Podcasts

Discovery Institute Podcast

The Unique Properties of the Human Mind

_{Wesley J. Smith, Brian Krouse and Robert J. Marks II
April 17, 2025}

Today’s episode is a special rebroadcast of an episode of Humanize, a Discovery Institute podcast that discusses the issues that impact human personhood and to defend the unique and intrinsic moral worth of human life. Here, Humanize host Wesley J. Smith speaks to three contributors of the recent volume Minding the Brain to explore from both philosophical and scientific viewpoints why the mind and brain are distinct things. You’ll hear from software engineer Brian R. Krouse, philosopher and author Angus J. Menuge, and Mind Matters News host Robert J. Marks. The trio discuss evidence that suggests the mind has properties not reducible to physical brain activity alone, such as intentionality, abstract reasoning, and free will. They discuss different non-materialist models …

Why the “Universe From Nothing” Model Points to Intelligent Design

_{Andrew McDiarmid
April 16, 2025}

Did our universe come from nothing, as some physicists have proposed? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid critiques the audacious claim that our universe popped into existence out of nothing. What is nothing? What isn’t nothing? And how does the universe from nothing claim actually imply the necessity for intelligent design? McDiarmid shares audio from the Science Uprising video series, as well a portion of an interview with Dr. Stephen Meyer, to help answer these questions. This episode is actually built around a suggestion McDiarmid recently received from an ID The Future listener. Timothy in South Australia wants to know where the theory that the universe was created from nothing came from, how old the idea is, and why some would accept the premise over intelligent …

Brian Miller on Circular Reasoning in Origin of Life Theories

_{Brian Miller
April 14, 2025}

Is origin of life research going round in circles? This is ID the Future, a podcast that isn’t afraid to tackle the big questions about evolution and intelligent design. Today, host Eric Anderson chats with physicist Dr. Brian Miller about circular reasoning and other problems in origin of life research. They discuss the work of Stephen Meyer and James Tour, highlighting the information problem and the difficulties in natural chemical synthesis of life’s building blocks. Miller analyzes a new paper on the supposed order of amino acid recruitment into the genetic code, critiquing its underlying circular reasoning. Dr. Miller also explains the concept of causal circularity in biological systems and reveals why intelligent design provides a better explanation for the origin of …

Mind Matters

The Unique Properties of the Human Mind

_{339
Wesley J. Smith, Brian Krouse and Robert J. Marks
April 17, 2025}

The Ship of Theseus and the Philosophy of Identity

_{338
Walter Meyers III and Robert J. Marks
April 10, 2025}

Host Robert J. Marks welcomes back Walter Myers to discuss the philosophical concept of the Ship of Theseus, a paradox about whether an object remains the same after all of its original components have been gradually replaced. Myers explains the history and origins of the paradox and explores how it relates to questions of personal identity, the mind-body problem, and the relationship between the soul and the physical body. The conversation also touches on topics like transhumanism, the nature of consciousness, and the significance of the original creator or ‘author’ in assessing the identity of an object or work of art. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. Additional Resources Listen to part 1 of this conversation: Piloting the Cloud: A Technical Tour with …

Piloting the Cloud: A Technical Tour with Walter Myers III

_{337
Robert J. Marks and Walter Meyers III
April 3, 2025}

Like many, you may be storing important files and photos in the cloud. But just where is this magical cloud? How is it powered? Is it safe? To answer these questions and more, host Robert J. Marks is joined by Walter Myers III, a principal engineering manager for Microsoft’s Azure Cloud and a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute. Their conversation provides an overview of cloud computing infrastructure, including an explanation of where the cloud is physically located, the different service models (infrastructure, platform, and software as a service), and the technical details of how data is stored and protected in the cloud. The cloud actually refers to globally distributed data centers that provide computing resources and storage over the internet, rather than on local devices. …

ID the Future

Louis Pasteur: A Man of Science and Faith

_{2045
Ann Gauger
April 18, 2025}

On this episode of ID the Future out of the archive, biologist Ann Gauger walks listeners through the triumphs, flaws, and tragedies of Louis Pasteur, the French scientist whose scientific breakthroughs have saved millions of lives, and whose work on microbes sounded the death knell of the idea of spontaneous generation. Dr. Gauger also discusses his pioneering and life-saving work on vaccines, the Christian faith that saw him through the death of his three of his children, and more.

Why the “Universe From Nothing” Model Points to Intelligent Design

_{2044
Andrew McDiarmid
April 16, 2025}

Brian Miller on Circular Reasoning in Origin of Life Theories

_{2043
Brian Miller
April 14, 2025}

Is origin of life research going round in circles? This is ID the Future, a podcast that isn't afraid to tackle the big questions about evolution and intelligent design. Today, host Eric Anderson chats with physicist Dr. Brian Miller about circular reasoning and other problems in origin of life research. They discuss the work of Stephen Meyer and James Tour, highlighting the information problem and the difficulties in natural chemical synthesis of life's building blocks. Miller analyzes a new paper on the supposed order of amino acid recruitment into the genetic code, critiquing its underlying circular reasoning. Dr. Miller also explains the concept of causal circularity in biological systems and reveals why intelligent design provides a better explanation for the origin of life than an unguided evolutionary scenario.

Humanize

Katy Faust on Putting Children First

_{13
Katy Faust
April 7, 2025}

Childhood in America today is often troubled. Children are experiencing mental health crises, suicidal ideation, educational underperformance, social discord, sexualization at young ages, and unprecedented social challenges. What to do? Wesley’s guest on this episode of Humanize, Katy Faust, has invested years of her life to solving the crisis of contemporary childhood. Faust believes the time has come to put children first. In this day and age, that’s not as easy as it may sound, as she clearly describes. Faust is editor of the new book, Pro-Child Politics, which tackles contentious issues such as masculinity, femininity, pornography, gender ideology, education, race, and taxes as they impact children. She is Founder and President of Them Before Us, a global …

Bobby Schindler on the 20th Anniversary of the Death of Terri Schiavo

_{12
Bobby Schindler
March 17, 2025}

For those who may not remember, Terri Schiavo was a profoundly cognitively disabled woman who became the subject of a legal and cultural battle that made international headlines. The case became a bitter and protracted conflict between Michael Schiavo, Terri’s husband who wanted to pull her feeding tube, and the Schindler family that fought to save their child and sister’s life. In the end, the courts granted Schiavo permission to do as he wanted. It took two weeks for Terri to die. This year marks the 20th anniversary of her death, and it seems a good time to take stock of the meaning and legacy of her case. Wesley’s guest is Terri’s brother, Bobby Schindler. He is president of the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network that advocates for the medically …

David V. Hicks on the Myths We Live By

_{David V. Hicks
March 3, 2025}

We live in an increasingly secular age in which religious believers — particularly Christians — are accused of believing in myths, meaning false stories. But are religious myths really false? Moreover, do modernists have their own myths by which they live? And why do humans create myths and what societal purposes do they serve, anyway? The classical educator and Orthodox Christian David V. Hicks has thought deeply about these questions, which he explores in a fascinating new book: The Stones Cry Out: Reflections on the Myths We Live By. In the known universe, only man quests for both “meaning” and “truth.” Hicks notes that myths are our primary means of pursuing these dual human exceptionalist pursuits. The myths about which he writes are not just religious …