Science and Culture Today | Discovering Design in Nature

Today

The Spine: A Miracle of Embryological Development

_{Stuart Burgess
March 19, 2026
5
Anatomy}

The sloth has ten neck vertebrae whereas almost all other mammals have seven. The sloth’s extra vertebrae allow it to swivel its neck almost all the way around

Can Formless Matter Exist?

_{Winston Ewert
March 19, 2026
9
Faith & Science}

The solution is to go back to the source and follow the text to see what it actually says.

Why Are We Going Crazy? New Book Has a Diagnosis

_{Terrell Clemmons
March 19, 2026
4
Ethics}

“So-called neutrality is really bad-faith authoritarianism. Whatever view succeeds in passing itself off as neutral wins without making a case for itself.”

Requiem for an Artificial Superintelligence

_{William A. Dembski
March 20, 2026
19
Computational Sciences}

On the morning of his upload, he signed transfer papers, redundancy protocols, continuity covenants, and one handwritten page that no lawyer saw.

J. Budziszewski: Back from the Wasteland

_{Terrell Clemmons
March 20, 2026
8
Faith & Science}

“In the reconstruction period, it was as though I had been living in a dark attic, but now the shutters were being thrown back.”

Active Matter: How Function Determines Structure

_{Stephen J. Iacoboni
March 18, 2026
8
Biology}

As always, the approach of naturalism is to reduce the complexity of natural phenomena to basic physical laws.

A Goldilocks Universe, Designed for Us

_{Science & Culture
March 18, 2026
3
Fine-tuning}

As philosopher Timothy McGrew puts it, we live in a universe “bearing everywhere the fingerprints of its Creator.”

ID the Future

with Andrew McDiarmid

What Separates AI From the Qualities of the Human Mind

_{2189
Selmer Bringsjord
March 20, 2026}

ID The Future listeners now get to enjoy a new episode each month (as well as a bingecast archive episode) from our sister podcast Mind Matters News, a production of the Discovery Institute’s Walter Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence. The Mind Matters News podcast brings you interviews and insight from computer scientists, engineers, inventors, neurosurgeons, and other experts who bring sanity to the conversation about natural and artificial intelligence, going beyond the hype to explore the undercurrents of these important ideas. And although the Mind Matters News podcast will not often explicitly discuss intelligent design, it regularly explores the nature of intelligence, the origin of information, and the things that make us uniquely human, concepts that are central to the theory of intelligent design. Is consciousness the exclusive domain of human beings? Proponents of a view known as integrative information theory argue that AI will eventually achieve that same level of consciousness as systems build up and integrate more knowledge in the future. On this archive episode, Mind Matters guest host Pat Flynn welcomes Dr. Selmer Bringsjord to discuss some of the flaws in this theory as well as a possible alternative.

The Low-Confidence Science Propping Up Neo-Darwinian Claims

_{2188
Rob Stadler
March 18, 2026}

In this episode of ID the Future, host Eric Anderson concludes his conversation with medical engineer and scientist Rob Stadler about the divide between high-confidence and low-confidence science. In this segment, Stadler explains how to apply a set of rigorous criteria to the claims of Neo-Darwinism to better evaluate its explanatory power. He argues that many cornerstone proofs for evolution, such as homology and the fossil record, actually represent low confidence science. Rather than providing direct, repeatable evidence of a causal event, these claims often rely on circular reasoning and unproven assumptions that extrapolate far beyond the actual data available. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation.

Rob Stadler: Six Criteria for High-Confidence Science

_{2187
Rob Stadler
March 16, 2026}

In today’s ID The Future, guest host Eric Anderson welcomes medical engineer and scientist Rob Stadler to begin a two-part discussion about the critical need for a new approach to evaluating the strength of evidence in science. Drawing from 30 years of experience in a field where lives depend on rigorous regulatory standards, Stadler explains how he developed six criteria to distinguish between high-confidence and low-confidence scientific claims. These criteria evaluate both the quality of the experiment and the quality of the scientist. This is Part 1 of a two-part discussion.

Latest Videos

How High-Tech in Your Cells Points to God

_{The Center for Science and Culture
February 2, 2026
Intelligent Design
God Proofs}

Do you know that the cells inside you are filled with high-tech features and devices? And that they point to God? A short animated video inspired by the graphic novel The God Proofs: How Science Points to YOUR Creator by Doug Ell for young teens and above.

…

How Logic Points to God

_{The Center for Science and Culture
January 26, 2026
Intelligent Design
God Proofs}

Does logic point to… God?!!! A short animated video inspired by the graphic novel The God Proofs: How Science Points to YOUR Creator by Doug Ell for young teens and above.

…

How to Build a Baby

_{The Center for Science and Culture
January 21, 2026
Intelligent Design
Secrets of the Human Body}

In this episode of Secrets of the Human Body, join medical doctor Howard Glicksman and systems engineer Steve Laufmann as they investigate the intricate systems required to build a human baby.

…

How Common Sense Points to God

_{The Center for Science and Culture
January 19, 2026
Intelligent Design
God Proofs}

Does common sense point to… God?!!! A short animated video inspired by the graphic novel The God Proofs: How Science Points to YOUR Creator by Doug Ell for young teens and above.

…

Intelligent Design

Research Reveals Elephant’s Amazing Sense of Touch

_{David Coppedge
March 16, 2026
7
Intelligent Design}

Elephants can turn over a jeep and pull down a tree, but they can also pick up a potato chip without breaking it.

Meyer in Cambridge: Natural Theology or ID?

_{David Klinghoffer
March 12, 2026
2
Intelligent Design}

Adds James Orr, “You might call it non-natural theology in that your argument around mathematics and information is that it’s not naturalistically explicable.

Fingers Are Fine-Tuned Far Beyond Survival’s Needs

_{Stuart Burgess
March 9, 2026
4
Intelligent Design}

Our exoskeleton could only make simple hand grips, far short of what a healthy human hand could manage.

Stay Informed about the Evidence for Design

_{Granville Sewell
March 5, 2026
8
Intelligent Design}

Technological advances have led to the discovery of planets outside our solar system, with news heralding the discovery of many “earth-like” planets.

Historical Sciences

Origin of Life

Watch: Brian Miller on Evolution’s Circular Logic

_{David Klinghoffer
January 26, 2026
2
Evolution}

Dr. Miller poignantly describes being a freshman at MIT, looking up at the ceiling of his dorm room, and making a bargain with God.

For Complex Life, Just Add Fertilizer

_{David Coppedge
January 23, 2026
8
Evolution}

You may have all the ingredients you want, in the right quantities, but without a builder, nothing functionally complex will emerge.

The Messy Reality of Prebiotic Chemistry

_{Andrew McDiarmid
January 15, 2026
2
Origin of Life}

The interview explores the professional risks faced by scientists who question the standard evolutionary paradigm.

Evolution

Evolution: What Is in a Word? (Hint: Not Much)

_{Eric Hedin
March 18, 2026
5
Evolution}

Since the entire non-living universe contains far less information content than a single living cell, life presents an enigma to materialism.

Why Roman Catholicism Needs Intelligent Design

_{William A. Dembski
March 13, 2026
22
Evolution}

Through high school and most of junior high, I attended Roman Catholic schools. I liked the discipline. I learned to buckle down on my studies.

Popper and Purposeful Nature

_{Michael Flannery
March 10, 2026
2
Evolution}

A correspondent raises this famous statement of Karl Popper on natural selection, with his “historically loaded word ‘recant.’”

Paleontology

Giraffes and the Fossil Record: Bad News

_{Andrew McDiarmid
February 26, 2026
2
Paleontology}

Dr. Wolf-Ekkehard Lönnig highlights the discrepancies in the fossil record that cause the traditional Darwinian narrative to unravel.

Huayuan: Major Cambrian Fossil Site Found in China

_{David Coppedge
February 9, 2026
9
Paleontology}

Another Cambrian fossil site that rivals the original Burgess Shale has been announced to the world.

No. 4 Story: Farewell to Günter Bechly

_{David Klinghoffer
December 29, 2025
8
Paleontology}

I told Richard Sternberg a story from own experience. I learned about more than paleontology from Bechly.

Cosmology

Bayesian Methodology and the Fine-Tuning Argument

_{Bruce Gordon
March 17, 2026
16
Cosmology}

To use Clark Glymour’s example, Einstein’s general theory of relativity explained the anomalous precession of Mercury’s perihelion.

Tickets Now! Cosmic Beginning & the God Hypothesis

_{Science & Culture
March 13, 2026
3
Cosmology}

In a beautiful, exciting, deeply informed film, scientists and scholars explain why the story of meaning and purpose in a created universe has been vindicated.

Historical Reasoning, Modern Science

_{Andrew McDiarmid
March 12, 2026
2
Cosmology}

Dr. Ewert and I dive into the rich history of how early Christian thinkers engaged with the scientific consensus of their time.

Human Origins

Yunxian Skulls Abruptly Reassigned

_{Casey Luskin
February 24, 2026
10
Human Origins and Anthropology}

As Günter Bechly used to wryly observe, human evolution is a subject that is constantly being “rewritten,” often accompanied by much media fanfare.

Gulf Between Ape-Like and Human Grows Wider

_{Jonathan Witt
February 23, 2026
1
Human Origins and Anthropology}

This trend supports the traditional view that humans were uniquely designed rather than evolving willy-nilly from ape-like ancestors.

Supposed Fusion Site Contains Expressed Genes

_{Casey Luskin
February 16, 2026
8
Human Origins and Anthropology}

Human chromosomal fusion has often been cited as strong evidence supporting human-ape common ancestry. It’s not.

Archaeology

More Discoveries Point to Neanderthal Intelligence

_{Denyse O’Leary
December 5, 2024
5
Archaeology}

This very ancient people we know the most about can’t be the missing link that many paleontologists are looking for.

The Joy of (Neanderthal) Cooking

_{Denyse O’Leary
July 30, 2024
5
Archaeology}

The Darwinian account of the human race would be much easier to believe in good faith if scientists could point to a clearly inferior and clearly human being.

Dallas Conference: Archaeology & the Life of Jesus

_{Titus Kennedy
January 19, 2024
1
Archaeology}

My presentation will explore archaeological discoveries illuminating a major event in the life of Jesus — his trial in Jerusalem.

History of Science

Are the Heavens Immutable? An Ancient Question

_{Winston Ewert
March 11, 2026
5
History of Science}

Modern theories postulate entities to account for differences between what we would expect from physics and our observations of distant space.

Science Before the Scientific Revolution

_{Andrew McDiarmid
March 10, 2026
2
History of Science}

Ancient and medieval thinkers possessed impressive reasoning powers despite lacking modern technology and data.

Meyer at the Doors of the Cavendish Lab

_{David Klinghoffer
January 27, 2026
1
History of Science}

Even these atheist scientists recognized that beauty was a marker that pointed to truth in their field, in which they too could take pleasure.

Geology

As an Idea, the “Anthropocene” Era Is Dead

_{Science & Culture
November 25, 2025
3
Geology}

In a world where pundits regularly accuse us all of being too anthropocentric, the naming of a new geological epoch would enshrine that view forever in science.

The Wonders of a Hard Mineral

_{David Coppedge
September 5, 2025
11
Geology}

Explore the features of a remarkable mineral erupted from volcanoes that is found in our teeth. How did it get there?

Plate Tectonics and Scientific Discovery

_{Guillermo Gonzalez
September 3, 2024
4
Geology}

Plate tectonics is important for advanced life in multiple ways and planets with plate tectonics are very rare.

Life Sciences

Fireweed: An Example of Intelligent Latent Design

_{Eric Hedin
February 5, 2025
7
Life Sciences}

The photo with fireweed in the foreground at the top of this article was taken by my father, Robert Hedin, at Mount Shuksan in Washington State.

Biological Information in Static Electricity

_{David Coppedge
December 5, 2024
5
Life Sciences}

The influence of static charge in pollination is one demonstrable case — not only for bees, but for moths and hummingbirds as well.

Plant Missile Technology: A Peek in the Armory

_{David Coppedge
December 2, 2024
5
Life Sciences}

Ballistic missiles are common in plants and fungi. Take a look at how they launch their payloads.

Neuroscience

Conscious AI, You Say? Six Models of Consciousness

_{Robert J. Marks II
March 4, 2026
6
Neuroscience & Mind}

Integrated Information Theory (IIT) is a mathematically founded emergence model. Michael Egnor and I recently published a paper critiquing IIT.

When the Mind is Freed from the Brain

_{Andrew McDiarmid
February 4, 2026
3
Neuroscience & Mind}

The strong dependency of mind on brain that gets us through everyday life no longer seems to apply when we come to death and dying.

An Evening with Michael Egnor at Cornell

_{Tom Winkler
February 3, 2026
3
Neuroscience & Mind}

The talk itself provides the basis for the Q&A, so it is worth listening to. But for a real treat, don’t miss the exchange afterward. It is golden.

Medicine

High Confidence? Low? Six Criteria for Science

_{Andrew McDiarmid
March 17, 2026
2
Medicine}

To illustrate the difference between high and low confidence science, Rob Stadler shares a humbling story from his career in medical devices.

When Doctors’ Faith Loses to Bureaucratic Power

_{Wesley J. Smith
January 30, 2026
3
Medicine}

In Canada, the family of a euthanized woman, forced to leave a Catholic hospital to be killed, is seeking to compel Catholic hospitals to permit euthanasia.

For MAHA’s Sake, Don’t Eliminate Animal Research

_{Wesley J. Smith
January 7, 2026
5
Medicine}

Years ago, Dr. Edward Taub hypothesized that brain function could exhibit greater plasticity than it was believed at the time.

Biology

Active Matter: How Function Determines Structure

_{Stephen J. Iacoboni
March 18, 2026
8
Biology}

As always, the approach of naturalism is to reduce the complexity of natural phenomena to basic physical laws.

Evolution: What Is in a Word? (Hint: Not Much)

_{Eric Hedin
March 18, 2026
5
Evolution}

Since the entire non-living universe contains far less information content than a single living cell, life presents an enigma to materialism.

Research Reveals Elephant’s Amazing Sense of Touch

_{David Coppedge
March 16, 2026
7
Intelligent Design}

Elephants can turn over a jeep and pull down a tree, but they can also pick up a potato chip without breaking it.

Physical Sciences

Physics

A Goldilocks Universe, Designed for Us

_{Science & Culture
March 18, 2026
3
Fine-tuning}

As philosopher Timothy McGrew puts it, we live in a universe “bearing everywhere the fingerprints of its Creator.”

Evolution: What Is in a Word? (Hint: Not Much)

_{Eric Hedin
March 18, 2026
5
Evolution}

Since the entire non-living universe contains far less information content than a single living cell, life presents an enigma to materialism.

Historical Reasoning, Modern Science

_{Andrew McDiarmid
March 12, 2026
2
Cosmology}

Dr. Ewert and I dive into the rich history of how early Christian thinkers engaged with the scientific consensus of their time.

Chemistry

The Messy Reality of Prebiotic Chemistry

_{Andrew McDiarmid
January 15, 2026
2
Origin of Life}

The interview explores the professional risks faced by scientists who question the standard evolutionary paradigm.

Organic Chemistry Without Intelligence

_{Andrew McDiarmid
January 13, 2026
2
Origin of Life}

While amino acids can be produced in experiments or found on meteorites, they are often consumed by side reactions that create non-living tar.

When Science Degenerates into a Spoils System

_{Denyse O’Leary
November 2, 2025
5
Scientific Freedom}

Chemistry professor Anna Krylov forces us to look at that in discouraging detail.

Astronomy

Should Mysterious Signals Be Attributed to ET?

_{David Coppedge
January 27, 2026
4
Astronomy}

Intelligent design advocates agree that you don’t infer intelligence until there is sufficient reason to reject chance and natural law.

Astrobiology as a Secular Quest for Meaning

_{Denyse O’Leary
November 13, 2025
6
Astronomy}

I don’t think this stuff does any harm — as long as it is understood as drama and not given undue importance in science or philosophy.

Rights for Planets, Moons, and Space Microbes?

_{Wesley J. Smith
September 29, 2025
3
Planetology}

The ultimate purpose in granting such rights would be to disincentivize investments in space exploration and keep us Gaia-bound.

Fine-Tuning

A Goldilocks Universe, Designed for Us

_{Science & Culture
March 18, 2026
3
Fine-tuning}

As philosopher Timothy McGrew puts it, we live in a universe “bearing everywhere the fingerprints of its Creator.”

New Paper Defends Fine-Tuning Argument

_{Jonathan McLatchie
January 14, 2026
11
Fine-tuning}

Fumagalli does not in the end state whether he himself lands on the multiverse hypothesis, cosmic design, or unknown physics as the best explanation.

No. 10 Story: Wiki Co-Founder on Arguments for God

_{Larry Sanger
December 23, 2025
8
Faith & Science}

I was impressed by a lecture by philosopher of science Stephen Meyer, who presented versions of the cosmological argument and the fine-tuning argument.

Earth Sciences

Geophysics

Aurora Borealis: Scientific and Aesthetic Design

_{Casey Luskin
May 12, 2024
9
Astronomy}

You appreciate the aurora borealis or aurora australis because you were not created by strictly material evolutionary processes.

Geoengineering on an Intelligently Designed Planet

_{Tova Levengood
August 30, 2023
4
Intelligent Design}

Scientists are still discovering how many systems, controls, and other aspects of planetary fine-tuning are in place to ensure that we have abundant life.

No Iron, No Life: Design in Iron Availability

_{Science & Culture
January 25, 2022
9
Biology}

As an exercise, count the number of lucky breaks that had to occur for the evolutionary story to work.

Environment

Great Science Cancellation Continues

_{David Klinghoffer
September 18, 2025
3
Scientific Freedom}

In the domination of science by ideology, by the myth of “settled science,” the stakes couldn’t be more profound.

COSM Will Feature Nobel Laureate John F. Clauser

_{Science & Culture
September 12, 2025
5
Physics}

Discovery Institute’s upcoming COSM 2025 tech conference will feature something a little different.

Put Mother Nature on the Board of Directors?

_{Wesley J. Smith
September 9, 2025
6
Ethics}

Nature can’t “own” anything. That’s a human construct. Moreover, nature would be represented by environmental “flesh flake” radicals.

Rare Earth

Study: Geological Habitability Parameters

_{Casey Luskin
August 14, 2024
8
Rare Earth}

One thing that is likely to get some pushback is the study’s claim that modern-style plate tectonics on Earth did not commence until the Neoproterozoic.

Earth and Mars — A Rare Gem and a Sharp Contrast

_{Eric Hedin
August 5, 2024
9
Rare Earth}

Apparently, simple living organisms must exist for eons on a planet before more advanced life can thrive.

Rare Earth: How Vital Minerals “Evolve”

_{David Coppedge
August 29, 2022
4
Rare Earth}

It’s intriguing that life as we know it depends on a seemingly un-natural distribution of minerals.

Planetology

The Search for ETs: Keeping Hope Alive

_{Denyse O’Leary
October 15, 2025
5
Planetology}

The question looms: How much can science avoid facts while retaining the character of science?

Rights for Planets, Moons, and Space Microbes?

_{Wesley J. Smith
September 29, 2025
3
Planetology}

The ultimate purpose in granting such rights would be to disincentivize investments in space exploration and keep us Gaia-bound.

Hope for Mars Life Is Dashed Again

_{David Coppedge
March 4, 2025
1
Planetology}

Subsequent landers discovered a high concentration of perchlorates in the soil. Perchlorates are chlorinated salts, often used in fireworks.

Culture

Human Exceptionalism

Tree Rights Advocacy Is Based on Irrationality

_{Wesley J. Smith
March 17, 2026
5
Human Exceptionalism}

We protect trees and woodlands with laws and regulations without resorting to irrational ideological justifications and materially impeding human thriving.

Why AI Won’t Replace Us Spiritually

_{George Montañez
March 12, 2026
6
Human Exceptionalism}

AI systems increasingly resemble human intelligence. But resemblance alone does not make them image bearers. It cannot. AI systems do not represent God.

Are We Just Animals? A Tempting Delusion

_{J. Budziszewski
February 5, 2026
5
Human Exceptionalism}

Some of my students argue that humans should be wiped off the face of the earth to make room for the other species.

Arts

Requiem for an Artificial Superintelligence

_{William A. Dembski
March 20, 2026
19
Computational Sciences}

On the morning of his upload, he signed transfer papers, redundancy protocols, continuity covenants, and one handwritten page that no lawyer saw.

Tickets Now! Cosmic Beginning & the God Hypothesis

_{Science & Culture
March 13, 2026
3
Cosmology}

In a beautiful, exciting, deeply informed film, scientists and scholars explain why the story of meaning and purpose in a created universe has been vindicated.

False Messiah: An Addendum on Darwin and Theism

_{Neil Thomas
October 22, 2025
12
Evolution}

The standpoint of poet John Keats is certainly gaining resonance in our doubt-ridden 21st century. I for one welcome its openness to questioning and wonder.

Ethics

Requiem for an Artificial Superintelligence

_{William A. Dembski
March 20, 2026
19
Computational Sciences}

On the morning of his upload, he signed transfer papers, redundancy protocols, continuity covenants, and one handwritten page that no lawyer saw.

J. Budziszewski: Back from the Wasteland

_{Terrell Clemmons
March 20, 2026
8
Faith & Science}

“In the reconstruction period, it was as though I had been living in a dark attic, but now the shutters were being thrown back.”

Tree Rights Advocacy Is Based on Irrationality

_{Wesley J. Smith
March 17, 2026
5
Human Exceptionalism}

We protect trees and woodlands with laws and regulations without resorting to irrational ideological justifications and materially impeding human thriving.

Social Sciences

Science, the Bible, and America’s Creed

_{John G. West
March 3, 2026
8
Political Science}

When a wrong turn has been made, sometimes going back is the best way forward. If we want to restore America to health, we need to relearn the creed.

War on the Founding: New Book by John West

_{David Klinghoffer
March 2, 2026
4
Faith & Science}

At the present moment, defending the Declaration as our creed puts you on a collision course with some very influential people.

Gulf Between Ape-Like and Human Grows Wider

_{Jonathan Witt
February 23, 2026
1
Human Origins and Anthropology}

This trend supports the traditional view that humans were uniquely designed rather than evolving willy-nilly from ape-like ancestors.

Faith and Science

J. Budziszewski: Back from the Wasteland

_{Terrell Clemmons
March 20, 2026
8
Faith & Science}

“In the reconstruction period, it was as though I had been living in a dark attic, but now the shutters were being thrown back.”

Darwinism’s Attack on the Laws of Nature

_{John G. West
March 16, 2026
5
Faith & Science}

Needless to say, this new view of morality is toxic to the Founders’ understanding of liberty.

Watch: Catholics in Conversation on ID

_{David Klinghoffer
March 13, 2026
2
Faith & Science}

Fr. Michael is doing what many a member of a faith community probably wishes his own clergyman could do, given the importance of the subject.

Science Education

“My Public Education Was Ruined,” Weeps Dover Grad

_{David Klinghoffer
January 8, 2026
2
Science Education}

A bit melodramatic, perhaps? Attorney and geologist Casey Luskin, who was present for part of the Dover trial, has this to say.

Creepy Crawly Complexity: The Design of Insects

_{Andrew McDiarmid
December 22, 2025
2
Science Education}

Far from being mere nuisances, these creatures function as tiny engineers that elegantly solve complex problems to sustain global ecosystems.

Myth No. 5: “Discovery Supported Dover Policy”

_{Sarah Chaffee
December 17, 2025
6
Science Education}

Both Judge John E. Jones and the media have promoted the myth that Discovery was somehow behind the events that sparked the case.

Scientific Freedom

The Wrong Tool to Fix Woke Science Journals

_{Wesley J. Smith
May 3, 2025
2}

The government has no business pressuring medical journals about their content — no matter how biased.

Hysteria in the Science Sector Over DOGE

_{Wesley J. Smith
March 30, 2025
4}

Whatever problems now exist for the public medical research funding sector, the disappointing Francis Collins helped create them.

Stand Up for Science or… for Naked Ideology?

_{Wesley J. Smith
March 12, 2025
4}

“Stand Up for Science 2025” protests were clearly aimed at reaffirming control by the now discredited science establishment.

Science Reporting

On the Origin of Our New Name

_{Andrew McDiarmid
September 27, 2025
3
Science Reporting}

First, the conversation delves into the site’s launch in December 2004, when the modern intelligent design movement and the Internet were both relatively new.

On Genetic (Dis)Similarity, Give Credit Where Due

_{David Klinghoffer
September 10, 2025
4
Science Reporting}

Would anyone know that the 1 percent icon has finally fallen, if we hadn’t broken the story? It seems not.

Science Struggles with Reality

_{Denyse O’Leary
August 27, 2025
7
Science Reporting}

There seems to be little relationship between many science writers’ current concerns and the reasons that public trust in science has been steadily declining.