

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

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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Jun 11, 2025 • 22min
Michael Egnor Reads From His New Book The Immortal Mind
On this ID The Future, Dr. Michael Egnor reads the Introduction to his new book The Immortal Mind: A Neurosurgeon's Case for the Existence of the Soul, now available from Worthy Books. In this reading, Dr. Egnor shares his journey from being a medical student who believed science could explain everything, including how consciousness emerges from the brain and whether we have a soul, to a neurosurgeon who questioned the conventional materialist view. He discusses how years of operating on and examining patients with brain damage led him to wonder how large parts of the brain could be removed without affecting a person's mind or their ability to think, reason, believe, and desire. His personal story, including a profound experience in a hospital chapel during a family crisis, became a turning point that challenged his atheism and led him to believe that the immaterial aspects of our minds are real and that nature is an open system, not a closed one.
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Jun 9, 2025 • 30min
Jay Richards on the “Ground Clearing” Work of Jonathan Wells
Before the positive case for intelligent design can be received effectively, the case against the Darwinian evolutionary mechanism must be clearly laid out. One man who was instrumental in this initial "ground clearing operation" was biologist Dr. Jonathan Wells, our friend and colleague who passed away in 2024. On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid welcomes Dr. Jay Richards back to the podcast to share his memories of Dr. Wells and discuss the significance of Wells's life and work.
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Jun 6, 2025 • 23min
Engineered Complexity in the Microbial World
On this ID the Future from the archive, host Jonathan Witt speaks to molecular biologist and professor Dustin Van Hofwegen about his research into the engineered complexity in microbial life. Hofwegen shares his research on the famous decades-long E. coli evolution experiment conducted by Richard Lenski, which showed the sudden appearance of an ability to utilize citrate after many generations. However, Van Hofwegen's own experiments demonstrated that this "evolutionary innovation" actually points to the intelligent design built into living systems instead of an undirected process like natural selection.
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Jun 4, 2025 • 37min
Physicist Brian Miller: The Non-Algorithmic Nature of Life
For decades, we’ve thought the control center of life lies in DNA. But a new scientific framework is emerging that challenges that idea, and suggests that vast portions of the genome are immaterial and lie outside the physical world. Today, physicist Dr. Brian Miller shares his perspective on the cutting-edge, potentially revolutionary research of mathematical biologist Dr. Richard Sternberg on the immaterial aspects of the genome. In this exchange, Dr. Miller shares several examples of the immaterial nature of life. These ideas point towards the earliest stages of the next great scientific revolution and have significant implications for the intelligent design debate.
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Jun 2, 2025 • 37min
A Neurosurgeon Pulls Back the Curtain on the Soul
On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid is thrilled to welcome back renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Michael Egnor to continue discussing his new book The Immortal Mind: A Neurosurgeon's Case for the Existence of the Soul. The book tackles provocative ideas, making a case that the human soul exists and that the mind is immortal. In this compelling conversation, we unpack some of the powerful arguments and evidence Dr. Egnor has marshaled. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation.
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