

Intelligent Design the Future
Discovery Institute
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 30, 2024 • 39min
My Atmospheric Science Adventures at Mauna Loa Observatory
Most people know Hawaii is famous for its beaches. But did you know it’s also home to one of the world’s leading stations for monitoring the atmosphere? On this ID The Future, self-taught citizen scientist Forrest Mims talks to host Andrew McDiarmid about the history and significance of the world-famous Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. He also shares some of his own experiences and adventures there over the last quarter century. In this episode, Mims reminds us of his dust-up with Scientific American, a controversy that would ultimately launch his career as an atmospheric scientist. He introduces us to some of the pioneering explorers and scientists who set the stage for atmospheric science in Hawaii, including Archibald Menzies, Charles Wilkes, Read More ›
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Dec 27, 2024 • 17min
Walt Disney’s Views on Evolution
On this classic ID The Future from our archive, Dr. John West, author of Walt Disney and Live Action: The Disney Studio’s Live-Action Features of the 1950s and 60s, talks about Walt Disney’s life-long fascination with evolution. By exploring various messages embedded in Disney’s theme parks and animated features, from the Magic Skyway created for the 1964 World’s Fair to the 1948 animated film Fantasia, we see Disney’s recurring contemplation of evolution.
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Dec 23, 2024 • 26min
McLatchie: Intelligent Design in the Eukaryotic Cell Cycle
Jonathan McLatchie, a biologist at the Discovery Institute, discusses the intricate design of the eukaryotic cell cycle. He contrasts prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, emphasizing the importance of cell division complexities. McLatchie delves into the critical phases of eukaryotic cell division and highlights the roles of condensins and kinetochores in mitosis. The conversation explores how these sophisticated processes suggest intelligent design rather than random evolution, particularly focusing on the essential contractile ring's role in cytokinesis.

Dec 20, 2024 • 16min
Physicist Eric Hedin: Information, Entropy, First Life
On today’s ID the Future out of the vault, Canceled Science author and physicist Eric Hedin concludes his conversation with host Eric Anderson about the challenge that the second law of thermodynamics poses for purely naturalistic scenarios of the origin of living organisms. The problem, Hedin argues, is generating the reams of exquisitely orchestrated biological information required for even the simplest self-reproducing cell. The fundamental principles of physics mitigate against chemical processes getting the job done. Hedin provides easy-to-grasp examples that illustrate his arguments. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation.
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Dec 18, 2024 • 28min
Stephen Meyer: Do Miracles Violate the Laws of Physics?
In a thought-provoking discussion, Stephen Meyer, a philosopher of science and an expert on intelligent design, argues against the coherence of theistic evolution, challenging its reliance on a faltering theory. He presents a compelling case for the nature of miracles, suggesting they reflect conscious agency without contravening physical laws. Meyer critiques David Hume’s stance on miracles, leading to intriguing insights about the interplay between faith and science, and the implications of intelligent design compared to Darwinian explanations.

Dec 16, 2024 • 36min
Stephen Meyer: Can There Be a Theory of Everything?
On today’s ID The Future, philosopher of science Dr. Stephen Meyer continues his conversation with Praxis Circle’s Doug Monroe. In this section of a multi-part interview, Dr. Meyer discusses two of the crucial arguments of his latest book Return of the God Hypothesis: the information embedded in DNA code that demands an explanation, and the fine-tuning of the physical properties of the universe and what’s wrong with recent attempts to explain that fine-tuning by resorting to a theory of multiple universes. Dr. Meyer also addresses the question: can there be a theory of everything? Dig Deeper
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Dec 13, 2024 • 12min
Physicist Eric Hedin Talks Entropy and the Origin of Life
In an engaging discussion, physicist Eric Hedin, author of 'Canceled Science,' delves into the mysteries of entropy and the origins of life. He critiques the conventional scientific view that life can spontaneously arise from prebiotic materials, arguing that the second law of thermodynamics suggests nature degrades rather than creates information. Hedin raises pivotal questions about the role of complex information, the paradox of life's emergence, and challenges to naturalistic explanations, leaving listeners contemplating the deeper implications of life and physics.

Dec 11, 2024 • 27min
Stephen Meyer: Did Belief in God Make Modern Science Possible?
Join a fascinating discussion on the nature of information, where mathematical concepts meet the rich meaning of specified information. Explore how theistic beliefs inspired the scientific revolution and the unique role faith played in fostering empirical inquiry. Distinctions between scientific laws and complex informational sequences shed light on the origins of biological intricacies. Finally, uncover emerging trends in the scientific community, revealing a shift towards accepting intelligent design as a serious framework.

Dec 9, 2024 • 45min
How to Make a Bayesian Inference to the Best Explanation
When we gain new information about beliefs we hold, it’s good practice to update our viewpoints accordingly to avoid incoherence in our thinking. On today’s ID The Future, host Jonathan McLatchie invites professor and author Dr. Tim McGrew to the show to discuss how Bayesian reasoning can help us maintain coherence across our set of beliefs. The pair also apply Bayesian logic to the debate over Darwinian evolution to show that a confidence in design arguments can be mathematically rigorous and logically sound. Bayesian logic provides a mathematical way to update prior probabilities with new information to produce a more realistic likelihood ratio. And when it comes to evaluating different hypotheses, small pieces of evidence can add up. “Even evidence Read More ›
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Dec 6, 2024 • 21min
John Bloom on the Match that Lit the Scientific Revolution
On today’s ID the Future out of the vault, Biola University physicist John Bloom discusses his chapter in The Comprehensive Guide to Science and Faith, an anthology co-edited by host Casey Luskin. Bloom argues that while the Babylonians and Greeks contributed some discoveries and insights that would eventually play into the rise of science, science did not take off, was not born, until a cluster of crucial ideas drawn from the Judeo-Christian worldview infused Western thought. Only then did astrology become astronomy, alchemy become chemistry, and the great adventure of scientific discovery begin in earnest.
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