Stars, Cells, and God

Join astrophysicists Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss how emerging technologies bring human integrity and our responsibility to care for God’s creation into sharper focus. Hugh discusses groundbreaking innovation in climate technology—clothing that cools the skin. Researchers have designed comfortable garments that integrate hydrogel with thermoelectric devices and lower skin temperature by 27 degrees. Such clothing has proven to keep people comfortable in extreme heat and its widespread use can greatly reduce energy for air conditioning and, thus, mitigate both urban heat islands and global warming. As our technology improves, so does our capacity for mismanagement. Jeff examines two technologies that were developed for good purposes—rockets and ultra-processed foods—but are currently (or will be shortly) causing significant harm. In both instances, living by God’s design lets us receive the benefits of the technology while reducing its risks. LINKS AND RESOURCES: Thermoelectrically Elevated Hydrogel Evaporation for Personal Cooling Under Extreme Heat Weathering Climate Change, Hugh Ross Why Gen X Women Can’t Stop Eating Ultra-Processed Foods Ultra-Processed Food Addiction in a Nationally Representative Sample of Older Adults in the USA Rapid Rocket Growth Raises Alarm Over Earth’s Fragile Ozone Layer

Join biochemists Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Sy Garte as they discuss how modern biology can strengthen faith rather than divide Christians. Disunity in the church over evolution is unnecessary. Today’s biology goes far beyond the old neo-Darwinian model of random mutations and natural selection. Concepts like “cognition-based evolution” and “evolution on purpose” are becoming mainstream, revealing purpose, agency, and design throughout life. These discoveries show that understanding biology’s most complex problems may require new laws that embrace teleology and intentionality, thereby fostering harmony between science and Christian faith. LINKS AND RESOURCES: Beyond Evolution: How New Discoveries in the Science of Life Point to God

Join astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink and professor of nutrition Dr. Jim Painter as they discuss the science and spiritual insights behind fasting. Fasting is more than a strategy for weight loss—it also offers several health benefits that go beyond the scale. When practiced wisely, fasting can improve insulin sensitivity, support better blood sugar control, and encourage the body to burn fat more efficiently. It also rests the digestive system, potentially reducing inflammation and promoting gut health. Some studies suggest that fasting triggers cellular repair processes like autophagy, which help clear out damaged cells and support longevity. Many people report improved mental clarity and energy while fasting, making it a practice that supports both physical and cognitive well-being.  LINKS AND RESOURCES: Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

Join biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana and professor of nutrition Dr. Jim Painter as they discuss how your diet shapes your body, mind, and spirit. Foods that influence your gut microbiome can noticeably affect how you feel both physically and emotionally. For example, fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains feed beneficial bacteria, which produce short-chain fatty acids that support digestion, reduce inflammation, and even improve mood and energy levels. Conversely, diets high in processed foods, sugar, or artificial additives can disrupt the balance of gut microbes, causing bloating, sluggishness, or irritability. Fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, or kimchi often provide probiotics that help maintain a diverse microbiome, which can make people feel lighter, more focused, and less stressed. This gut-brain connection means what you eat directly affects your digestive comfort and mental well-being.  LINKS AND RESOURCES: A Comprehensive Review of Probiotics and Human Health—Current Prospective and Applications

Join biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana and senior consultant in rehabilitation medicine, Dr. Uditha Jayatunga, as they discuss one of evolution’s biggest claims: macroevolution. In this presentation, Dr. Jayatunga challenges the foundational role of macroevolution in explaining the evolutionary tree of life. Many biologists view macroevolution as a natural extension of microevolution, but he rejects this premise, citing a lack of conclusive evidence and significant scientific hurdles. Drawing from biochemistry, physiology, biomechanics, microbiome science, and reproductive biology, he explains why large-scale evolutionary change is scientifically implausible—and even introduces the idea of “reverse evolution” (like losing certain abilities) in humans. This is a rare, thought-provoking perspective on the limits of evolutionary theory and the case for God’s design. LINKS AND RESOURCES: Macroevolution Modeling Evolution in a Long Time Evolution Experiment with E. Coli Evolutionary Layering and the Limits to Cellular Perfection The Sensory Hand Secret of the Chameleon’s Ballistic Tongue Revealed: Reptile’s Firing Mechanism Uses Three Parts to Hit Fast-Moving Targets Genes, Cells and Brain Areas of Intelligence Male Seahorses Are Nature’s Mr. Mom, Researchers Say The Role of the Microbiome for Human Health: From Basic Science to Clinical Applications A Unified Catalog of 204,938 Reference Genomes from the Human Gut Microbiome

Join astrophysicists Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss what ocean waves reveal about God’s design, and how artificial intelligence raises questions about humanity’s future. Multiyear measurements show that ocean wave breaking on coastlines and associated bubble bursting are one of the largest sources of atmospheric aerosols. This sea spray explains fog formation, cloud development, nutrient deposition, and high precipitation rates in coastal regions, all of which appear to be optimally designed. Rapid advances in AI over the last few years have raised the question of whether AIs are truly intelligent—and what that means for human society. One thing seems clear—AI is here to stay, and we need to figure out how to use it well. A recent study of the influence of AI on novel art production lends insight into the opportunities AI brings to advancing human knowledge as well as its limitations. LINKS AND RESOURCES: Shoreline Wave Breaking Strongly Enhances the Coastal Sea Spray Aerosol Population: Climate and Air Quality Implications Improbable Planet Who Expands the Human Creative Frontier with Generative AI: Hive Minds or Masterminds?  

Join biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana and physics professor Eric Hedin as they discuss new scientific discoveries with theological and philosophical implications alluding to the reality of God’s existence. In exploring the interaction between spirit and matter, intelligent design advocates aim to construct a framework for understanding how God, as a metaphysical designer, might engage with the physical world. These concepts may help Christians envision the mechanisms of divine action more vividly while also providing thoughtful responses to skeptics who struggle to conceive how such a phenomenon could operate within the bounds of reality. LINKS & RESOURCES: Intelligent Design Beyond Physics—How Would a Designer Interact with the Universe? Mind, Matter, and Intelligent Design Plato’s Revenge: Mathematical Biologist Richard Sternberg Foresaw Major Developments in Biology

Join biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Christian apologist Steve Anonsen as they explore the real story of Galileo Galilei, beyond the myth of a lone hero battling the church. Galileo built on centuries of Christian scholarship devoted to rethinking the solar system, physics, and the broader cosmos. His ardent defense of Copernican heliocentrism and his conflict with the church highlight both the brilliance and the limitations of one of history’s great scientists. This discussion challenges the common “science vs. faith” narrative, showing Galileo as a complex, gifted figure whose legacy still offers lessons for today. LINKS AND RESOURCES: Whose Revolution? Copernicus, Brahe & Kepler   Setting Aside All Authority: Giovanni Battista Riccioli and the Science Against Copernicus in the Age of Galileo Deferent and Epicycle Why Didn't Aristarchus’ Theory of Heliocentrism Stick? Simplicity in the Copernican Revolution: Galileo, Descartes, Newton Letter to Madame Christina of Lorraine, Grand Duchess of Tuscany Galileo's Letter to Christina: Some Rhetorical Considerations

Join biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana and astrophysicist Hugh Ross as they discuss new discoveries with theological and philosophical implications that point to the reality of God’s existence. Who were the Neanderthals? How do they fit into the biblical account of human origins? Were they image-bearers like us? Or were they “soulish” animals? In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana details how recent work by researchers from the UK on the origin of Chiari type 1 malformations (brain abnormalities) offers insight into these questions. Also in this episode, Hugh Ross explains field experiments that provide further evidence of human exceptionalism—highlighting infant-directed communication as a unique tool for rapid, complex language acquisition. Unlike great apes, adult humans use specialized gestures, sign language, and acoustic and structural verbal features when communicating with their infants. As a result, human infants can easily distinguish between adult and infant-directed communication. Moreover, they receive significantly more infant-directed input than their great ape counterparts, further accelerating their linguistic development. LINKS AND RESOURCES Evolutionary Hypothesis for Chiari Type I Malformation A Test of the Archaic Homo Introgression Hypothesis for the Chiari Malformation Type I The Evolution of Infant-Directed Communication: Comparing Vocal Input Across All Great Apes

Join astrophysicists Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries with theological and philosophical implications that point to the reality of God’s existence. Researchers have reconstructed ancient lake temperatures in the Qaidam Basin (western China)to show that either 11.0 or 7.6 million years ago, the northern Tibetan Plateau rose by 1,650 or 1,525 meters in less than 500,000 years. Hugh Ross explains how this final major event in the collision of the Indian subcontinent with Asia created a “third pole” of ice covering 1 million square miles. This pole made global human civilization possible. The fact that the event occurred 7.6 million years ago means the resultant tectonic activity has subsided to a nonthreatening level for human civilization.   While today’s AIs still lack skills humans possess, advances continually push AI technology to accomplish things we thought only humans could do. Jeff Zweerink discusses how a recent studyindicates that AI may one day do science as well as humans. However, if we focus only on efficiency, we could miss the reason why we do science—that God designed us to learn how to relate to him and learn about him through his revelation in creation.  LINKS AND RESOURCES: Terrestrial Temperature History Reveals Late Miocene Rapid Uplift of the Northern Tibetan Plateau Flow-Driven Data Intensification to Accelerate Autonomous Inorganic Materials Discovery This AI-Powered Lab Runs Itself—and Discovers New Materials 10x Faster Representation of Locomotive Action Affordances in Human Behavior, Brains, and Deep Neural Networks Affordances in the Brain: The Human Superpower AI Hasn’t Mastered