Discovery Institute's Blog, page 220

Here Is the Question to Ask Your Friends Who Are Theistic Evolutionists

Yesterday I showed you the first part of Stephen Meyer's interview with Tim Vince of the European Leadership Forum. Here's the second part. Vince asks Meyer why he is bullish on the future of ID given that any new theory is going to have a tough time getting "traction" in the scientific world.

Steve answers among other things that ID has the advantage of being the natural alternative to Darwinism since it directly tackles Darwin's main argument. What's that? Richard Dawkins memorably put it...

Quality Control and Quality Assurance in the Cell

A thoughtful reader from Ohio, Professor Dean Bruckner, writes to us with an interesting comment about yesterday's post on "quality control" procedures in the cell, which are so intriguingly reminiscent of those in human industry. Though we referred to quality control (QC), Dr. Brucker, who teaches industrial and systems engineering, points out there's even more to it:

Very good article, but it seems your understanding of Quality Control (QC) could be sharpened by considering the companion r...

Quality Control and Quality in Assurance in the Cell

A thoughtful reader from Ohio, Professor Dean Bruckner, writes to us with an interesting comment about yesterday's post on "quality control" procedures in the cell, which are so intriguingly reminiscent of those in human industry. Though we referred to quality control (QC), Dr. Brucker, who teaches industrial and systems engineering, points out there's even more to it:

Very good article, but it seems your understanding of Quality Control (QC) could be sharpened by considering the companion r...

From Stephen Meyer, a Seven-Minute Overview of Intelligent Design

Arguments for intelligent design can be intellectually intimidating -- it's not always easy stuff to digest. That may help explain why hostility to ID in the media often presents such a distorted, cartoon-like picture of the alternative to Darwinian evolution. Here's an excellent overview of ID from Stephen Meyer, interviewed by Tim Vince of European Leadership Forum.

It's under seven minutes. This is one to share with your friends.

I'm on Twitter. Follow me @d_klinghoffer.

Methodological Naturalism: A Rule That No One Needs or Obeys

Recently, BioLogos posted the concluding Parts 3 and 4 of Robert Bishop's review of Darwin's Doubt. Although the discussion at BioLogos is winding down, Bishop's review raises issues calling for a reply, because the underlying premises of his position are shared by large numbers of science and philosophy faculty at both secular and religious universities. It is likely that, left unchallenged and unexamined, these faulty premises will continue to influence the debate.

One issue in particular d...

Quality Control Is a Design Concept at Work in the Cell

Throughout the living world, we find amazing examples of something we recognize from our own intelligent designs: quality control.

In industry, quality control may be automated. In Mars rover operation, the vehicle has been pre-programmed to handle contingencies on its own, due to the long delay time in communications with Earth. The better the rover can operate autonomously, the more we rightly admire the skill of the designers. So it is with the cell.

The term "quality control" appears with...

Thoughts on the Occasion of My Son's Bar Mitzvah

Author's note: It's Friday afternoon as I write and I am scheduling this post to publish on Saturday morning when our son Ezra will be called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah. What follows is a brief speech that, God willing, I'll be giving about the time this post appears. Begging the reader's indulgence, I thought that it bears on some of our concerns here at ENV.

With Ezra's permission I want to share a surprising fact about him. About two months ago Ezzie conceived an unexpected ambition: He...

Is That a Rock Pile or a Monument?

A massive pile of stones in a roughly crescent shape sits on a hillside in Galilee, Israel, about 8 miles northwest of the Sea of Galilee. Recently, Ido Wachtel (pictured at right), a doctoral student at Hebrew University in Jerusalem interpreted it to be a monument constructed before the pyramids of Egypt were built (about 5,000 years ago). Live Science reported the monument, and provided a photo gallery of it from different angles.

Many readers, though, might wag their heads at that interpre...

Scottish Independence: Good for the Intelligent Design Community?

I don't know the answer to that but I do know you'll enjoy listening to a fascinating podcast by our Discovery Institute colleague and friend Andrew McDiarmid on the history of the relationship between Scotland and the UK. Proudly Scottish-born, Andrew hosts the Simply Scottish podcast program and ably serves as Discovery's media relations specialist and assistant to Center for Science & Culture director Stephen Meyer.

Needless to say, Andrew is keenly awaiting the results of today's referend...

For BreakPoint, Eric Metaxas on Sunday's "Science and Faith" Simulcast

Our friend Eric Metaxas has a characteristically smart BreakPoint commentary today on this coming Sunday's simulcast with Meyer and Lennox, "Science and Faith: Are They Really in Conflict?"

Mr. Metaxas will serve as master of ceremonies, which guarantees that the evening will be highly entertaining:

The event features Stephen Meyer, author of groundbreaking books such as "Signature in the Cell" and "Darwin's Doubt," and also John Lennox of Oxford University. And I have the huge privilege of r...