was called “misguided” today by Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture, which advised that the policy should be withdrawn and rewritten. “While the Dover board is to be commended for trying to teach Darwinian theory in a more open-minded manner, this is Read More ›

Stanford neurology prof Robert Sapolsky squared off against CSC Director Stephen Meyer and CSC senior fellow John Campbell on the pages of Friday’s San Franscisco Chronicle. Sapolsky dodged the real scientific controversies and instead spewed stereotypes and politically motivated ad hominem attacks at intelligent design supporters. Contrast that with the serious issues raised by Meyer and Campbell, who delve into Read More ›