ID the Future | Page 3 | Discovery Institute

^{Stephen C. Meyer
August 19, 2024}

Stephen Meyer on the Intellectual Shift Away from Darwinism

_{Stephen C. Meyer
August 19, 2024}

On this episode of ID The Future, we’re sharing the first half of an interview between philosopher of science Dr. Stephen Meyer and author and radio/podcast host Justin Brierley. The interview delves into the main arguments of Dr. Meyer’s most recent book Return of the God Hypothesis, but it also serves as an update on the status of intelligent design and the growing interest in design arguments in both academia and the public square. In Part 1, Meyer and Brierley discuss the current status of intelligent design. They also jump into some of the discoveries Meyer lays out in his book. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. Look for Part 2 next! Read More ›

The Very Large Array (VLA) radio-astronomy antennas, in New Mexico, is one of the most impressive observatories in the world. The Sun was piercing through after a major storm during a public tour.

^{Paul Nelson
August 16, 2024}

Could Carl Sagan’s Methods Be Used to Make Design Inferences?

_{Paul Nelson
August 16, 2024}

On today’s ID The Future out of the vault, host Robert Crowther welcomes philosopher of science Paul Nelson to explore an intriguing tension in the thinking of famous scientist and science popularizer Carl Sagan. Though Sagan was a committed Darwinist and agnostic, he embraced certain ideas consistent with the theory of intelligent design. Could Sagan's methods for detecting extra-terrestrial intelligence be used to make design inferences in the natural world? Listen in as Dr. Nelson discusses this intriguing idea. Read More ›

Piles Of Rare Earth Elements Mined And Refined

^{Eric Hedin
August 14, 2024}

Metals: The Gifts That Keep On Giving

_{Eric Hedin
August 14, 2024}

A confluence of conditions conspired to bring metals to Earth and make them accessible to humans. Can a Darwinian process take the credit? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid concludes a two-part conversation with Dr. Eric Hedin, professor emeritus of physics and astronomy at Ball State University in Indiana. Dr. Hedin describes the conditions within ourselves and the conditions within our environment that were finely tuned to allow for our successful utilization of metals. He also speaks to what our use of metals reveals about the moral character of human nature, and why metals remain vital to us today. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. Don't miss Part 1! Read More ›

Process of casting in foundry, liquid molten metal pouring in ladle. Heavy metallurgy industry.

^{Eric Hedin
August 12, 2024}

Metals & Life: A Finely Tuned Alliance

_{Eric Hedin
August 12, 2024}

Humans have successfully utilized metals for millennia, and trace amounts of metals are crucial to our survival. Is that coincidence or something more? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid begins a two-part conversation with Dr. Eric Hedin, professor emeritus of physics and astronomy at Ball State University in Indiana. Dr. Hedin tells the fascinating story of the origin of metals, the finely tuned set of conditions that allow for our use of metals, and the crucial role metals play in our survival. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. Look for Part 2 next! Read More ›

^{Michael Newton Keas
August 9, 2024}

The Gollum Effect: When Guarding Research Impedes Progress

_{Michael Newton Keas
August 9, 2024}

On this ID the Future out of the vault, host Andrew McDiarmid sits down with historian and philosopher of science Michael Keas to discuss a recent article at Times Higher Education, “My Precious! How Academia’s Gollums Guard Their Research Fields.” The article looks at how scientific progress is being impeded by a culture in which scientists jealously guard their research instead of sharing it. Keas says the problem seems to have gotten worse in recent years but isn’t a new one. He illustrates with the story of Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler. Read More ›

^{Richard Weikart
August 5, 2024}

Richard Weikart: Medicine’s Descent From Healing to Killing

_{Richard Weikart
August 5, 2024}

If we believe there is no qualitative distinction between animals and humans, are we more likely to protect human life or devalue it? On this episode of ID The Future, host Eric Anderson talks to historian Dr. Richard Weikart about his latest book, Unnatural Death: Medicine's Descent From Healing to Killing, now available from Discovery Institute Press. The book is a wide-ranging history of euthanasia and assisted suicide from Ancient Greece to today. How did we get to the point we are at today, and how do we turn the tide to promote the sanctity of human life? Tune in to find out. Read More ›

^{Kirk Durston
August 2, 2024}

Three Types of Science, pt. 3: Fantasy Science

_{Kirk Durston
August 2, 2024}

On this episode of ID the Future out of our vault, biophysicist Kirk Durston completes a three-part series on three categories of science: experimental, inferential, and fantasy science. Fantasy science makes inferential leaps so huge that virtually none of it is testable, either by the standards of experimental science or by those of the historical sciences, which reason to the best explanation by process of elimination. This is Part 3 of a three-part interview. Read More ›

Physics or mathematical equations on a universe decorative LED background give the impression of interstellar space travel.

^{Melissa Cain Travis
July 31, 2024}

Finding Beauty and Harmony in the Sciences

_{Melissa Cain Travis
July 31, 2024}

Materialist philosopher Bertrand Russell once wrote that "only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair, can the soul’s habitation…be safely built.” But is this worldview of scientific materialism in line with what science has revealed to us in the last century? On this episode of ID The Future, we’re pleased to share a recent conversation between Dr. Melissa Cain Travis and author and teacher Dr. Ken Boa on the Explorers Podcast. The topic is beauty, harmony, and truth in the sciences. We are grateful to the producers of the Explorers Podcast for permission to re-broadcast this conversation. Read More ›

A solar eclipse. The total eclipse is caused when the sun, moon and earth align. Illustration.

^{Guillermo Gonzalez
July 29, 2024}

Astronomer Guillermo Gonzalez Reads His Solar Eclipse Poem “Totality”

_{Guillermo Gonzalez
July 29, 2024}

On this episode, host Andrew McDiarmid welcomes astrophysicist Guillermo Gonzalez back to the program to read and discuss his poem "Totality: A Celestial Theater," written to commemorate the total solar eclipse that occurred in April 2024. You may already be familiar with Gonzalez's popular book The Privileged Planet, co-authored with Dr. Jay Richards, unpacking the arguments for our privileged place in the cosmos. You might also have heard about his new young adult novel The Farm at the Center of the Universe, co-written with Dr. Jonathan Witt. But you likely didn't know this accomplished scientist and author is also a poet! Listen as Gonzalez discusses and then reads his poem aloud. Read More ›

The universe within. Silhouette of a man inside the universe, physical and mathematical formulas.. The concept on scientific and philosophical topics. Elements of this image furnished by NASA.

^{Kirk Durston
July 29, 2024}

Three Types of Science, pt. 2: Inferential Science

_{Kirk Durston
July 29, 2024}