
Intelligent Design the Future
The ID The Future (IDTF) podcast carries on Discovery Institute's mission of exploring the issues central to evolution and intelligent design. IDTF is a short podcast providing you with the most current news and views on evolution and ID. IDTF delivers brief interviews with key scientists and scholars developing the theory of ID, as well as insightful commentary from Discovery Institute senior fellows and staff on the scientific, educational and legal aspects of the debate. Episode notes and archives available at idthefuture.com.
Latest episodes

Jul 4, 2025 • 24min
Dis-Inherit the Wind: Film Debunks Hollywood’s Icon of Evolution
On this ID The Future from the vault, host David Boze interviews filmmaker Fred Foote, writer and producer of the feature-length drama Alleged, which seeks to tell the real story behind the infamous 1925 Scopes Trial in Dayton, Tennessee, which pitched Darwinian evolution against belief in God. Through his own research, Foote discovered that Inherit the Wind was "almost exactly wrong" on many crucial points. Foote discusses how his movie strives to present both sides in the famous trial as fairly as possible.
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Jul 2, 2025 • 28min
How Intelligent Design Has Flourished In Spite of the Scopes Effect
The Scopes "Monkey" trial of 1925 has cast a long shadow over the evolution debate in the last century, thanks in large part to the Hollywood film Inherit the Wind, which caricatured the trial and promoted stereotypes that still persist today. On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid continues a conversation with Dr. Casey Luskin about the long history of the Scopes effect in science and how intelligent design has managed to flourish in spite of it. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation.
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Jun 30, 2025 • 22min
A Century Later, the Spirit of Scopes is Alive and Well
The Scopes “Monkey” Trial Turns 100 this year. According to secularist legend, the Scopes trial represented a great showdown between ignorant, fundamentalist religion and enlightened, scientific progress. But what really went down in 1925? And a hundred years later, is science still suffering from the Scopes effect? On this episode of ID The Future, Dr. Casey Luskin begins a conversation with host Andrew McDiarmid about the famous trial, the play and movie based on it that reinforced unrealistic stereotypes, and some of the flashpoints in science since the trial that have fanned the flames of the debate over evolution. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation.
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Jun 27, 2025 • 46min
Meyer, Behe, and Lennox on Science, God, and Darwin’s Other Doubt
Every Friday we pull a gem out of our archive for those who may not have enjoyed it yet. On today’s ID the Future out of the vault, Oxford’s John Lennox, Lehigh University’s Michael Behe, and Darwin’s Doubt author Stephen Meyer continue a probing conversation with host Peter Robinson on what they see as the growing evidence for intelligent design and the scientific and philosophical problems with Darwinian materialism. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. This interview appears on ID The Future with the kind permission of Peter Robinson and the Hoover Institution.
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Jun 25, 2025 • 25min
Artist Jody Sjogren on How Intelligent Agents Bring Ideas to Life
How does an intelligent agent go from idea to artifact? What can the process of art teach us about the evidence of design in the natural world? Today, medical illustrator and artist Jody Sjogren joins host Andrew McDiarmid to discuss the similarities between machines and living organisms and the insights art can give us about the mind of intelligent designers. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation.
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Jun 23, 2025 • 43min
Artist Jody Sjogren on Illustrating the Icons of Evolution
Artistic license has been used to promote Darwinian evolution since the late nineteenth century. Icons of evolution have appeared in textbooks, journals, magazines, and other visual media to promote a materialist worldview that is light on evidence and weighty on assumption. But in 2000, a book came along – Icons of Evolution – that finally exposed the myths, exaggerations, and outright fakery behind ten of the most infamous icons of Darwin’s theory. Today, host Andrew McDiarmid welcomes the illustrator of that ground-breaking book, medical illustrator and artist Jody Sjogren, to discuss her experience of bringing these famous icons to life and working with author Dr. Jonathan Wells on the project. Jody also shares some of her memories of Dr. Wells, Read More ›
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Jun 20, 2025 • 42min
Behe, Meyer, & Lennox: The Evidence for Design is Growing
Join Peter Robinson as he interviews John Lennox, an Oxford math professor and critic of atheism, and Michael Behe, a biochemist known for his work on intelligent design. They tackle the gaps in Darwin's theory, exploring the Cambrian explosion and the mystery of transitional fossils. The conversation dives into irreducible complexity and critiques traditional evolutionary paradigms. They also examine the role of DNA as a coded language, raising questions about life's origins and the intricacies of biological information.

Jun 18, 2025 • 23min
Brian Miller on Advancing Biology Through an Engineering Lens
Dr. Brian Miller, a physicist at the Discovery Institute, engages in a fascinating dialogue about merging engineering and biology. He discusses how applying engineering principles can illuminate biological systems, suggesting that this perspective enhances scientific inquiry. Miller highlights the upcoming CELS conference, designed to foster collaboration between engineers and biologists, and previews innovative discussions that promise to inspire the next generation of researchers. He also touches on the intricate relationship between engineering, life patterns, and deeper scientific understanding.

Jun 16, 2025 • 42min
Denyse O’Leary: Why Materialism Can’t Explain the Mind
In this enlightening conversation, freelance journalist Denyse O’Leary, co-author of 'The Immortal Mind', challenges materialism's grip on our understanding of consciousness. She discusses groundbreaking neuroscience findings that suggest our minds transcend mere brain function. O’Leary reveals how near-death experiences raise profound questions about our existence. The dialogue delves into the soul’s immaterial aspects and critiques artificial intelligence's limitations compared to human consciousness. This thoughtful exchange invites a re-examination of both science and spirituality.

Jun 13, 2025 • 19min
Stephen Meyer: God Behind the Birth of Science and the Cosmos
Do we have to choose between science and God? Absolutely not, says philosopher of science Dr. Stephen Meyer. In fact, theistic ideas about nature actually inspired the rise of modern science. On today’s ID the Future from the archive, Return of the God Hypothesis author Stephen Meyer and radio host Michael Medved discuss the arguments presented in a series of short videos featuring Dr. Meyer that explore the increasingly strong scientific case for intelligent design and for the idea that the universe is the product of a transcendent mind.
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