Seven years ago, Yale University professor of computer science David Gelernter wrote that he was bidding farewell to neo-Darwinian evolutionary theory. Why would he take such a bold step? What convinced him that the neo-Darwinian paradigm no longer satisfied the scientific evidence? On this classic ID The Future out of the vault, host Andrew McDiarmid reads Gelernter’s important essay in full.
Is it possible to integrate the evidence for intelligent design into full-length high school biology and chemistry courses? Of course! Are such courses currently available to homeschool students? Absolutely! Discovery Institute Academy offers innovative online science courses for homeschool students taught from the perspective that nature reflects intelligent design. On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid welcomes the instructors of DI Academy’s biology and chemistry courses, Kristin Marais and Summer Edwards, to give us a fresh look at this year’s classes.
Is there clear and present scientific evidence that life and the universe were purposefully designed? On this ID The Future, we highlight Dr. Stephen Meyer’s recent conversation with Piers Morgan on Piers Morgan Uncensored. This is Dr. Meyer’s second interview with Morgan. Last time, he talked about scientific evidence for the existence of God. This time, he explores science, faith, and the very origins of the cosmos with Piers. Meyer unpacks some of the evidence explored in the new documentary film The Story of Everything. From the digital code embedded in our DNA to the precise fine-tuning of the universe, Meyer argues that the most “common sense” explanation for our existence isn’t blind, purposeless processes – it’s intentional design.
We’re grateful to the producer of Piers Morgan Uncensored for permission to share this conversation on ID The Future.
The age of AI is upon us and is already changing the way we conduct our lives. What is the optimal division of tasks between humans and machines? On this episode of Mind Matters News, host Robert J. Marks welcomes psychologist Dr. Joe McDonald to the podcast to explore the relationship between cognitive psychology and artificial intelligence (AI). Dr. McDonald is an expert in cognitive psychology and human factors research. He is the CEO and Principal at Jumpseat Research, a firm that applies cognitive science principles to improve technology design and user experiences. Dr. McDonald has over 15 years of experience in this field, holds a PhD in Human Factors from Georgia Tech, and is passionate about empowering people through technology.
AI is having impact everywhere. But what about global outreach initiatives? And specifically Christian missions? How are those in the mission field using artificial intelligence? On this episode of Mind Matters News, host Robert J. Marks and co-host Jonathan Swindell welcome Dr. Don Barger to the show. Barger is the Director of Innovation and Artificial Intelligence at the International Mission Board. Don works with new technology, especially AI, and helps people use it in smart and responsible ways. He thinks a lot about how AI can help in real-life situations, especially in global missions. He also understands the limits of AI and what it cannot do. In this conversation, we’ll discuss how AI is changing the world, how AI should be used responsibly in global outreach initiatives to other cultures and peoples, and what it all means for the future.
In this bingecast installment of the Mind Matters News podcast, host Robert J. Marks welcomes economics professor and author Gary Smith to discuss the hype around artificial intelligence and its impact on the market. Smith is the Fletcher Jones Professor of Economics at Ponoma College and a frequent contributor to Mind Matters News. Smith argues that generative AI, embodied in services like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, exhibits many characteristics of past market bubbles, including excessive hype, lack of profitability, and unrealistic expectations. Smith holds that generative AI models have limited practical economic value. They may be good at finding statistical patterns but struggle to distinguish meaningful, useful correlations from coincidental ones. Smith describes the fundamental challenge of teaching machines true understanding that goes beyond mere pattern recognition. A number of examples and stories are shared throughout.