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Variant Genetic Codes — Another Reason Biologists Are Thinking Twice

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Evolution
Intelligent Design
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genetic codes

I wish all our Christian readers a wonderful Easter. For your enjoyment: our Discovery Institute colleagues Brian Miller and Paul Nelson had a really fascinating conversation about failed predictions of the theory of universal common ancestry. Listen to it here, or download the ID the Future podcast here.

Dr. Nelson observes a pattern where until recently, evolutionary biologists protected common descent against the evidence of its own inadequacy. He gives as one example variant genetic codes — something that ought not to be possible under the standard picture of a single tree of life.

As challenges accumulate to the Darwin Tree, biologists are thinking twice — not necessarily to embrace non-Darwinian paradigms such as intelligent design, but subjecting this particular pillar of evolutionary thinking to new skepticism.

Questioned by Dr. Miller, Dr. Nelson, superbly lucid as ever, outlines the implication for the evolution debate.

Photo: DNA represented in maize, by Jason Wallace (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons.

David Klinghoffer

Senior Fellow and Editor, Evolution News
David Klinghoffer is a Senior Fellow with Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture. He is the author of seven books including Plato’s Revenge: The New Science of the Immaterial Genome and The Lord Will Gather Me In: My Journey to Jewish Orthodoxy. A former senior editor at National Review, he has contributed to the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and other publications. He received an A.B. magna cum laude from Brown University in 1987. Born in Santa Monica, CA, he lives on Mercer Island, WA.

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