Join Fazale Rana and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Origin of Composite Genes A team of investigators from the University of Nottingham in the UK has demonstrated that composite genes make up about 5 percent of the gene groups in animal genomes. When viewed from an evolutionary framework, these composite genes don’t appear to have accrued gradually in animal genomes but instead arose in bursts at times that correlate with evolutionary innovation. As it turns out, about 40 percent of composite genes appear to have had multiple independent evolutionary origins.   In this episode, biochemist Fazale Rana discusses this remarkable study and explores what this new insight means for evolutionary and creation models.   RESOURCES:  Bursts of Novel Composite Gene Families at Major Nodes in Animal Evolution Additional Resource: Fazale Rana, What If . . . ? Convergence Strengthens the Case for Creation?     Infinities and Absurdities The topic of infinity fascinates people and provides for interesting discussions regarding the nature of creation. Often, when discussing infinity, one will hear the claim that actual infinities don’t exist because they lead to absurdities. In this episode, astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink provides some background to this assertion and then makes a counter claim that we could apply the same logic to the notion of zero. However, since few rational people would argue that actual zeroes don’t exist, Jeff contends that we cannot use some popular arguments about infinities to claim that actual infinities don’t exist.   RESOURCES:  Infinity

In this episode, biochemist Fazale Rana is joined by Brazilian lawyer and philosopher Tassos Lycurgo to discuss how the laws of logic point to the necessary existence of God. In this freewheeling conversation, they also discuss the relationship between mathematics and God and explore other philosophical arguments for God’s existence.

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Hugh Ross as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Soft Tissues in Fossils A research team from the University College Cork (UCC), Ireland, published two separate reports in which they present evidence for melanin pigments and keratin filaments in fossilized feathers. The researchers developed models for the chemical alterations of melanin and keratin during fossilization. Using these models, they identified degradation products in fossilized feathers that age-date 120 to 130 million years old. Young-earth creationists cite the recovery of soft tissue materials in fossils as evidence that Earth is only 6,000 years old, and the fossil record is the result of a global deluge. They argue that it’s impossible for biological materials to survive for millions of years and, therefore, the fossils must be thousands of years old. In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana describes the UCC researchers’ work and explains how certain biological materials can endure in fossils for tens of millions of years, negating the claims of young-earth creationists.   Resources: Taphonomic Experiments Reveal Authentic Molecular Signals for Fossil Melanins and Verify Preservation of Phaeomelanin in Fossils Preservation of Cornelius B-Proteins in Mesozoic Feathers   Additional Resource: Fazale Rana, Dinosaur Blood and the Age of the Earth   Evidence for the Planet Theia The only plausible explanation for the origin of the Moon is that a collision between two rocky planets, Theia and the proto-Earth, occurred when the solar system was about 90 million years old. However, direct evidence for the existence of Theia has been elusive. Now, simulations performed by 12 astrophysicists (combined with seismic measurements) show that two large regions, thousands of kilometers across, deep in Earth’s mantle are denser than the surrounding mantle. Therefore, these regions must be the remains of Theia’s iron-rich mantle that sank and settled above Earth’s core, where it deposited an extraordinary high density and exceptional abundance of the heaviest elements.       Resources: Moon-Forming Impactor as a Source of Earth’s Basal Mantle Anomalies

Join Fazale Rana and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Free Will: An Illusion? The prominent neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky has created a stir with the recent publication of his book Determined. Based on a wide range of findings from neuroscience and genetics, Sapolsky argues that free will is an illusion. All of our decisions are predetermined by influences beyond our control.   In this episode, biochemist Fazale Rana discusses the radical and far-ranging implications of Sapolsky’s dangerous idea, before presenting the scientific evidence, demonstrating that free will really exists.    Rana concludes by offering a model for free will based on the Christian worldview.   References: Determined: A Science of Life without Free Will

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Cosmic Explosion Risk Astronomers have discovered yet another risk to advanced life in the universe—extremely luminous, fast-cooling transients. The most likely explanation for this newly discovered cosmic exploder is a tidal encounter between a star and a stellar-mass black hole or a star and an intermediate-mass black hole. It will take further observations to determine the precise risk of these events to advanced life in the universe. Initially, however, it appears that Earth resides in a galaxy, galaxy group, and galaxy cluster where such events should either be nonexistent or extremely rare.   RESOURCES: AT 2022aedm and a New Class of Luminous, Fast-Cooling Transients in Elliptical Galaxies   Dust Drives Dinosaur Demise Overwhelming evidence points to dramatic extinction events in Earth’s history where most of the life died out. One of the most well-known extinction events occurred 66 million years ago (the boundary between the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods) and marked the end of the non-avian dinosaurs on Earth. Although the evidence pointing to the extinction is strong, scientists still seek to understand what caused the mass death. New evidence points to a specific size of dust particle that caused photosynthesis to shut down for almost two years after the impact of a miles-wide asteroid hitting Earth. This new research provides insight into Earth’s history as well as the processes God used to prepare Earth for humanity.   RESOURCES: The Dust That May Have Killed the Dinosaurs Chicxulub Impact Winter Sustained by Fine Silicate Dust

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss ground-breaking scientific discoveries that have theological and philosophical implications, including for the evidence of God’s existence.   Pig Organs in Humans Recently, research teams from NYU Langone Health, the University of Alabama, Birmingham, and the University of Maryland independently achieved milestones by transplanting kidneys and hearts from genetically engineered pigs into brain-dead patients and terminally ill patients otherwise ineligible for transplants.  Xenotransplantation holds the promise to ease the demand for organ transplants but raises a host of ethical questions.  In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana discusses the technical challenges that xenotransplantation must overcome before it can move into the clinical setting. He also describes some of the ethical challenges associated with xenotransplants.  Once these challenges are overcome, the questions remain: What should the Christian perspective be on xenotransplantation? Should we “play God”?   References: Results of Two Cases of Pig-to-Human Kidney Xenotransplantation First Clinical-Grade Porcine Kidney Xenotransplant Using a Human Decedent Model Developing Pig-to-Human Organ Transplants Additional Resources: Pig Organs May One Day Save Human Lives by Fazale Rana (article) Advance Holds Potential to Resolve Cloning’s Ethical Challenges by Fazale Rana (article) A Theology for Synthetic Biology, Part 1 by Fazale Rana (article) A Theology for Synthetic Biology, Part 2 by Fazale Rana (article)   Will AI Do Science? Researchers currently utilize AI (artificial intelligence) to diagnose early-stage Alzheimer’s, analyze vast databases to discover protein-folding classes (and new protein folds), and determine whether a sample is biotic or abiotic in origin. The AI in the last example also differentiated between recent biotic and fossilized biotic samples. As AI development progresses, one wonders whether it will be able to do science rather than just assist scientists. Fuz and Jeff explore this question in light of recent advances.     References: Can the AI Driving ChatGPT Help to Detect Early Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease? Artificial Intelligence Tools Shed Light on Millions of Proteins Did Life Exist on Mars? Other Planets? With AI’s Help, We May Know Soon

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   JWST Galaxies Explained The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has revealed that early galaxies have much brighter ultraviolet luminosities than many big bang creation models predicted. Do such data challenge the creation view? Further research suggests not. Using a computer simulation, astronomers have found that the standard big bang creation models can still accommodate the new data from JWST. Their conclusions remain consistent with the findings reported in the Stars, Cells, and God episode #79 on the “Source of Heavy Elements”, aired on November 29, 2023.   RESOURCES: Bursty Star Formation Naturally Explains the Abundance of Bright Galaxies at Cosmic Dawn Dilution of Chemical Enrichment in Galaxies 600 Myr after the Big Bang   AI Sees Differently than Us As AIs (artificial intelligence) mimic more and more human behavior, the question continues to arise of whether AI is truly intelligent or not. One way to assess the data is to understand whether the AI does things differently than a human. In the arena of image and audio recognition, AIs have advanced tremendously, but there are some noticeable discrepancies between AI and human categorization. Research into one type of discrepancy shows that humans and AIs really do see the world differently—and those differences highlight important defining features of humanity.   RESOURCES: Model Metamers Reveal Divergent Invariances between Biological and Artificial Neural Networks  

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Too Many Early Galaxies The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has revealed about ten times as many galaxies within the cosmos’s first 420 million years as what some big bang creation models predict. Astronomers are searching for an explanation for this overabundance of early galaxies. Possible scenarios include a high number of supernova events during the universe’s first 420 million years. Different big bang models predict different average star masses and different star formation rates during the universe’s first half billion years. It will take at least another year of JWST observations to determine which of these big bang creation models correctly describes very early and later epochs of cosmic history.       Resources: Pointlike Sources among z > 11 Galaxy Candidates: Contaminants Due to Supernovae at High Redshifts?   AI Easily Fooled Powerful large language models (like ChatGPT) have demonstrated remarkable abilities to provide solutions to problems that require complex reasoning. Yet researchers want to discern the level of understanding by the AIs (artificial intelligence), just as a teacher wants to know how well a student comprehends a correct answer they provided. A recent study shows that despite generating good answers, AIs have very little understanding of the issues involved. Specifically, when confronted with challenges that involved absurdly wrong facts (like 8 x 7 = 14), the AIs will disavow the previous answer and apologize for being mistaken. This research demonstrates that, while AIs accomplish impressive tasks, they do not demonstrate some essential features of “intelligence.”   Resources: Can ChatGPT Defend Its Belief in Truth? Evaluating LLM Reasoning via Debate

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Hugh Ross as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Neanderthal Flower Burial Nixed Were Neanderthals like us? The answer to this question has profound implications for our understanding of human origins, and for the RTB creation model. Some anthropologists argue that Neanderthals engaged in ritualistic burials reflecting the capacities for symbolism and religion—features that define modern humans. One of the most important pieces of evidence for ritualistic burials among Neanderthals comes from the Shanidar Cave in northern Iraq. One of the layers harboring Neanderthal remains and artifacts includes a partial adult skeleton that was unearthed in what appears to be a grave. The skeleton had a clump of pollen grains from flowering plants on top of it. Some anthropologists believe that this find indicates Neanderthals buried their dead with flowers—possible evidence for ritualistic burial practices.   However, researchers from Liverpool John Moores University have reexamined the pollen recovered from Shanidar and reach a very different conclusion.   In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana discusses this latest insight into Neanderthal burials and its impact on the RTB human origins model.   References: Shanidar et ses fleurs? Reflections on the Palynology of the Neanderthal “Flower Burial” Hypothesis Who Was Adam? A Creation Model Approach to the Origin of Humanity Did Neanderthals Bury Their Dead with Flowers? https://reasons.org/explore/publications/articles/did-neanderthals-bury-their-dead-with-flowers   Source of Heavy Metals A team of 13 astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to measure the chemical abundances of galaxies that formed just 600 million years after the big bang creation event. They found that these galaxies are much poorer in heavy elements than what astronomers had previously thought. This underabundance makes Earth’s endowment of the heavy elements essential for advanced life and civilization all the more remarkable, and it provides yet more evidence for the super-intelligent, supernatural design of the solar system—and Earth in particular—that makes the existence of humans and human civilization possible.    References: Dilution of Chemical Enrichment in Galaxies 600 Myr after the Big Bang

How original sin best explains the human condition

A prominent atheist philosopher says original sin is the faith's strongest argument

Join astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink and special guest Christian apologist and lawyer Abdu Murray (president and founder of Embrace the Truth Ministry) as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Musings on AI Artificial intelligence (AI) has already penetrated many areas of our daily life. While AI can bring some benefits, we often don’t understand the long-term effects of AI use. In this episode, Jeff Zweerink and Abdu Murray explore some of the consequences that might ensue as we utilize AI in the legal profession. Of particular interest is the way AI will impact our relationships, not just in legal matters, but in everyday life as well.   References: Can the AI Driving ChatGPT Help to Detect Early Signs of Alzheimer's Disease? Did Life Exist on Mars? Other Planets? With AI’s Help, We May Know Soon

Abdu Murray discusses how to reach Muslims with the truth of the gospel

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Life on K2-18b? Two months ago the Internet blew up with articles and blogs announcing that astronomers had discovered molecules in the atmosphere of exoplanet K2-18b that only living organisms can produce. Those biosignature molecules were dimethyl sulfide and chloromethane. While there is no doubt that methane was detected in K2-18b’s atmosphere and carbon dioxide likely detected, the detections of dimethyl sulfide and chloromethane were marginal at best. Furthermore, astronomers have detected chloromethane in a comet and an interstellar cloud where it is well established that life and life chemistry is impossible, and they found abiotic pathways for the production of dimethyl sulfide. The Internet articles overlooked the physical characteristics of K2-18b and its host star that categorically rule out any possibility of physical life on the planet.   References: Carbon-Bearing Molecules in a Possible Hycean Atmosphere   Structure and Dynamics of Cold Water Super-Earths: The Case of Occluded CH4 and Its Outgassing   Galaxy Formation Models The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has provided numerous images and results that challenge our current models of galaxy formation. Some astronomers have even used this discrepancy to argue against big bang cosmology. A recent paper provides strong evidence for the formation of spiral-type galaxies forming within the first billion years of the universe (where most models predict much longer formation times). We discuss the importance of this data and the implications for how galaxy formation models will change—particularly becoming more complex. Additionally, we expect that this complexity will reveal even more evidence for design in the universe than is now known.   Reference: The JWST Hubble Sequence: The Rest-Frame Optical Evolution of Galaxy Structure at 1.5 <z <6.5

Jeff Zweerink discusses the need for Christians to guide the development of AI

Join biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana and special guest, Christian apologist Abdu Murray, president and founder of Embrace the Truth Ministry, as they address how Christianity and Islam—two of the world’s three great monotheistic religions—engage with science.   Christianity, Islam, and Science In this special episode, Fuz Rana and Abdu Murray address these questions, and more.   Which religion has a worldview that provides the justification for science? Which religion can legitimately lay claim to the scientific evidence for God’s existence? Which religious text displays scientific accuracy? How can science be used to build a bridge between Christianity and Islam? Visiting Scholar, Abdu Murray Abdu Murray holds a bachelor’s in psychology from the University of Michigan and a JD from the University of Michigan Law School. He is cofounder and president of Embrace the Truth, a ministry dedicated to offering the truth of the Christian gospel to Muslims. More on Abdu Murray: https://reasons.org/team/abdu-murray Website: https://embracethetruth.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AbduMurrayOfficial Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abdumurray Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abdumurray12/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/abdumurray

Strengths and weaknesses of the major eschatological views

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Hugh Ross as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Biochemical Maxwell Demons Maxwell’s demon is a thought experiment designed to illustrate the second law of thermodynamics. In this imaginary scenario, a demon operates a massless door separating two boxes filled with gas molecules. The demon opens and shuts the door to allow certain gas molecules to pass from one box to the other. Eventually one box contains high temperature molecules and the other, low temperature molecules—violating the second law of thermodynamics. Physicists have discovered why Maxwell’s demon doesn’t violate the second law by describing the demon’s activity with information theory. Recently, a team of biophysicists from Switzerland demonstrated that a special class of transport proteins found in cell membranes behave as literal Maxwell’s demons, making these proteins sophisticated computational devices. In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana discusses this work and demonstrates why this discovery evinces a Creator’s role in the origin and design of life.   References: ABC Transporters Are Billion-Year-Old Maxwell Demons Additional Resources: The Cell’s Design Biochemical Finite-State Machines Point to an Infinite Creator   First Australians Some scientists have long held that thermoluminescence dating of circular engravings in the Jinmium rock shelter proved that modern humans had colonized Australia 75,000–58,000 years ago. Carbon-14 measurements of charcoal samples found in the same layer as the engravings showed that this date was too old by a factor of 20 times. Other carbon-14 measurements on modern human remains and artifacts found in 26 other archaeological sites in Australia and New Guinea establish that anatomically modern humans first colonized Sahul (an ice age continent consisting of Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania) 47,000–40,000 years ago and that evidence for an earlier arrival by modern humans is very weak. This newly established date for the first colonization of Sahul is consistent with the date of 44,000–40,000 years ago for the arrival of the first humans in Europe. These dates provide support for the biblical claim that there was a rapid, near simultaneous, widespread dispersal of humans from one region some time after Noah’s Flood.     References: Early Human Occupation of Northern Australia: Archaeology and Thermoluminescence Dating of Jinmium Rock-Shelter, Northern Territory Optical and Radiocarbon Dating at Jinmium Rock Shelter in Northern Australia The Process, Biotic Impact, and Global Implications of the Human Colonization of Sahul about 47,000 Years Ago A Genomic History of Aboriginal Australia The Earliest Evidence for Anatomically Modern Humans in Northwestern Europe A 41,500 Year-Old Decorated Ivory Pendant from Stajnia Cave (Poland)

Three points to consider in end times eschatology

Applying intellectual virtues to conspiracy theories

Questions to ask when considering conspiracies

Why conspiracies theories are popular

How to ground truth in reality

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Sun’s Birth Cluster The quantity of aluminum-26 in primitive meteorites indicates that a nearby core-collapse supernova event occurred during the first 100,000 years of the solar system’s existence. For this to be possible, the solar system’s birth cluster must have contained 2,000–20,000 stars. Additionally, the solar system must have formed in a huge, dense molecular cloud where multiple filaments join to form hubs (the only possible sites where stars with enough mass to become core-collapse supernovae can form) and where dense single filaments stream out from the hubs. Only if the solar system forms in a dense single filament at the just-right distance from a hub will it be enriched with the measured quantity of aluminum-26 without having its system of planets being so disrupted as to rule out the possibility of life. Furthermore, for advanced life to be possible in the solar system, the solar system must be ejected from its birth cluster at the just-right time to a location just inside the Milky Way Galaxy’s co-rotation distance.   References: Insights on the Sun Birth Environment in the Context of Star Cluster Formation in Hub-Filament Systems Number of Stars in the Sun’s Birth Cluster Revisited   More Gravitational Waves Recently, four different collaborations announced the potential detection of gravitational waves from monitoring the timing of pulsars. If confirmed, this would be the second type of gravitational wave detected, the first being the few-km-long wave found by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and similar instruments. These new waves have wavelengths closer to the distances between stars and most likely originate from mergers of supermassive black holes. We will discuss the detection techniques for these new waves as well as the apologetic implications.   References: Giant Gravitational Waves: Why Scientists Are So Excited Monster Gravitational Waves Spotted for First Time

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Earliest Rope Making When did humans first begin deploying fiber technology?   This question is important because fiber technology makes composite technology possible, such as textiles, ropes, baskets, nets, weapons, housing, and boats. It also reflects the capacity for advanced cognition.   An international team from the Philippines, France, and Germany recently published evidence that humans in the Philippines possessed fiber technology around 40,000 years ago. In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana discusses the scientific and theological implications of this discovery.   What does this advance mean for RTB’s creation model for human origins and the scientific case for the image of God?   Rana will also discuss the ramifications of this discovery for recent claims that Neanderthals invented fiber technology.   References: The Invisible Plant Technology of Prehistoric Southeast Asia: Indirect Evidence for Basket and Rope Making at Tabon Cave, Philippines, 39–33,000 Years Ago Direct Evidence of Neanderthal Fibre Technology and Its Cognitive and Behavioral Implications Additional Resource: Did Neanderthals Invent String?   Gullies on Mars Observations of Mars reveal formations that strongly point to the presence of liquid water. While astronomers know that Mars had liquid water in the distant past, these features occasionally make the news cycle as indicating the presence of liquid water more recently. A new study of Martian gullies shows that the water needed for formation indicates a highly disruptive environment for life. These results further highlight Earth’s remarkable ability to host life.   References: Gullies on Mars Could Have Formed by Melting of Water Ice during Periods of High Obliquity

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Hugh Ross as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Sixth Mass Extinction Where have all the animals gone? Collaborators from Mexico and the US provide added evidence that we are entering a sixth mass extinction—triggered by human damage to the environment. The impact of the loss of species and the collapse of ecosystems could be much more devastating to humanity than climate change. How should Christians respond to the sixth mass extinction?  In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana discusses the latest insights into large-scale species loss, explores the biblical basis for Christian environmentalism, and makes the case that the Christian story provides explanatory power for the extent of the damage that humans are causing to ecosystems around the world.   RESOURCES: Mutilation of the Tree of Life Via Mass Extinction of Animal Genera Additional Resources: A Christian Perspective on the Sixth Mass Extinction Did Humans Cause the Global Extinctions of Mammals?   M-Dwarf Habitability? NASA asserts that the most promising candidates for habitability are planets orbiting M-dwarf stars. M-dwarfs are less than half the Sun’s mass, less than 1/15 the Sun’s luminosity, and comprise 70% of all stars. The only remaining hope for finding a habitable exoplanet is to discover one identical to Earth. So far, the most Earth-like known planet beyond Earth is Venus.   RESOURCES: Terminator Habitability: The Case for Limited Water Availability on M-Dwarf Planets Planetary Population Synthesis and the Emergence of Four Classes of Planetary System Architectures High-Contrast Imaging around a 2 Myr-Old Cl Tau with a Close-In Gas Giant Carbon Dioxide Outgassing Constrains the Habitability of Rocky Planets After Their Host M Dwarf’s Pre-Main Sequence Phase

Join biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana and astronomer David Block as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Purpose in Cosmology and Biology Is the fine-tuning of the universe limited to the constants of physics or does it manifest in other areas of science such as chemistry, biochemistry, and biology? In this episode, David and Fuz describe and discuss the anthropic principle and its theological implications. They also discuss the idea of process structuralism, an evolutionary model that maintains that physical forces—not natural selection—shaped the history of life. How does this view of the evolutionary process intersect with the anthropic principle? And how do these two ideas provide evidence for design and purpose in the universe and life? References: The Creator and the Cosmos Fit for a Purpose

Join Jeff Zweerink and Eric Hedin as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   God and Information Theory In this episode, we discuss how living things exhibit a high degree of information­—far beyond what can be explained by natural causes. The physics underlying information theory shows us that natural forces will degrade the information content of a closed system over time. Since the origin and progressive complexity of life manifests a dramatic increase in information, we conclude that the existence of living things is consistent only with intelligent design—as ascribed in the Bible to the creative work of God.   References: Is Life an Information Ratchet? Information and Life’s Origin—A Retrospective View Physics, Information Loss, and Intelligent Design

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Hugh Ross as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Designer Proteins Recently, a research team from the University of Washington achieved a milestone in nanotechnology when they used computational methods to design proteins from the ground up shaped into structures that resemble axles and rotors. In turn, they assembled these components into rudimentary protein machines. This proof-of-principle work sets the stage for scientists and technologists to design other machine parts that can be used to fabricate even more sophisticated protein machines.   In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana discusses this exciting work and explores how it can be marshalled as evidence for a Creator’s role in the origin and design of life.   Resources: Computational Design of Mechanically Coupled Axle-Rotor Protein Assemblies   Additional Resources: The Cell’s Design: How Chemistry Reveals the Creator’s Artistry Molecular Scale Robotics Build Case for Design   Cosmic Time Dilation Time dilation provides direct evidence for the biblically implied big bang creation model. A cornerstone of big bang cosmology is that the universe expands from an infinitesimally small spacetime volume. In such a universe distant galaxies and quasars will be moving away from Earth at high velocities. According to special relativity, clocks moving at high velocities relative to Earth will show time extended by a factor of 1 divided by the square root of (1 – v2/c2), where “v” is the velocity at which the clock is moving and “c” is the velocity of light. Astronomers have observed the cosmic time dilation predicted by the big bang in the light curves of type Ia supernova in galaxies 4–9 billion years away. However, until now, they have not seen it in the very distant universe where the time dilation effect would be 10–60 times greater. Now, a two-decade study of the variability of quasars more distant than 12.8 billion light-years has spectacularly affirmed the expected cosmic time dilation. Thus, it affirms the Bible’s accuracy in anticipating future scientific discoveries and helps establish the doctrine of biblical inerrancy.     Resources: On Time Dilation in Quasar Light Curves   Additional Resources: What Does the Bible Say about the Big Bang? A Matter of Days: Resolving a Creation Controversy, 2nd edition, 166–169

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Hominin Burials? Were modern humans the first to bury their dead deliberately and ritualistically? Or did hominins that preceded them in life’s history also deliberately inter their dead? These questions bear on the concept of human exceptionalism and, for Christians, the scientific case for the image of God in modern humans.   In this episode, biochemist and Christian apologist Fuz Rana discusses recent work by a research team of collaborators from the US, Spain, Italy, and South Africa that relies on the use of machine learning algorithms to analyze hominin burials.   What did they discover? How do their insights impact the case for human exceptionalism?   REFERENCES: Hominin Skeletal Part Abundances and Claims of Deliberate Disposal of Corpses in the Middle Pleistocene   Additional Resources: Rabbit Burrowing Churns Claims about Neanderthal Burials Does Homo naledi Undermine the Case for Human Exceptionalism?   Viscous Fine-Tuning For decades, physicists have recognized that the fundamental constants of our universe (speed of light, fine structure constant, proton-to-electron mass ratio, etc.) appear finely tuned to make the environment suitable for life to exist. Typically, that fine-tuning has arisen in the context of making atomic nuclei or stars or planets. A recent paper shows how the fine-tuning of the fundamental constants applies even to the life-essential processes at work inside the cell.   REFERENCES: Constraints on Fundamental Physical Constants from Bio-Friendly Viscosity and Diffusion

Join astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink and philosopher Brian Huffling as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Local vs. Real In our macroscopic world, things behave in a “classical” way that seems obvious to us. A ball has a definite position and speed at any given time. Additionally, it exists whether anyone sees it or not, and the only things that influence the ball’s motion are close enough to not violate the light travel time. However, when we delve into quantum mechanics, these obvious truths no longer apply, which leads to an important question: What is the true nature of our physical world? We will discuss one recent paper that provides some insight into this question.   References: A Strict Experimental Test of Macroscopic Realism in a Superconducting Flux Qubit   God and Abstract Things Does red exist? What does it mean to be circular? Is murder wrong? Many people see these questions as obvious, but the questions deal with abstract concepts that philosophers have discussed for ages. Although most people think that there’s an objective nature to these concepts, grounding that objectivity is not a trivial task. Even from a Christian standpoint, how we ground the idea that murder is wrong can lead to troubling implications—if done incorrectly. We’ll discuss how these abstract concepts relate to God and how to use them to point to God. References: God and Other Necessary Beings

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Neanderthal Engravings An international team of collaborators recently discovered “engravings” on the walls of the La Roche-Cotard cave system (in the Loire Valley of central France) that date to be older than 57,000 years. These engravings appear to reflect the intentional activities of Neanderthals, suggesting that these hominins displayed the capacity for symbolic expression—just like modern humans. This discovery raises several questions:   Can we no longer consider modern humans as truly exceptional? Were Neanderthals just like us? How do we make sense of this discovery from a Christian perspective? Is there any scientific evidence for the image of God?   In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana discusses this important discovery and addresses these questions and more.   Resources: The Earliest Unambiguous Neanderthal Engravings on Cave Walls: La Roche-Cotard, Loire Valley, France   Additional Resources: Further Review Overturns Neanderthal Art Claim Did Neanderthals Have the Brains to Make Art? Timing of Neanderthals’ Disappearance Makes Art Claims Unlikely Do Neanderthal Cave Structures Challenge Human Exceptionalism?   Capturing CO2 With the growing concern over global climate change, scientists are thinking deeply about how to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. Many of these ideas focus on reducing the amount of CO2 produced, but they also address ways to remove CO2 and store it.   In this episode, we discuss some of the removal techniques while considering the technical and philosophical hurdles researchers face.   Resources: Carbon Dioxide Removal Is Suddenly Obtaining Credibility and Support

Ken explains the Christian view of truth and why it matters

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Hugh Ross as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Synthetic Embryos A research team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences recently reported on the first-ever production of synthetic embryos from monkey embryonic stem cells. This work follows on the heels of other research that demonstrates how (1) synthetic embryos can be produced from human embryonic stem cells, and (2) synthetic mice embryos made from embryonic stem cells can develop in a bioreactor beyond the earliest stage to display the beginning of organ formation.   In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana addresses questions such as:   What is a synthetic embryo? Why are scientists interested in creating synthetic embryos? What are the most salient ethical issues to consider with this work? What should the Christian response be to the production of synthetic embryos?   References: Cynomolgus Monkey Embryo Model Captures Gastrulation and Early Pregnancy Additional Resources: A Theology for Synthetic Biology, Part 1 A Theology for Synthetic Biology, Part 2   Alien Spacecraft? Dozens of news stories have come out claiming that the US government has admitted to possessing physical evidence of alien spacecraft. Since we claimed in our book, Lights in the Sky & Little Green Men, that no such evidence exists, we have been asked to respond to these new claims. There are a few reasons we stand by the claims we made two decades ago. First, the US government and military security are not capable of hiding such physical evidence from the public for several decades. Second, no one has ever produced a single physical artifact from an alien craft. The third, and most definitive reason, is that physical spacecraft larger than 10 centimeters across cannot traverse interstellar space. The required travel velocities and the laws of physics guarantee that such spacecraft would be destroyed long before they reach Earth. In this episode, we’ll expound on these and give examples that support our reasoning.   References: Lights in the Sky & Little Green Men: A Rational Christian Look at UFOs and Extraterrestrials

Hugh Ross discusses Dave Rogstad's pivotal role in RTB's founding and their long-time friendship

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Hugh Ross as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Human-Neanderthal Hybrids Is it true that modern humans and Neanderthals interbred? If interbreeding took place, what does that mean for the credibility of the biblical account of human origins? Are humans truly exceptional? Are we really made in God’s image? Would any children resulting from interbreeding events have had a soul? Would they have borne the image of God?   In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana takes on these questions and discusses a recent study done by investigators from Spain who explored regions of the human genome completely devoid of any Neanderthal genetic material. Rana explains how insights from this research help address challenging questions about human-Neanderthal interbreeding and the offspring they might have produced, from a creation model perspective.   References: A Brain Region-Specific Expression Profile for Genes within Large Introgression Deserts and under Positive Selection in Homo sapiens Additional Resources: Answering Scientific Questions on Human-Neanderthal Interbreeding, Part 1 Answering Scientific Questions on Human-Neanderthal Interbreeding, Part 2   Universe’s First Stars Big bang creation models all predict that the universe’s first stars will be entirely composed of hydrogen, helium, and a trace amount of lithium. The biggest of these first stars form, burn up all their nuclear fuel, and explode the ashes of their nuclear burning into interstellar phase long before the smaller of the first stars even have a chance to form. Hence, the smaller first-formed stars will be polluted by the ashes of the biggest first-formed stars. Because of how rapidly the biggest first stars form, burn, and explode, they can only be seen at distances equal to 13.6 billion years. Not even the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is powerful enough to detect stars at that distance. However, astronomers used the JWST to detect a strong helium line emission in the halo of a big, bright galaxy—GN-z11—13.35 billion light-years away. No elements heavier than helium were detected in GN-z11’s halo. Something made the helium in the halo of GN-z11 very hot without any metals present. The only possible candidates are stars composed only of hydrogen, helium, and lithium weighing in at 100–500 times the Sun’s mass. Hence, a key prediction of the biblically predicted big bang model has been affirmed.   References: Roberto Maiolino et al., “JWST-JADES: Possible Population III Signatures at z = 10.6 in the Halo of GN-z11 Additional Resources: What Does the Bible Say about the Big Bang?

Guest Brian Huffling discusses Thomism and divine simplicity

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science, discoveries that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Homo naledi Art? A team of paleoanthropologists made a splash when they announced that the enigmatic hominin, Homo naledi (who lived about 330,000 to 250,000 years ago), buried its dead, made art, and mastered fire. These claims are shocking because H. naledi had a brain size comparable to a chimpanzee. Most paleoanthropologists have long held the view that a large brain size was necessary for advanced cognition. If these claims stand, they will upend the prevailing thinking about what makes us human and undermine the notion of human exceptionalism, an idea closely linked to the biblical view that human beings uniquely bear God’s image.   In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana, author of Who Was Adam?, will discuss these claims and their impact on RTB’s creation model for humanity’s origin and the biblical view of human nature and identity.   References:  241,000 to 335,000 Years Old Rock Engravings Made by Homo naledi in the Rising Star Cave System, South Africa Evidence for Deliberate Burial of the Dead by Homo naledi Burials and Engravings in a Small-Brained Hominin, Homo naledi, from the Late Pleistocene: Contexts and Evolutionary Implications Additional Resources: Who Was Adam? A Creation Model Approach to the Origin of Humanity Cave Art Tells the Story of Human Exceptionalism Further Review Overturns Neanderthal Art Claim Rabbit Burrowing Churns Claims about Neanderthal Burials   Sandgrouse Feathers Normally, bird feathers work to repel water so birds stay dry. However, the Namaqua sandgrouse has feathers that capture and retain water. This feature plays a vital role in allowing the sandgrouse to transport water from distant sources (up to 30km) with high efficiency to provide hydration for their chicks. Detailed microscopic studies of the feathers reveal the remarkable characteristics that enable this critical—and bizarre—function for the sandgrouse. Jeff Zweerink explains how these studies add to an impressive body of research showing how the designs of animal bodies often exceed the best human designs.   References:  Structure and Mechanics of Water-Holding Feathers of Namaqua Sandgrouse (Pterocles namaqua)

Defining doubt and considering evidence for Jesus's resurrection

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science—discoveries that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Saving Radio Astronomy The last unspoiled refuge for radio astronomy is the Moon’s far side—the most “radio quiet” place in the solar system. There, researchers hope to place four 3-meter antennae to measure the “cosmic dawn,” the radio signal from the universe’s first stars that will reveal the characteristics of those stars and evidence for the big bang. However, international lunar exploration could generate so much noise as to eliminate radio astronomy’s last unspoiled refuge. In this episode, Hugh discusses how radio astronomers hope to protect this frontier.    References:  Are Telescopes on the Moon Doomed before They’ve Even Been Built?   Dating Bible Battles Archaeologists have discovered many sites where battles described in the Bible occurred, but determining the dates has been difficult. Recent advances in measuring magnetic field strengths provide a new dating tool. During the tenth to sixth century BCE, Earth’s magnetic field experienced fluctuations much larger than seen today. Many of the battles during this time involved burning opponents’ cities to the ground, and these fires often heated mud bricks and pottery pieces to temperatures hot enough that the pieces recorded the magnetic field and direction at the time. Scientists have used these magnetic field measurements in artifacts to validate the historicity of many battles recorded in Scripture. Listen to find out how.   References:  Reconstructing Biblical Military Campaigns Using Geomagnetic Field Data Earth’s Magnetic Field Supports Biblical Stories of Destruction of Ancient Cities

It's OK to harbor doubts about the faith

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Hugh Ross as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science—discoveries that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Lab Meat Futurists think that lab meat will soon be commercially available as an ethical and environmentally friendly alternative to meat produced from animal stocks. However, a research team from UC Davis has challenged the environmental friendliness of lab meat by arguing that the effects of making such meat from current technology are much worse for the environment than meat produced through agricultural means. In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana discusses the pros and cons of lab meat and offers a Christian perspective on this emerging biotechnology.   References: Environmental Impacts of Cultured Meat: A Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Assessment Additional Resources: A Theology for Synthetic Biology, Part 1 A Theology for Synthetic Biology, Part 2   Photosynthetic Zone Four astronomers have demonstrated the necessity of the photosynthetic habitable zone for any planet thought to be a candidate for advanced life. They explain why the range of distances from a host star for a planet to conceivably harbor photosynthetic life must be narrower than the range of distances where a planet could conceivably possess surface liquid water. The team concludes that the parameter space for signs of life is far narrower than the standard HZ (liquid water habitable zone). In this episode, Hugh explains that it takes a lot of design for photosynthetic life to exist on a planet.   References: A New Definition of Exoplanet Habitability: Introducing the Photosynthetic Habitable Zone  

Human exceptionalism in light of the image of God

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science, discoveries that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   AI-Human Collaboration Artificial intelligence (AI) can analyze enormous diverse databases at lightning speeds. But unlike humans, AI can’t reason, produce new databases, or make sense of things it hasn’t seen before. Only humans can determine what’s interesting and worth pursuing and what isn’t. Recognizing these distinctives, a team at Lam Research Corporation conducted experiments to determine how best to manage collaboration between AI and humans to optimize the development of computer chips with target characteristics. The Lam team found that AI works best when human experts operate as “data dieticians,” controlling the amounts, kinds, and timing of data being fed into AI systems.  References: Human-Machine Collaboration for Improving Semiconductor Process Development   New Hubble Constant Measurement The strongest evidence supporting big bang models comes from measurements of the universe’s expansion. Although scientists have compelling evidence for expansion from Cepheid variables and Type 1a supernovae, as well as the cosmic microwave background radiation, astronomers continue to search for data that will confirm or falsify current understanding. Recently, scientists applied a new technique to measure the Hubble constant (which is a simple way to quantify the universe’s expansion) and found results consistent with the best measurements from other techniques. These results add to the already substantial evidence that we live in a big bang universe. References: Gravitationally Lensed Supernova Yields Novel Hubble Constant Result

Do humans differ from animals only in degree?

Join Hugh Ross and Steve Mittwede as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Deep Time Informing Care of the Earth? What are the various views of Earth’s natural history? And how does our view tend to drive our interpretation of Earth’s processes and systems? As an interpretive framework, how does a grasp of deep time affect our outlook on the world and its future? And should our understanding of deep time inform how we take care of the planet and its resources?    References: Recommended Resources: Timefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World How the Concept of Deep Time is Changing God’s Planet Rocks of Ages: Science and Religion in the Fullness of Life Deep Time Reckoning: How Future Thinking Can Help Earth Now Why Geology Matters: Decoding the Past, Anticipating the Future Creation Care: A Biblical Theology of the Natural World

How to demonstrate Jesus's divinity from Scripture and early creeds 

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Hugh Ross as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Why ATP? Biochemists have long wondered why ATP (adenosine triphosphate) was “selected” as the cell’s energy currency. It has several special properties that make it well-suited for its biochemical role. Recently, a research team from University College London offered an explanation. They argue that ATP assumed the role of the universal energy currency due to how easily it forms under prebiotic conditions. ATP selectively forms under plausible prebiotic conditions because of an unusual and just-right chemical reaction.   In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana and astrophysicist Hugh Ross discuss how (1) ATP’s role as the cell’s energy currency, (2) insights about its suitability for its role, and (3) the prebiotic formation all work together to demonstrate that a Creator played a role in the origin and design of life.   References: A Prebiotic Basis for ATP as the Universal Energy Currency Additional Resources: Fit for a Purpose: Does the Anthropic Principle Include Biochemistry?   Trim the Fries The fastest rising health crises of the twenty-first century are anxiety and depression, which now rank as the two most prevalent mental health disorders. A decade ago, scientists discovered a causal link between anxiety and depression and the consumption of sugar, refined grains, fried and processed foods, and beer. Now, a research team led by Anli Wang, in a population-based study of 141,000 UK adults over an 11.3-year period, has identified fried foods and especially fried potatoes as the leading dietary cause of anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders. They showed that fried foods produce acrylamide. This chemical not only induces anxiety and depression, studies show it also disrupts cholesterol and glucose metabolism and produces learning and memory disorders.    References: High Fried Food Consumption Impacts Anxiety and Depression Due to Lipid Metabolism Disturbance and Neuroinflammation

Earliest church creeds affirm the divinity of Jesus

What the Trinity is and what it isn't 

How historical confessions explained the Trinity

Ken discusses what Scripture teaches on the Holy Spirit's work

Scripture shows that the Holy Spirit is a divine person

Ken discusses what Scripture teaches on the Holy Spirit's work. 

Scripture shows that the Holy Spirit is a divine person. 

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Sy Garte as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   LUCA’s Complexity A research team from the US and the UK discovered that LUCA (the last universal common ancestor) was perhaps more complex than contemporary bacteria and archaea. They used an approach based on physiological features instead of the gene set encoded in LUCA’s DNA.    In the abstract of their paper, the researchers write:  “Our results depict LUCA as likely to be a far more complex cell than has previously been proposed, challenging the evolutionary model of increased complexity through time in prokaryotes. Given current estimates for the emergence of LUCA we suggest that early life very rapidly evolved considerable cellular complexity.”    In this episode, Fuz and Sy explore the far-reaching scientific implications of this work, which challenges the mainstream perspective about the mode and tempo for the origin and early evolution of life. They also discuss this work’s implications for the design argument and its confirmation of a key prediction of RTB’s origin of life model.    References: Phenotypic Reconstruction of the Last Universal Common Ancestor Reveals a Complex Cell Additional Resources: Origins of Life by Fazale Rana and Hugh Ross (book) The Cell’s Design by Fazale Rana (book)   What’s Missing in Evolutionary Theory? While the biological theory of evolution has been successful and made major progress since Darwin’s day, there remain fundamental gaps in the theory that have yet to be addressed. These include (1) a mathematical expression in the form of an evolutionary law that isn’t tautological or merely descriptive; (2) a more precise definition of fitness; and (3) investigations into the origins of consciousness, human behavior, and other higher functions that appear to be due to things beyond selection of genetic variants. Further explanations of these, as well as of thresholds and discontinuities during evolution, might require the inclusion of paradigms such as teleology and agency in biological science, with theological implications.   References: Continuity, Simplification, and Paradigm Shifting in Biological Evolution

How to think about being a Christian and a citizen. 

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Mars’s Core Problem A seismometer on the surface of Mars has detected sound waves revealing that Mars’s core has a low density. This feature implies that a fifth of Mars’s core is composed of sulfur, oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen. These light elements make up just 5% of Earth’s core. The different size, density, and structure of Mars’s core compared to Earth’s explains why Mars has lacked a magnetosphere for the past 4 billion years. This research adds yet another habitability requirement for the possible existence of advanced life: the planet’s core must be exquisitely fine-tuned.    References: First Observations of Core-Transiting Seismic Phases on Mars   Life and the Multiverse A great body of evidence points to the improbable nature of life’s existence in the universe, which many people take as evidence of fine-tuning for our existence. However, some scientists have argued that our improbable nature provides evidence that a multiverse exists. In this episode, I’ll discuss why our existence looks improbable as well as how people come to the two seemingly opposing conclusions. I’ll conclude by presenting some recent arguments for why our improbable nature does not provide evidence of a multiverse.   References: Our Improbable Existence Is No Evidence for a Multiverse

Dr. Gary Habermas discusses evidence for the shroud. 

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Lunar Catastrophes The Moon is exquisitely fine-tuned in various ways that are essential for advanced life to exist on Earth’s surface. However, astronomers have determined that the Moon will reverse its outward migration from Earth and crash into our planet about 40 billion years from now. Astronomer Bradley Hansen recently demonstrated that for the majority of planet-moon systems capable of sustaining life, the moon will collide with the planet long before conditions on that planet permit the existence of advanced life. Hansen has discovered yet another habitability requirement: a large dynamically stable moon orbiting a large rocky planet. References: Consequences of Dynamically Unstable Moons in Extrasolar Systems   Peering Deep Inside Cells Scientists continue to develop tools to investigate the detailed workings inside the cell. In one recent example researchers tracked the motion of individual molecules that transport resources around the cell. Advances over past attempts now demonstrate the step-by-step movements of motor protein kinesin-1 as it moves through the cell, and data gives hints that the molecule might be twisting as it traverses the intracell highways. These advances not only show the incredible design within the cell but continue to add to the overwhelming evidence that humans are truly exceptional among all the animals on Earth.   References: Superresolution Microscopy Tracks a Walking Biomolecule Direct Observation of Motor Protein Stepping in Living Cells Using MINFLUX MINFLUX Dissects the Unimpeded Walking of Kinesin-1

Here's Ken's recommended reading list for great books. 

Join Jeff Zweerink and computer scientist Dustin Morley as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   AI with an Off-Switch? As we contemplate what a world with true AI (general or super, rather than narrow, artificial intelligence) looks like, the question of how we interact with AI inevitably arises. Specifically, what do we do when AI pursues a path that is harmful to humanity? One scenario put forth is to install an off switch that we control, but would the AI leave the off switch enabled? One study showed that programming uncertainty into the AI about its objective may provide incentives for the AI to leave the off switch functional. However, that uncertainty diminishes the AI’s effectiveness in obtaining its purpose. We discuss some of the apologetic implications of this study.   References: The Off-Switch Game   Self-Supervised Learning Recent major breakthroughs in public-facing artificial intelligence (AI) such as OpenAI's ChatGPT and Tesla's self-driving software have achieved success in part due to complex, multi-component deep learning model architectures where each of the components can be trained or fine-tuned while leaving the other components fixed—effectively decoupling different steps or subtasks from each other. A new paper (still in preprint) has demonstrated significant success with self-supervised learning, pushing the envelope on this level of AI versatility even further. What does this mean for the near-term future of AI, and what implications does it have for the age-old comparison between AI and human intelligence?   References: Blockwise Self-Supervised Learning at Scale

Get more out of your reading by learning the four levels of reading. 

How to read actively and with worldview in mind. 

Join Jeff Zweerink and Joseph Bergeron as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   The Man Behind the Shroud The Shroud of Turin remains one of the most hotly debated artifacts related to Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection. Join us as medical specialist Joe Bergeron discusses what an analysis of the shroud’s image reveals about the man behind the shroud. The data provides abundant evidence supporting the accounts of Jesus’s crucifixion given in the Gospels.   References: The Shroud of Turin, Part 1: An Examination of the Man Additional Resources: Joseph Bergeron, Reasons to Believe

Ken addresses questions on differences between Judaism and Christianity. 

Join Hugh Ross and Thomas Bieler as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Cheaper Clean Energy Scientists define “clean energy” as electricity for sustaining human civilization and technology that is not derived from the burning of fossil fuels. It is clean in that no particulates or greenhouse gases are injected into the atmosphere. Remarkably, in just twelve years, solar power and battery-based power storage costs have fallen by a factor of eight times. In a few more years, clean energy production will be cheaper than burning fossil fuels to produce electricity. Therefore, economic incentives alone will be adequate to restore climate stability within the time constraints needed to avoid ecological and climatic calamities.   References: Energy Building New Renewables Is Cheaper than Burning Fossil Fuels   Can Atoms Think? What we think about atoms is intimately entwined with what we think about God, matter, energy, life, and chaos. Atoms are at the heart of the epic drama that underlies the tensions between theism, atheism, and science that simultaneously inform how we think about our culture, ourselves, our relationships with others, and our purpose in life.

How does Moses compare with Christ and why does it matter?

Obstetrician-gynecologist Chris Cirucci discusses how she helps women in need

Join astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink and technology ethicist Jason Thacker as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   What Does It Mean to Be Human in the Age of AI? From ChatGPT and generative AI to algorithms and automation, we live in an age of unprecedented technological innovations. Despite the many benefits and conveniences these technologies provide, they are fundamentally challenging what we’ve long assumed it means to be human. How does Christian philosophy and ethics help us to better understand what’s unique about being human in a digital world? And how do we develop wisdom in navigating the challenges before us as a society?   Resources: ChatGPT and Christian Ethics: An Interview with Technology Ethicist Jason Thacker Ethics in the Age of AI: Defining and Pursuing the Good for Our Good and the Good of Our Communities   Additional Resources: Jason Thacker, The Age of AI (book)

A helpful acronym for engaging skeptics with evidence for God's existence. 

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Chris Cirucci as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Obstetrics Dilemma Many skeptics point to the difficulties and dangers of the human birthing process as a flawed biological design, best explained as the product of human evolutionary history. This problem is exemplified by the obstetrics dilemma—a concept that sees the origin of the human birthing process as a compromise between two evolutionary pressures: (1) the shift of our knuckle-walking ape-like ancestor to a bipedal hominin and (2) the increased size of the human head. These two influences restricted the size of the human birth canal and made the passage of the human neonate with a large head through the birth canal difficult. In this episode, Fuz Rana discusses recent insights from an evolutionary perspective into the origin of the human birthing process (and the obstetrics dilemma) and then offers an explanation for the obstetrics dilemma from a creation model/design perspective.   RESOURCES: Dynamic Finite-Element Simulations Reveal Early Origin of Complex Human Birth Pattern Additional Resources: Life’s Twists and Turns Are Designed to Start in the Birth Canal   Abortion Pill Reversal When a woman decides to undergo a chemical abortion, she takes two medications: mifepristone on the first day, followed 24–48 hours later by misoprostol. What if she changes her mind after taking the first abortion pill? Is there any hope to save her unborn child? Can chemical abortion be reversed? Or is abortion pill reversal “junk science” as some would contend?   RESOURCES: [The Effect of RU486 and Progesterone on Luteal Function during Pregnancy] Progesterone Use to Reverse the Effects of Mifepristone A Case Series Detailing the Successful Reversal of the Effects of Mifepristone Using Progesterone Abortion "Reversal"—Legislating without Evidence Mifepristone Antagonization with Progesterone to Prevent Medical Abortion: A Randomized Controlled Trial Facts Are Important: Medication Abortion “Reversal” Is Not Supported by Science The Reversal of the Effects of Mifepristone by Progesterone 2019 AAPLOG Position Statement on Abortion Pill Reversal Medication Abortion Up to 70 Days of Gestation: ACOG Practice Bulletin, Number 225   Links to Organizations Abortion Pill Reversal This is an information site for abortion pill reversal and provides contact information for women interested in pursuing this option. Abortion Pill Reversal Hotline: 1-877-558-0333 Steno Institute—Life-Affirming Research The Steno Institute is the research organization for abortion pill reversal      

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Sy Garte as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Cellular Replication and Abiogenesis Living cells are the only things we know of that replicate themselves with very high accuracy. Evolution requires such high replication fidelity to allow for natural selection to operate. Researcher Sy Garte used a statistical simulation model to determine how self-replication fidelity could evolve in early life. The model revealed a phase transition from nonliving chemical complexity to evolving living creatures. This illustrates the necessary noncontinuity of any process, including natural selection, that could lead to the origin of evolving life.   RESOURCES: Evidence for Phase Transitions in Replication Fidelity and Survival Probability at the Origin of Life The Continuity Principle and the Evolution of Replication Fidelity

Join Hugh Ross and Fazale “Fuz” Rana as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence. *Disclaimer: Audio quality and sound may be low for Hugh Ross' microphone* Bison & Grass Diversity A three-decade long field study in the Flint Hills ecoregion in Eastern Kansas shows that reintroducing bison to tallgrass prairie increased grassland species diversity by more than 100% compared to ungrazed areas and by more than 50% compared to areas grazed by domesticated cattle. In tallgrass prairie grazed by bison, researchers observed a continual increase in native plant species richness. Unlike domesticated cattle, bison engage in frequent wallowing, which increases habitat heterogeneity. Researchers noted that long-term, year-round grazing by bison resulted in plant communities that were resilient to the two-year severe drought that occurred from 2011–2012. The researchers concluded that “rewilding native megafauna could help to restore grassland biodiversity” worldwide. Resources: Reintroducing Bison Results in Long-Running and Resilient Increases in Grassland Diversity     Animal Smarts & God’s Image Animals are intelligent and display remarkable skills that reflect the ability to plan and problem solve. Some life scientists interpret this behavior as evidence that animal intelligence is closer to human intelligence than we might have initially thought. This claim seems to challenge the view that human beings are exceptional. According to Scripture, human beings stand apart from all other creatures because we bear God’s image. But if, in essence, human beings are no different from animals, it’s challenging to maintain that we are the crown of creation, as Scripture teaches. Yet, recent work by biologist Johan Lind from Stockholm University indicates that animals engage in behavior that resembles flexible planning through a different process: associative learning.In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana explores the scientific and theological implications of Lind’s insight. Resources: What Can Associative Learning Do for Planning? A-Learning: A New Formulation of Associative Learning Theory Can Associative Learning Be the General Process for Intelligent Behavior in Non-Human Animals? Additional Resources: Does Animal Planning Undermine the Image of God?

Join Hugh Ross and Kevin Birdwell as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Rebounding from an Ice Age Earth has undergone approximately 25 ice age cycles over the last several million years, with 85 to 90% of that time spent in conditions much colder than the present warm period. Yet, every cold glacial period thus far has ended with a warm “interglacial” period similar to the present global climate. But why does this happen? What allows an Earth with a much higher percentage of ice and snow cover to recover from cold temperatures associated with the deep glacial periods of our recent past?   References: The Last Glacial Termination The Relative Contribution of Orbital Forcing and Greenhouse Gases to the North American Deglaciation GRIP Deuterium Excess Reveals Rapid and Orbital-Scale Changes in Greenland Moisture Origin The Timing of Major Climate Terminations In and Out of Glacial Extremes by way of Dust-Climate Feedbacks Glacial-Interglacial Changes in Ocean Surface Conditions in the Southern Hemisphere   Additional Resources: Climate of the Past, Present, and Future: A Scientific Debate, 2nd ed.

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence. Green Logging Eleven environmentalists have developed new techniques for determining forest ecosystem health based on the energetics of plants, trees, birds, mammals, and insects living within tropical forests in Malaysian Borneo. They compared measurements from five old-growth, unlogged forests with those from four selectively logged forests and one palm oil plantation. These environmentalists found that wise selective logging of forests maximizes possible lumbering income while simultaneously optimizing the forest ecosystem and maximizing global warming mitigation. Resources: Logged Tropical Forests Have Amplified and Diverse Ecosystem Energetics   Our Rare Galaxy Our Milky Way galaxy is not unusual when it comes to size, but astronomers continue to find ways that it’s unlike the vast majority of other galaxies in the universe. The latest example relates to how large the Milky Way is when accounting for the unusually small velocity dispersion of galaxies in our local neighborhood. Simulations reveal that we have to look outside a box nearly 600 million light-years on a side to expect another galaxy matching the Milky Way’s size and velocity dispersion. Resources: The Unusual Milky Way–Local Sheet System: Implications for Spin Strength and Alignment

In this episode of Best of Straight Thinking our hosts discuss the question, "Does Christianity best explain the human condition?"

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Fifth Force and Creation Some scientists have speculated that a possible fifth force of physics might provide a loophole permitting them to escape the theistic implications of cosmological and origin-of-life research findings. In that scenario stars would possess larger diameters and masses than a universe with only four physical forces. However, observations of stars and ongoing analysis of helioseismic measures put stringent limits on a speculative fifth force. These limits significantly strengthen the case for biblical creation models. References: Searching for Dark Energy with the Sun   AI and Work and Value Ongoing work in artificial intelligence (AI) repeatedly generates AI systems capable of doing things once thought only possible by humans. Starting with chess in the 1990s, AIs now outperform humans in many arenas—the latest examples include the games Stratego and Diplomacy, and even writing computer code. As AIs continue to encroach on humanity’s domain, we would be wise to consider the proper way to think about human value and the importance of work—two ideas that the Bible clearly addresses.   References: Mastering the Game of Stratego with Model-Free Multiagent Reinforcement Learning Competition-Level Code Generation with AlphaCode Human-Level Play in the Game of Diplomacy by Combining Language Models with Strategic Reasoning  

In this episode of Best of Straight Thinking, our hosts discuss the topic, "How to answer postmodernism with good reasoning."

Join Hugh Ross and Fazale “Fuz” Rana as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Bioinspired Flying Robots Drones the size of tiny flies could be sent en masse to inspect and diagnose hazardous sites, or fly through piles of rubble to find and determine the condition of trapped victims, or released from spacecraft to assist in exploration. By meticulously copying the designs in fruit flies and gnats, scientists used miniaturized, high-power density piezoelectric devices to develop the equivalent of flight muscles. They then copied the biological gyroscope in bees to make a gyroscope that weighs only 15 milligrams. These achievements show that copying God’s designs in his creatures enables us to build machines to help us fulfill our God-given mandate to manage Earth’s resources for our benefit and the benefit of all life.   Resources: A Gyroscope-Free Visual-Inertial Flight Control and Wind Sensing System for 10-mg Robots   Leprosy & God’s Providence Researchers have discovered that the mechanisms that M. leprae—the bacterium that causes leprosy—uses to spread within the human host are the same mechanisms that biomedical researchers may one day leverage to regenerate livers and, possibly, other organs. This discovery highlights God’s providential care for humanity.   Resources: In vivo Partial Reprogramming by Bacteria Promotes Adult Liver Organ Growth without Fibrosis and Tumorigenesis Reprogramming Adult Schwann Cells to Stem Cell-Like Cells by Leprosy Bacilli Promotes Dissemination of Infection Additional Resources: Viruses and God’s Providence Viruses and God’s Providence Revisited

In this episode of Best of Straight Thinking, our hosts discuss the question "In a scientific age, does philosophy still matter?"

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   The Design of ERVs For many people, the shared ERV sequences in the human and great ape genomes evince common ancestry and an evolutionary origin for humanity. Yet, new discoveries about the physiological role of ERVs—such as their contribution to the innate immune system—makes possible another interpretation of ERVs in the human genome. In this episode biochemist Fuz Rana discusses the latest insight into ERV molecular biology, exemplified by the ERV-encoded protein supressyn, and explores the question: “Can a creation model explain the occurrence of ERV sequences in the human genome?”   Resources: Evolution and Antiviral Activity of a Human Protein of Retroviral Origin  Additional Resources: Endogenous Retroviruses Help Fight Tumors Endogenous Retroviruses (ERVs) Protect Early-Stage Human Embryos   AI, Optimism, and Long Life In an era where AI developments show great potential and great peril, ongoing research indicates that optimism plays an important role in increased longevity and health. These results affirm a repeated refrain from Scripture that we are to rejoice, be content, and have hope in all situations. We will discuss the studies leading to this conclusion as well as make the important biblical connections.   Resources: Dual Use of Artificial-Intelligence-Powered Drug Discovery Optimism, Lifestyle, and Longevity in a Racially Diverse Cohort of Women

"Doctors of the church" provided wisdom in the Middle Ages. 

Gaining theological and apologetics insights from early Christian thinkers. 

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Sy Garte as they discuss the theological and philosophical implications of the creation of life and how it supports the reality of God’s existence. In this special episode, biochemist Dr. Fazale “Fuz” Rana interviews biochemist Dr. Sy Garte. Both are Christians, yet, they have differing views about how God created life. Rana is an old-earth creationist and Garte is an evolutionary creationist. Garte shares his remarkable journey to faith and the two discuss different origin models and ways that the works of God’s hands can be seen in the biological realm. They also discuss a model for biological evolution called structuralism and make the case that this idea could bridge the gap between old-earth and evolutionary creationism.   References: The Works of His Hands Fit for a Purpose Additional Resources: Sy Garte website

Discussing the three transcendentals and the image of God

Join physicists Drs. Jeff Zweerink and Eric Hedin on Stars, Cells, and God for an informative conversation on the use of nuclear fusion to address our energy needs.   A recent nuclear fusion breakthrough at the National Ignition Facility brought this topic to mainstream news. While this breakthrough is a tremendous accomplishment, the news coverage has prompted many questions about the feasibility of someday using nuclear fusion as our primary power source. Hedin and Zweerink discuss the scientific background of the achievement and address the remaining hurdles to using nuclear fusion as a replacement for fossil fuels.   References: National Ignition Facility Surpasses Long-Awaited Fusion Milestone

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and David Block in a lively conversation about God’s artistry as witnessed in his creation in this special episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Astronomer Dr. David Block and biochemist Dr. Fuz Rana make the case that God is an artist through a far-ranging conversation about the beautiful images coming from the James Webb Space Telescope and the remarkable design of biochemical systems—both of which highlight the beauty of creation. They also discuss the idea that our remarkable creativity as human beings only makes sense if we are made in the image of God to be co-creators. Reference: The Argument from Beauty: Can Evolution Explain Our Aesthetic Sense?

Visiting scholar Sean Oesch discusses AI's capabilities and limitations  

Join Jeff Zweerink and David Block as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Hubble’s Theft & Other Scientific Inaccuracies The data showing the expansion of the universe is usually referred to as Hubble’s law. However, historical studies show that astronomer Edwin Hubble used others’ research without proper attribution in writing his paper on the subject in 1929. In 2018, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially voted to rename it the Hubble-Lemaître law since astronomer Georges Lemaître published a paper on the same subject in 1927, two years before Hubble. We will discuss the implications and apologetic value of this development as well as other common science/faith related misconceptions.   References: Belgian Priest Recognized in Hubble-Law Name Change IAU Members Vote to Recommend Renaming the Hubble Law as the Hubble-Lemaître Law

Defending the truth with gentleness and respect

Join Hugh Ross and James Patterson, MD, as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence. Viruses Fuel the Carbon Cycle (Hugh Ross) A recent study shows that DNA and RNA viruses in the oceans play a crucial role in the ocean carbon flux cycle. Additionally, they play significant roles in the sulfur, nitrogen, and deep ocean cycles. Viruses deposit huge amounts of carbon, sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen on an ongoing basis onto the ocean floors. Once there, subducting plates move these elements into Earth’s mantle. Without this process, advanced life wouldn’t be possible. These huge deposits require that ocean viruses be extremely abundant and diverse and that they be specifically designed in a variety of ways so that advanced life can thrive.   References: Diversity and Ecological Footprint of Global Ocean RNA Viruses   Digital Health (James Patterson) In a world that is now more connected than ever in a digital sense, it seems that humans are becoming more and more disconnected. We’ve all seen it—a room full of people, all staring at their smartphones. Why is that? Why are more people depressed and suicidal now than ever before? What can we do to promote healthy living in a digitally connected society?    References: Glenn Geher, “The Dark Side of Civilization,” https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/darwins-subterranean-world/202209/the-dark-side-civilization

In apologetics, it's important to know what we're defending 

Culture Talk: God and Galileo with David Block Dig Deeper: https://reasons.org/team/david-block  Everyday Apologetics: Two Astronomers Discuss How the Cosmos Point to God with David Block Dig Deeper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnb4vUOI-F8  Science-Faith Connection: On Being a Christian in Academia with David Block  Dig Deeper: https://reasons.org/team/david-block   If you’d like to support resources like this show, please consider donating at reasons.org/show. 

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Design of the Genetic Code (Fuz Rana) The genetic code—the rules used to translate the information found in DNA into the information functionally expressed by proteins—displays optimization with respect to error minimization. New work by researchers from Japan indicates that the genetic code optimization exceeds 1 in 1020 randomly generated genetic codes, suggesting that the genetic code found in nature displays a greater degree of optimization than originally thought. This new insight supports the case that biochemical systems are the product of intentional design.   Resources: Rare-Event Sampling Analysis Uncovers the Fitness Landscape of the Genetic Code Additional Resources: Fazale Rana, Fit for a Purpose Fazale Rana, The Cell’s Design Fazale Rana, “The Genetic Code: Optimized for Resource Conservation”   Impacts and Tsunamis (Jeff Zweerink) A massive asteroid strike in the Yucatan Peninsula is known to have caused one of the mass extinctions on Earth. A recent study investigated the tsunami that would result from such a collision and found waves of incredible heights would have washed across the Northern Atlantic and Southern Pacific oceans. A search of geological records affirms the devastation wrought by these tsunamis. We’ll discuss the details of the techniques behind this research and highlight the apologetic implications of these catastrophic events.   Reasources: The Chicxulub Impact Produced a Powerful Global Tsunami Additional Resource: Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid Triggered Global Tsunami

Visiting scholar Leslie Wickman explores the compatibility of science and faith. 

Culture Talk: Being Led by the Christmas Star with David Block Dig Deeper: https://reasons.org/team/david-block  Everyday Apologetics: Christmas Message from Ken Samples (10:09–17:46 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdNuKJcblyk) with Ken Samples  Dig Deeper: https://reasons.org/explore/blogs/reflections  Science-Faith Connection: Possibilities for the Christmas Star with Hugh Ross Dig Deeper: https://reasons.org/explore/blogs/take-two/the-star-of-bethlehem-an-astronomer-astrophysicist-and-theologians-perspective  Help us create even more empowering resources! Support Reasons to Believe at: https://support.reasons.org/donate-now?source=OLYOUTUBE Follow RTB_Official for updates! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RTBofficial Twitter: https://twitter.com/RTB_official Instagram: http://instagram.com/rtb_official Website: http://www.reasons.org

What does a worldview explain?

Culture Talk: Racial Diversity and the Tower of Babel with Fazale Rana Dig Deeper: https://reasons.org/explore/publications/reasons-newsletter/where-did-the-races-come-from  Everyday Apologetics: A Christian Perspective on Human Origins and Race (:00 – 6:48) with Joseph Miller Dig Deeper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr0gAr8n-SE  Science-Faith Connection: Examining the Out-of-Africa Hypothesis with Fazale Rana Dig Deeper: https://reasons.org/explore/publications/reasons-newsletter/where-did-the-races-come-from  If you’d like to support resources like this show, please consider donating at reasons.org/show.   Help us create even more empowering resources! Support Reasons to Believe at: https://support.reasons.org/donate-now?source=OLYOUTUBE Follow RTB_Official for updates! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RTBofficial Twitter: https://twitter.com/RTB_official Instagram: http://instagram.com/rtb_official Website: http://www.reasons.org

What is a worldview?

Five more points about learning from educator James Schall

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Design of RNA Structure (Fuz Rana) Are biochemical systems the products of unguided, historically contingent evolutionary processes shaped by natural selection? Or is there another explanation for their structure and function? Researchers demonstrate that the laws of physics and chemistry predetermine RNA secondary structure, and these structures are precisely those needed to support RNA’s central role in biochemistry. This anthropic coincidence adds to the case for a biochemical manifestation of the anthropic principle and evidence for a Creator’s role in the origin of life.   References: Phenotype Bias Determines How Natural RNA Structures Occupy the Morphospace of All Possible Shapes Additional Resource: Fazale Rana, Fit for a Purpose   Critical Theory in Physics (Jeff Zweerink) One of the central tenets of science is the ability to test any explanation against data from the real world. The fact that science is done by people means bias and unfairness get introduced into the process, yet scientists have a vested interest in eliminating this unfair aspect. Some want to use a misguided approach of looking at physics and physics education through the lens of critical theory—an approach that will almost certainly undermine the scientific enterprise. I discuss a peer-reviewed, published paper showing how critical theory analyzes physics instruction. References Observing Whiteness in Introductory Physics: A Case Study

Five points about learning from educator James Schall.

Culture Talk: What Is the Fruit of the Spirit? with George Haraksin Dig Deeper: https://reasons.org/team/george-haraksin  Everyday Apologetics: Encouraging Women in Science and Faith with Leslie Wickman Dig Deeper: https://reasons.org/team/leslie-wickman  Science-Faith Connection: Celebrating by Feasting with Jim Painter Dig Deeper: https://reasons.org/team/jim-painter  If you’d like to support resources like this show, please consider donating at reasons.org/show.  Chapters: 00:00 Intro 02:37 Culture Talk  13:03 Everyday Apologetics 23:13 Science Faith Connection 34:14 Outro Help us create even more empowering resources! Support Reasons to Believe at: https://support.reasons.org/donate-now?source=OLYOUTUBE Follow RTB_Official for updates! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RTBofficial Twitter: https://twitter.com/RTB_official Instagram: http://instagram.com/rtb_official Website: http://www.reasons.org

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.   Neanderthal Brains, Redux Are human beings exceptional? Recent work by a large collaborative team from the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig, Germany, explores this question by examining the behavior of the TKLT-1 protein in archaic and modern humans. This discovery points to differences in brain development in modern humans and Neanderthals, suggesting cognitive differences between the two. References: Human TKTL1 Implies Greater Neurogenesis in Frontal Neocortex of Modern Humans than Neanderthals Reduced Purine Biosynthesis in Humans after Their Divergence from Neanderthals Additional Resources: Fazale Rana, “Brain Organoids Cultivate the Case for Human Exceptionalism” Fazale Rana, “Key Difference in Developing Human and Neanderthal Brains”   Local Realism Is Dead In our macroscopic world where quantum mechanical effects seem remote, we operate as though the universe obeys two obvious properties. However, a suite of experiments over the past five decades demonstrates that both properties can’t be true in the world of quantum mechanics. We’ll describe the experiments that establish this remarkable conclusion as well as the implications for the science/faith discussion. Reference: Nobel Prize: Quantum Entanglement Unveiled

What Christian thinkers of the past thought of God's two revelations.

Culture Talk: Interview with Unbelievable? Host Justin Brierley with Justin Brierley Dig Deeper: https://justinbrierley.com/about/ Everyday Apologetics: RTB's Mission and Matthew 28:19 with Fazale Rana Dig Deeper: https://reasons.org/explore/blogs/the-cells-design Science-Faith Connection: Having Reasons, Living with Hope with Hugh Ross Dig Deeper: https://support.reasons.org/purchase/always-be-ready If you’d like to support resources like this show, please consider donating at reasons.org/show. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:58 Culture Talk 11:37 Everyday Apologetics 17:13 Science Faith Connection 27:43 Outro Help us create even more empowering resources! Support Reasons to Believe at: https://support.reasons.org/donate-now?source=OLYOUTUBE Follow RTB_Official for updates! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RTBofficial Twitter: https://twitter.com/RTB_official Instagram: http://instagram.com/rtb_official Website: http://www.reasons.org

Visiting scholar Jim Painter explains the spiritual benefits of fasting 

Culture Talk: Is there Science behind Revelation? with Ken Samples Dig Deeper: https://support.reasons.org/purchase/christian-endgame   Everyday Apologetics: A Discussion on Moderate Concordism with John Bloom Dig Deeper: https://reasons.org/team/john-bloom   Science-Faith Connection: Will an Ice Age Destroy Humanity? with astrophysicist Hugh Ross Dig Deeper: https://reasons.org/?s=end+of+civilization   Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:52 Culture Talk 08:16 Everyday Apologetics 18:29 Science Faith Connection 26:15 Outro   If you’d like to support resources like this show, please consider donating to reasons.org/show.

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence. Urban vs. Rural Navigation A huge survey shows that people living outside of cities are better navigators than their urban cousins. What does this tell us about how humans were designed? A Moon-Forming Collision The prominent giant impact hypothesis for the formation of the Moon is backed by plenty of evidence, but one troubling discrepancy remains. Can a new impact model resolve this discrepancy, adding to the already large body of evidence supporting the idea that Earth is fine-tuned for life? Hugh and Jeff discuss these important topics in this episode of Stars, Cells, and God. References: Entropy of City Street Networks Linked to Future Spatial Navigation Ability Immediate Origin of the Moon as a Post-Impact Satellite 

Guest Justin Brierley discusses trends in important conversations about God's existence

Culture Talk: Is the Bible Reliable? with Ken Samples Dig Deeper: https://support.reasons.org/purchase/without-a-doubt Everyday Apologetics: The Reliability of the Book of Acts with Travis Campbell Dig Deeper: https://reasons.org/team/travis-campbell Science-Faith Connection: Where Does Science Affirm the Bible? with Ken Keathley Dig Deeper: https://reasons.org/team/ken-keathley If you’d like to support resources like this show, please consider donating to reasons.org/show

Join Jeff Zweerink and Brian Huffling as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, as well as new discoveries that point to the reality of God’s existence.   UFOs, the Paranormal, and Christianity  UFOs have been a hot topic in the last few years with the recent military videos and congressional hearings. Such phenomena raise questions about whether there’s other life in the universe and what that means for Christianity. What could these UFOs be? Is there any connection between UFOs, alleged aliens, and the paranormal? Asteroids Making Land Plate tectonics play a critical role in maintaining Earth’s capacity to support life. The crust of Earth’s surface is composed of large plates that continually move past and under one another. This process ultimately led to large continental landmasses that “float” on top of the denser oceanic crust. Recent research indicates that the asteroids may have played a role in starting the formation of continents, adding to the fine-tuning required for a habitable planet like Earth. Jeff and Brian discuss these interesting topics in this episode of Stars, Cells, and God.   References: Asteroids Making Land (Jeff): For Podcast: Giant Impacts and the Origin and Evolution of Continents

Are there two ways God reveals himself to humanity? 

Leslie Wickman’s motivation for environmental stewardship is closely tied to her passion for space exploration, and the realization of just how rare our Earth appears to be. Climate change indicators are trending in the wrong direction to simply be dismissed as a natural variation in Earth’s weather patterns. The resulting environmental changes are being noticed and studied by the national security community. What should our response be as stewards of creation?"

Developing One's Mind to God's Glory

Culture Talk: Are Humans Significant in a Vast Cosmos? with astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink Dig Deeper: https://support.reasons.org/purchase/escaping-the-beginning-confronting-challenges-to-the-universes-origin Everyday Apologetics: What Is the Multiverse? with astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink Dig Deeper: https://support.reasons.org/purchase/who-is-afraid-of-the-multiverse  Science-Faith Connection: Does Life Require Such a Large Universe? with astrophysicist Hugh Ross Dig Deeper: https://support.reasons.org/purchase/why-the-universe-is-the-way-it-is If you’d like to support resources like this show, please consider donating to reasons.org/show.

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, as well as new discoveries that point to the reality of God’s existence. Boas Breathe & Squeeze Prey How do boa constrictors avoid suffocating themselves while suffocating their prey? The secret lies in their rib cage. Binary Stars with Planets For a long time, the conventional wisdom was that planets couldn’t form around binary stars because of the gravitational disruptions of the binary orbit. However, astronomers have found many planets in binary star systems. We look at one particular system to demonstrate that, while we can find planets in binary systems, numerous factors make these planets uninhabitable.  Hugh and Jeff discuss these important topics in this episode of Stars, Cells, and God. References: John G. Capano et al., “Modular Lung Ventilation in Boa Constrictor,” https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/225/6/jeb243119/274764/Modular-lung-ventilation-in-Boa-constrictor  Salvador Curiel et al., “3D Orbital Architecture of a Dwarf Binary System and Its Planetary Companion,” https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-3881/ac7c66

Lewis Developed His Mind through Reading

Culture Talk: Encouraging Women in Ministry with Kathy Ross Dig Deeper: https://reasons.org/explore/blogs/voices/im-a-scientist-because-god-pursued-me  Everyday Apologetics: Christian Women in Science with Erica Carlson Dig Deeper: https://reasons.org/team/erica-carlson  Science-Faith Connection: The Strongest Evidence for Christianity with Leslie Wickman Dig Deeper: https://reasons.org/team/leslie-wickman If you’d like to support resources like this show, please consider donating to reasons.org/show.

Join Hugh Ross and Mike Strauss as they discuss a new discovery taking place at the frontiers of science that has theological and philosophical implications, as well as points to the reality of God’s existence. There’s been noise on the Internet stating that the first observations of the James Webb Space Telescope show that the big bang didn’t happen. We’ll discuss these new observations and what they’ve revealed, the evidence for and against the big bang, and possible future discoveries that JWST may make. Hugh and Mike discuss this important topic in this episode of Stars, Cells, and God.

Addressing 4 challenges to the validity of the laws of logic

Culture Talk: A Scientific and Biblical View of Human Origins    with astrophysicist Hugh Ross  Dig Deeper: https://support.reasons.org/purchase/who-was-adam Everyday Apologetics: A Closer Look at Chemical Evolution    with biochemist Fuz Rana Dig Deeper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDmZTPKaiqk Science-Faith Connection: Is Chromosome 2 a Merger?  with biochemist Fuz Rana Dig Deeper: https://reasons.org/explore/blogs/the-cells-design/yeast-gene-editing-study-raises-questions-about-the-evolutionary-origin-of-human-chromosome-2 If you’d like to support resources like this show, please consider donating to reasons.org/show 

Join Jeff Zweerink and Fazale “Fuz” Rana as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, as well as new discoveries that point to the reality of God’s existence. Cognitive Bias Studies  Research demonstrates that people remember the challenges they face more than the benefits they enjoy. This “headwinds/tailwinds asymmetry” helps explain why both political parties see the electoral college as favoring the other party, why most people see their favorite team as having the most difficult schedule, and why children routinely characterize parents as favoring other siblings. Unfortunately, this asymmetry contributes to a darker side of human behavior in that people who perceive greater challenges and obstacles are more inclined to endorse morally questionable behavior. The Bible helps prevent this asymmetry and provides a prescription to encourage moral behavior.  Fine-Tuned DNA Structure  Every detail about the structure of DNA is precisely as it must be for life to be possible, reflecting a type of molecular fine-tuning. This fine-tuning comes into focus when biochemists ask “why” questions, such as: Why is DNA made up of the four nucleobases, (adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine) and not some other set of nucleobases? A chemist from Trinity University Dublin provided insight into this question by demonstrating that the set of nucleobases in DNA uniquely minimizes the harmful impact of a phenomenon called tautomerism, revealing a rationale for the composition of this important biomolecule. This insight raises additional questions: How should we account for the ingenuity and fine-tuning of DNA’s structure? Is it the outworking of a historically contingent evolutionary process, or do these features point to a Creator’s handiwork? Jeff and Fuz discuss these important topics in this episode of Stars, Cells, and God. References: “The Headwinds/Tailwinds Asymmetry: An Availability Bias in Assessments of Barriers and Blessings,” S. Davidai and T. Gilovich, https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fpspa0000066 “Tautomerism as a Constraint on the Composition of Alternative Nucleotide Alphabets,” D. A. Mac D´onaill, https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.297.1424&rep=rep1&type=pdf  Additional Resources: Fazale Rana, Fit for a Purpose, https://support.reasons.org/category/featured-products/fit-for-a-purpose Fazale Rana, The Cell’s Design, https://support.reasons.org/purchase/the-cells-design “DNA: Designed for Flexibility,” Fazale Rana, https://reasons.org/explore/blogs/the-cells-design/dna-designed-for-flexibility “DNA Soaks Up Sun’s Rays,” Fazale Rana, https://reasons.org/explore/publications/articles/dna-soaks-up-sun-s-rays

How does historic Christianity ground the laws of logic?

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, as well as new discoveries that point to the reality of God’s existence. Neanderthal Brains Are human beings unique and exceptional? A large collaborative team from Germany recently explored this question by examining the behavior of three proteins that play a role in cell division and are expressed at high levels in the developing cells of the brain’s neocortex. As it turns out, the modern human versions of these proteins have small but significant differences in their amino acid sequences compared to the mouse, Neanderthal, and Denisovan versions. The research team determined that, because of these differences, the cell division process in human brain cells occurs much more reliably than in the corresponding cells in mice, Neanderthals, and Denisovans. This discovery points to differences in brain development in modern humans and Neanderthals, suggesting cognitive differences between the two. First Exoplanet  The James Webb Space Telescope recently imaged its first exoplanet, and researchers found that the telescope was ten times more sensitive than expected. What have we learned about this exoplanet, and how will those learnings inform the search for extraterrestrial life? Fuz and Jeff discuss these important topics in this episode of Stars, Cells, and God. References: “Longer Metaphase and Fewer Chromosome Segregation Errors in Modern Human than Neanderthal Brain Development,” Felipe Mora-Bermúdez et al., https://www.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abn7702  Additional Resources: “Brain Organoids Cultivate the Case for Human Exceptionalism,” Fazale Rana, https://reasons.org/explore/blogs/the-cells-design/brain-organoids-cultivate-the-case-for-human-exceptionalism  “The JWST Early Release Science Program for Direct Observations of Exoplanetary Systems I: High Contrast Imaging of the Exoplanet HIP 65426 b from 2-16 μm,” Aarynn L. Carter et.al., https://arxiv.org/abs/2208.14990

Applying critical thinking to conspiracy theories

Culture Talk: Archeological Evidence for the Bible’s Accuracy?  with astrophysicist Hugh Ross Dig Deeper:https://reasons.org/explore/blogs/todays-new-reason-to-believe/more-archaeological-evidence-for-the-bible-s-historical-accuracy Everyday Apologetics: Biblical Archeology and the Dead Sea Scrolls with physicist John Bloom Dig Deeper:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4526w07tpA Science-Faith Connection: Did the Shroud of Turin Cover Jesus? with physicist John Bloom Dig Deeper:https://reasons.org/team/john-bloom

Culture Talk: The Rare-Galaxy Hypothesis with astrophysicist Hugh Ross  Dig Deeper: https://support.reasons.org/category/featured-products/designed-to-the-core                         Everyday Apologetics: Fine-Tuned Hypernova Rate with astrophysicist Hugh Ross and biochemist Fazale Rana Dig Deeper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbVN3VuKKvM&list=PLUwTeBAi_JFG-J6mqU3em0LV7pFUiq9wp&index=7  Science-Faith Connection: Geological Evidence for Design with geologist Ken Wolgemuth Dig Deeper: https://reasons.org/team/ken-wolgemuth