evolutionnewsandviews--2020-03-16--Designs in Miniature — Some Are the Most Wonderful of All

The smaller a design is , the harder it may be to detect .
But miniature designs can inspire awe even more than large ones .
In the Roaring 20s ( the 20th century , not the present one ) , DeWitt Mott married Allegra Mitchell and discovered that she had an unusual collection : three shoeboxes full of miniature toys from Cracker Jacks boxes .
Fascinated by the idea of miniature replicas of things , DeWitt started carving doll house furniture , and Mott ’ s Miniatures was born .
The couple gathered miniatures in addition to the ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include tiny churches , miniature doll houses with furniture inside , and other wonders on the small scale , including microscopic chessboards with all the pieces , miniature tea sets , tiny libraries with tiny books , storefronts with shelves full of goods , and even tiny ballrooms with dancers in costume .
In addition to the ones DeWitt carved by hand , they collected miniatures from around the world .
The Mott collection grew into a museum that was exhibited at Knott ’ s Berry Farm ( a California amusement park ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by millions .
Some items were so small , they needed artificial magnifiers to appreciate , like the paintings on the heads of pins , including reproductions of Washington , Lincoln , and Leonardo da Vinci ’ s The Last Supper .
Visitors were amazed at the details on such small scales , and the skill and patience of the creators to make these tiny works of art .
C.S .
Lewis ’ s path to faith began with a miniature .
He recalled that , as a child , he became enthralled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had created inside of a tin , decorated with twigs , moss , and flowers .
It set his imagination aglow with visions of other worlds , and created within him a longing for the sublime .
“ That was the first beauty I ever knew , ” he recalled , and it aroused within his heart ideas and visions that would later strongly influence his philosophy , his novels , and his faith .
John West lists the “ Argument from Natural Beauty ” as one of four arguments Lewis advanced that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Magician ’ s Twin , pp .
154-155 ; see also the documentary film C.S .
Lewis and Intelligent Design , starting at 4:20 ) .
All museums are celebrations of design .
One doesn ’ t go to a “ museum of randomness ” for an enjoyable afternoon .
The sight of chaos and junk does not lend itself to thoughts of sublimity .
While huge designs can inspire awe , like the Saturn V rocket on display at Cape Kennedy , sometimes miniature designs fascinate and lift the spirits even more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much information can be packed into a small space .
When microfilm was invented in the 1920s , entire books could be reduced to rolls of 16mm film or sheets of “ microfiche , ” which some seniors may recall in libraries of their student days .
These microforms reached a pinnacle when the entire Bible was reduced to a 2-inch square , requiring a microscope to read — but the patient viewer could find every punctuation mark and word faithfully represented : 773,746 words on 1,245 pages of text .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program , an ambitious engineer and pastor , Reverend John Stout , organized the Apollo Prayer League , which grew to 40,000 NASA employees .
Its mission was not only to pray for the success and safety of the missions ( especially after the disastrous Apollo 1 fire ) , but also to place some of the micro-Bibles on the moon as the Apollo missions were in the planning stages .
Of the 300 that made it to lunar orbit on Apollo 14 , and 100 that made it to the moon ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dashboard of the lunar rover ) , the few extant copies are very valuable and can fetch prices of tens of thousands of dollars or more ( see Live Science ) .
One is on display at the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C .
The astronauts could not read them , of course , but it was the thought that counts .
Beyond reductions , the ability to digitize information opened up new realms of micro-miniaturization .
After Apollo , NASA missions have carried digital miniatures into space .
One of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1977 , containing text , images , and sounds of Earth aboard the twin Voyager spacecraft in digitized form on a golden disk , playable on a type of record player ( with a stylus to be supplied by the space aliens ) .
The story is told in Illustra Media ’ s film Living Waters , because the record included the songs of the humpback whale featured in the documentary .
Some of the Mars rovers contain digital disks of signatures ; the Curiosity rover , for instance , has 1.2 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a disk with 616,400 signatures from 81 countries ( although that disk melted with the spacecraft as it burned up in Saturn ’ s atmosphere in September 2017 on its “ Grand Finale ” ) .
Presumably , future astronauts to the moon or Mars could recover some of these digitized records and recover the information , unless the incessant forces of radiation and dust degrade them to the point of rendering them indecipherable .
That ’ s an important point ; it is easier to degrade information than to create it !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ news : Carnegie Mellon University ’ s “ MoonArk ” project .
The MoonArk is currently on tour , waiting for its opportunity to be sent to the moon in 2021 aboard a robotic lander .
It ’ s an intriguing project , for sure , involving “ 18 universities and organizations , 60 team members , and over 250 contributing artists , designers , educators , scientists , engineers , choreographers , poets , writers and musicians.
” But World Magazine complains that “ The creators of the MoonArk left out any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ belief in God , giving future scholars a tilted view of the beliefs that motivated so much of human art and engineering throughout history.
” Be that as it may , it shows humanity ’ s deep desire to preserve the memories of wonders that fill our world , and the purposes that drive our individual lives and collective history .
All the above describe artificial designs .
Another miniature “ ark ” is very different .
It stores digital information found in nature : information that appeared on the planet before any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Global Seed Vault in Norway ( see National Geographic ) is being planned to store the seeds of as many species of plants as possible , in order to restore Earth ’ s biosphere after a potential “ doomsday ” catastrophe .
And what a catastrophe it would be , even more than the meteor or nuclear war itself , to have lost the beauty and design of the world ’ s plant life !
Some seeds can survive thousands of years like the date palms that have been resurrected from 2,000-year-old date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ empire ( see “ Fruitful Science : The Marvel of a Seed ” ) .
Seeds vary in size ; the very smallest are about as small as a pinhead , and fungal spores are smaller still .
Pollen , flying around the air like dust , contains the entire male genome of flowering plants .
In the Q & A section of Illustra ’ s film Where Does the Evidence Lead ?
( a modular adaptation of Unlocking the Mystery of Life ) , Dean Kenyon describes the storage capacity of DNA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of DNA ( a volume that fits between a thumb and forefinger just barely separated ) can store 1018 bits of information : a trillion trillion bits .
If transferred to standard DVDs , how high would the pile of disks reach ?
The answer is five times the height of Mount Everest , with room for three Empire State Buildings on top .
That ’ s 37 miles of DVDs — the information in just one cubic millimeter of DNA !
Social Darwinists used to compare brain sizes to determine which hominins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ modern humans ( but see evolutionist Jordi Paps at The Conversation complaining that the “ March of Progress ” icon is all wrong , as Jonathan Wells showed twenty years ago in his book Icons of Evolution ) .
What would the Social Darwinists think about a teenage girl with above-average reading skills ( New Scientist ) even though half her brain is missing ?
It ’ s not always size that counts .
If anything , the ability to reduce a processor ’ s size shows more intelligent design than bragging about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ processing power in our smartphones than the room-sized Apollo navigating computers had .
Martin Hilbert at USC ( Wired Science ) calculated that the average person has more processing power in his or her brain — 6.4 billion billion instructions per second — than all the world ’ s computers combined !
And think how tiny is the brain of a honeybee , fruit fly or gnat — and yet they can fly with better aeronautical agility than a fighter aircraft .
Thinking back to Mott ’ s Miniatures , one can only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought of cellular nanomachines — the ultimate in miniature designs — that have come to light in the last thirty years or so .
The Mott collection included “ tiny tools ” but nothing like these !
The flagellum , ATP synthase , kinesins , and many more — not made with hands — operate at the nanometer scale with exquisite design , speed , and efficiency .
Michael Behe ’ s new film series Secrets of the Cell features some of these machines .
Each is made from digital codes by other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then assemble the machines on a “ just in time ” basis .
And now , with Cryo-EM microscopy opening up new vistas of miniature design at near-nanometer resolution , the future looks bright for witnessing the ultimate miniatures in even greater detail .
Never despise small designs .
Some of them are the most wonderful of all .
Image at top : Kinesin at work in the cell , from “ Kinesin : The Workhorse of the Cell , ” via Discovery Institute .

The smaller a design is, the harder it may be to detect. But miniature designs can inspire awe even more than large ones.
In the Roaring 20s (the 20th century, not the present one), DeWitt Mott married Allegra Mitchell and discovered that she had an unusual collection: three shoeboxes full of miniature toys from Cracker Jacks boxes. Fascinated by the idea of miniature replicas of things, DeWitt started carving doll house furniture, and Mott’s Miniatures was born. The couple gathered miniatures in addition to the ones DeWitt carved. The collection grew to include tiny churches, miniature doll houses with furniture inside, and other wonders on the small scale, including microscopic chessboards with all the pieces, miniature tea sets, tiny libraries with tiny books, storefronts with shelves full of goods, and even tiny ballrooms with dancers in costume. In addition to the ones DeWitt carved by hand, they collected miniatures from around the world.
The Mott collection grew into a museum that was exhibited at Knott’s Berry Farm (a California amusement park) for 34 years, and was seen by millions. Some items were so small, they needed artificial magnifiers to appreciate, like the paintings on the heads of pins, including reproductions of Washington, Lincoln, and Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper. Visitors were amazed at the details on such small scales, and the skill and patience of the creators to make these tiny works of art.
C.S. Lewis’s path to faith began with a miniature. He recalled that, as a child, he became enthralled by a miniature garden his brother Warnie had created inside of a tin, decorated with twigs, moss, and flowers. It set his imagination aglow with visions of other worlds, and created within him a longing for the sublime. “That was the first beauty I ever knew,” he recalled, and it aroused within his heart ideas and visions that would later strongly influence his philosophy, his novels, and his faith. John West lists the “Argument from Natural Beauty” as one of four arguments Lewis advanced that are favorable to intelligent design (The Magician’s Twin, pp. 154-155; see also the documentary film C.S. Lewis and Intelligent Design, starting at 4:20).
Celebrations of Design
All museums are celebrations of design. One doesn’t go to a “museum of randomness” for an enjoyable afternoon. The sight of chaos and junk does not lend itself to thoughts of sublimity. While huge designs can inspire awe, like the Saturn V rocket on display at Cape Kennedy, sometimes miniature designs fascinate and lift the spirits even more. It’s truly amazing how much information can be packed into a small space.
When microfilm was invented in the 1920s, entire books could be reduced to rolls of 16mm film or sheets of “microfiche,” which some seniors may recall in libraries of their student days. These microforms reached a pinnacle when the entire Bible was reduced to a 2-inch square, requiring a microscope to read — but the patient viewer could find every punctuation mark and word faithfully represented: 773,746 words on 1,245 pages of text.
Apollo Prayer League
In the early days of NASA’s Apollo program, an ambitious engineer and pastor, Reverend John Stout, organized the Apollo Prayer League, which grew to 40,000 NASA employees. Its mission was not only to pray for the success and safety of the missions (especially after the disastrous Apollo 1 fire), but also to place some of the micro-Bibles on the moon as the Apollo missions were in the planning stages. Of the 300 that made it to lunar orbit on Apollo 14, and 100 that made it to the moon’s surface (one remains on the dashboard of the lunar rover), the few extant copies are very valuable and can fetch prices of tens of thousands of dollars or more (see Live Science). One is on display at the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C. The astronauts could not read them, of course, but it was the thought that counts.
New Realms of Micro-Miniaturization
Beyond reductions, the ability to digitize information opened up new realms of micro-miniaturization. After Apollo, NASA missions have carried digital miniatures into space. One of the first was the Voyager Record of 1977, containing text, images, and sounds of Earth aboard the twin Voyager spacecraft in digitized form on a golden disk, playable on a type of record player (with a stylus to be supplied by the space aliens). The story is told in Illustra Media’s film Living Waters, because the record included the songs of the humpback whale featured in the documentary. Some of the Mars rovers contain digital disks of signatures; the Curiosity rover, for instance, has 1.2 million names, and the Cassini spacecraft bore a disk with 616,400 signatures from 81 countries (although that disk melted with the spacecraft as it burned up in Saturn’s atmosphere in September 2017 on its “Grand Finale”). Presumably, future astronauts to the moon or Mars could recover some of these digitized records and recover the information, unless the incessant forces of radiation and dust degrade them to the point of rendering them indecipherable. That’s an important point; it is easier to degrade information than to create it!
“MoonArk”
Another notable miniature museum is in the news: Carnegie Mellon University’s “MoonArk” project.
The MoonArk is a highly collaborative and massively integrated sculpture that poetically sparks wonderment through the integration of the arts, humanities, sciences, and technologies. Comprised of four independent 2”h x 2”dia chambers and weighing a combined total of 8 ounces, it contains hundreds of images, poems, music, nano-objects, mechanisms, and earthly samples intertwined through complex narratives that blur the boundaries between worlds seen and unseen. It is designed to direct our attention from the Earth outward, into the cosmos and beyond and reflect back to Earth as an endless dialogue that speaks to our context within the universe. Impossibly small, broadly diverse, hyper-light, yet incredibly enduring, the MoonArk is designed and engineered to last thousands of years to project humanity in a most beautiful and highly significant way. [Emphasis added.]
The MoonArk is currently on tour, waiting for its opportunity to be sent to the moon in 2021 aboard a robotic lander. It’s an intriguing project, for sure, involving “18 universities and organizations, 60 team members, and over 250 contributing artists, designers, educators, scientists, engineers, choreographers, poets, writers and musicians.” But World Magazine complains that “The creators of the MoonArk left out any mention of religion or even humans’ belief in God, giving future scholars a tilted view of the beliefs that motivated so much of human art and engineering throughout history.” Be that as it may, it shows humanity’s deep desire to preserve the memories of wonders that fill our world, and the purposes that drive our individual lives and collective history.
Another Miniature “Ark”
All the above describe artificial designs. Another miniature “ark” is very different. It stores digital information found in nature: information that appeared on the planet before any human could read it. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway (see National Geographic) is being planned to store the seeds of as many species of plants as possible, in order to restore Earth’s biosphere after a potential “doomsday” catastrophe. And what a catastrophe it would be, even more than the meteor or nuclear war itself, to have lost the beauty and design of the world’s plant life! Some seeds can survive thousands of years like the date palms that have been resurrected from 2,000-year-old date fruits from the time of the Roman empire (see “Fruitful Science: The Marvel of a Seed”). Seeds vary in size; the very smallest are about as small as a pinhead, and fungal spores are smaller still. Pollen, flying around the air like dust, contains the entire male genome of flowering plants.
In the Q&A section of Illustra’s film Where Does the Evidence Lead? (a modular adaptation of Unlocking the Mystery of Life), Dean Kenyon describes the storage capacity of DNA. He says that a cubic millimeter of DNA (a volume that fits between a thumb and forefinger just barely separated) can store 1018 bits of information: a trillion trillion bits. If transferred to standard DVDs, how high would the pile of disks reach? The answer is five times the height of Mount Everest, with room for three Empire State Buildings on top. That’s 37 miles of DVDs — the information in just one cubic millimeter of DNA!
Social Darwinists used to compare brain sizes to determine which hominins were more intelligent on the rise to modern humans (but see evolutionist Jordi Paps at The Conversation complaining that the “March of Progress” icon is all wrong, as Jonathan Wells showed twenty years ago in his book Icons of Evolution). What would the Social Darwinists think about a teenage girl with above-average reading skills (New Scientist) even though half her brain is missing? It’s not always size that counts. If anything, the ability to reduce a processor’s size shows more intelligent design than bragging about a large computer. We have more processing power in our smartphones than the room-sized Apollo navigating computers had. Martin Hilbert at USC (Wired Science) calculated that the average person has more processing power in his or her brain — 6.4 billion billion instructions per second — than all the world’s computers combined! And think how tiny is the brain of a honeybee, fruit fly or gnat — and yet they can fly with better aeronautical agility than a fighter aircraft.
Thinking back to Mott’s Miniatures, one can only wonder what DeWitt and Allegra would have thought of cellular nanomachines — the ultimate in miniature designs — that have come to light in the last thirty years or so. The Mott collection included “tiny tools” but nothing like these! The flagellum, ATP synthase, kinesins, and many more — not made with hands — operate at the nanometer scale with exquisite design, speed, and efficiency. Michael Behe’s new film series Secrets of the Cell features some of these machines. Each is made from digital codes by other machines that read and translate the code, then assemble the machines on a “just in time” basis. And now, with Cryo-EM microscopy opening up new vistas of miniature design at near-nanometer resolution, the future looks bright for witnessing the ultimate miniatures in even greater detail.
Never despise small designs. Some of them are the most wonderful of all.
Image at top: Kinesin at work in the cell, from “Kinesin: The Workhorse of the Cell,” via Discovery Institute.


evolutionnewsandviews--2020-03-17--Listen: Biochemist Michael Behe Puts Coronavirus in a Helpful Scientific Perspective

What to do during a full-country shutdown ?
Sit at home and stare at increasingly toxic Facebook and other social media , as I ’ m sorry to say I did for too long on Sunday ?
Fortunately there ’ s an alternative to blithe reassurances and doomsday handwringing : Michael Behe !
On a new episode of ID the Future with host Andrew McDiarmid , the Lehigh University biochemist and intelligent design advocate puts coronavirus in an objective scientific perspective .
I found that oddly comforting , and I think you will , too .
He explains what a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special , how viruses originated ( no one knows ) , what he meant in a post at Evolution News about a “ storm ” in the virosphere , and more .
Meanwhile , as Andrew McDiarmid notes , evolutionary biologist Neil Shubin has a very fortuitously timed ( for him ) book out today , Some Assembly Required : Decoding 4 Billion Years of Life Using Ancient Fossils and DNA .
The weekend Wall Street Journal filled its informally designated “ In Praise of Evolution ” spot this past Saturday with an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention , especially the claim by Shubin that “ Almost 8 % of the human genome is made up of viruses that once infected us but have been rendered inactive.
” And “ Our genome is a graveyard for ancient viruses .
Disabled viral fragments lie throughout.
” Are we 8 percent virus ( when we ’ re not 98 percent chimpanzee ) ?
Dr. Behe explains that it ’ s not quite that clear .
Plus as Shubin acknowledges , many of those “ disabled ” bits actually play important roles in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picture of viruses is complex .
It is , as I said , calming as well as illuminating to hear Mike Behe talk science .
Don ’ t worry , this conversation has been meticulously treated with Clorox wipes for your convenience .
Download the podcast or listen to it here !

What to do during a full-country shutdown? Sit at home and stare at increasingly toxic Facebook and other social media, as I’m sorry to say I did for too long on Sunday?
Fortunately there’s an alternative to blithe reassurances and doomsday handwringing: Michael Behe! On a new episode of ID the Future with host Andrew McDiarmid, the Lehigh University biochemist and intelligent design advocate puts coronavirus in an objective scientific perspective. I found that oddly comforting, and I think you will, too. He explains what a virus is, what makes this one special, how viruses originated (no one knows), what he meant in a post at Evolution News about a “storm” in the virosphere, and more.
8 Percent Virus?
Meanwhile, as Andrew McDiarmid notes, evolutionary biologist Neil Shubin has a very fortuitously timed (for him) book out today, Some Assembly Required: Decoding 4 Billion Years of Life Using Ancient Fossils and DNA. The weekend Wall Street Journal filled its informally designated “In Praise of Evolution” spot this past Saturday with an excerpt. That caught Andrew’s attention, especially the claim by Shubin that “Almost 8% of the human genome is made up of viruses that once infected us but have been rendered inactive.” And “Our genome is a graveyard for ancient viruses. Disabled viral fragments lie throughout.” Are we 8 percent virus (when we’re not 98 percent chimpanzee)? Dr. Behe explains that it’s not quite that clear. Plus as Shubin acknowledges, many of those “disabled” bits actually play important roles in maintaining human health and function.
The picture of viruses is complex. It is, as I said, calming as well as illuminating to hear Mike Behe talk science. Don’t worry, this conversation has been meticulously treated with Clorox wipes for your convenience. Download the podcast or listen to it here!
Photo credit: zukunftssicherer via Pixabay.


evolutionnewsandviews--2020-03-17--Remembering Our Friend Jon Buell, Intelligent Design’s “Matchmaker”

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of our friend Jon Buell on March 14 , 2020 .
Discovery Institute honors his memory and wishes for much comfort for his family , especially his wife Linda Buell .
If others have been hailed as the “ father of intelligent design ” ( Michael Behe ) or the “ godfather ” ( Phillip Johnson ) , then Jon Buell was the “ matchmaker.
” Without Jon , would the modern ID movement have got off the ground as it did with the 1984 publication of The Mystery of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s hard to see how .
He brought together the trio of scientists who wrote the book — Walter Bradley , Charles Thaxton , and Roger Olsen .
They in turn profoundly influenced Stephen Meyer , Michael Denton , William Dembski , Michael Behe , Paul Nelson , and others who would become leading figures in advancing the theory of intelligent design .
Discovery Institute was proud to publish a newly expanded edition for the book ’ s 35th anniversary , The Mystery of Life ’ s Origin : The Continuing Controversy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ James Tour , Brian Miller , Guillermo Gonzalez , and Jonathan Wells .
David Klinghoffer contributed a historical introduction recognizing Buell ’ s pivotal role .
The story began in 1975 when , as leader of Probe Ministries , Jon recruited Walter Bradley , a materials scientist at the Colorado School of Mines , to a project investigating the origin of life and the mystery surrounding it .
Buell presented a draft manuscript , by Dr. Bradley and then-geochemistry PhD student Roger Olsen , to chemist Charles Thaxton who joined the writing team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the endorsement of San Francisco State University biologist Dean Kenyon , and then to seeking an appropriate , secular , high-end publisher , the Philosophical Library .
This was not the end of the story .
In 1980 , Jon launched the Foundation for Thought and Ethics ( FTE ) , with its mission of giving students choices in controversial world-view issues including biology , U.S. history , and intelligent design .
An international conference hosted by Jon in Dallas in 1985 would prove to be particularly consequential .
As David Klinghoffer writes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was the sort of event where a young geophysicist in the oil business , with no plans for the weekend , could wander in almost by chance .
In his 2009 book Signature in the Cell : DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design , Stephen Meyer records the date , February 10 , 1985 , a Saturday , because what he heard “ changed the course of my professional life .
By the end of the year , I was preparing to move to the University of Cambridge in England , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encountered on that day.
” Meyer in his three books , Signature , Darwin ’ s Doubt , and the forthcoming The Return of the God Hypothesis , pays tribute to the influence of The Mystery of Life ’ s Origin .
In the late 1990s , Buell hired a young mathematician and philosopher , William Dembski , as the Foundation ’ s academic editor .
Dembski calls Mystery of the Origin of Life a “ groundbreaker ” both for the scientific case it makes and for “ breaking into the secular academic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a great fan of and friend to Discovery Institute ’ s Center for Science & Culture .
We are grateful for his tireless efforts on behalf of the intelligent design movement .
His career at FTE included other important highlights : serving for two decades on the Dallas Independent School District ’ s Religious Community Task Force and participating in the 1988 White House Conference on Education .
He authored , produced , or edited more than 11 books in all .
In 2015 , Jon began conversations with Dr. Meyer about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Discovery Institute .
In 2016 , Discovery opened its Dallas office and FTE Books became an arm of Discovery Institute Press .
Many a marriage simply would never have happened were it not for the hard work and insightful pairing of a matchmaker .
Everyone who values the contributions of the intelligent design community must recognize the place of Jon Buell ’ s original vision in the history of ID .
If you would like to join us in honoring Jon Buell , please make a memorial gift to support the work @ @ @ @ @

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of our friend Jon Buell on March 14, 2020. Discovery Institute honors his memory and wishes for much comfort for his family, especially his wife Linda Buell.
If others have been hailed as the “father of intelligent design” (Michael Behe) or the “godfather” (Phillip Johnson), then Jon Buell was the “matchmaker.” Without Jon, would the modern ID movement have got off the ground as it did with the 1984 publication of The Mystery of Life’s Origin? It’s hard to see how.
He brought together the trio of scientists who wrote the book — Walter Bradley, Charles Thaxton, and Roger Olsen. They in turn profoundly influenced Stephen Meyer, Michael Denton, William Dembski, Michael Behe, Paul Nelson, and others who would become leading figures in advancing the theory of intelligent design. Discovery Institute was proud to publish a newly expanded edition for the book’s 35th anniversary, The Mystery of Life’s Origin: The Continuing Controversy, with new contributions by Dr. Meyer, James Tour, Brian Miller, Guillermo Gonzalez, and Jonathan Wells. David Klinghoffer contributed a historical introduction recognizing Buell’s pivotal role.
The Story Begins
The story began in 1975 when, as leader of Probe Ministries, Jon recruited Walter Bradley, a materials scientist at the Colorado School of Mines, to a project investigating the origin of life and the mystery surrounding it. Buell presented a draft manuscript, by Dr. Bradley and then-geochemistry PhD student Roger Olsen, to chemist Charles Thaxton who joined the writing team. Buell was a key to obtaining the endorsement of San Francisco State University biologist Dean Kenyon, and then to seeking an appropriate, secular, high-end publisher, the Philosophical Library.
This was not the end of the story. In 1980, Jon launched the Foundation for Thought and Ethics (FTE), with its mission of giving students choices in controversial world-view issues including biology, U.S. history, and intelligent design.
A “Groundbreaker”
An international conference hosted by Jon in Dallas in 1985 would prove to be particularly consequential. As David Klinghoffer writes in the new introduction to Mystery:
It was the sort of event where a young geophysicist in the oil business, with no plans for the weekend, could wander in almost by chance. In his 2009 book Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design, Stephen Meyer records the date, February 10, 1985, a Saturday, because what he heard “changed the course of my professional life. By the end of the year, I was preparing to move to the University of Cambridge in England, in part to investigate questions I first encountered on that day.”
Meyer in his three books, Signature, Darwin’s Doubt, and the forthcoming The Return of the God Hypothesis, pays tribute to the influence of The Mystery of Life’s Origin.
In the late 1990s, Buell hired a young mathematician and philosopher, William Dembski, as the Foundation’s academic editor. Dembski calls Mystery of the Origin of Life a “groundbreaker” both for the scientific case it makes and for “breaking into the secular academic market.”
Over the years, Jon was a great fan of and friend to Discovery Institute’s Center for Science & Culture. We are grateful for his tireless efforts on behalf of the intelligent design movement. His career at FTE included other important highlights: serving for two decades on the Dallas Independent School District’s Religious Community Task Force and participating in the 1988 White House Conference on Education. He authored, produced, or edited more than 11 books in all.
In 2015, Jon began conversations with Dr. Meyer about merging the Foundation for Thought and Ethics with Discovery Institute. In 2016, Discovery opened its Dallas office and FTE Books became an arm of Discovery Institute Press.
Many a marriage simply would never have happened were it not for the hard work and insightful pairing of a matchmaker. Everyone who values the contributions of the intelligent design community must recognize the place of Jon Buell’s original vision in the history of ID. If you would like to join us in honoring Jon Buell, please make a memorial gift to support the work of Discovery Institute Dallas.


evolutionnewsandviews--2020-03-18--Upstairs into the Plague

Upstairs into the Plague

I was driving into work this morning and I hit the traffic jam .
Every morning at about 6:30 am the traffic begins to back up on the highway leading into my medical center .
It ’ s the morning shift — hundreds of nurses and clerks and aides and orderlies and housekeepers bleary-eyed and guzzling Starbucks and they wait to enter the parking garage and begin their ( usually 12 hour ) shift .
I avoid the crush and go in the back way .
It ’ s a bit of a walk but I need the exercise .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ our team was waiting to make rounds .
Several of them were on call overnight — they spent the night in the ER , seeing neurosurgery patients , amidst the crush of humanity with fevers and coughs .
I ’ m lucky — I ’ m the professor , and I mostly go to the operating room — where it ’ s sterile and everyone wears masks .
My team in the ER doesn ’ t have that luxury .
They don ’ t complain .
I worry about them .
For their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because we really need them .
Most of the neurosurgery emergency care for our very large county is provided by our department , and if our people get sick , a couple of million people will have difficulty getting care .
We ’ re trying very hard to stay healthy in this COVID-19 pandemic , and to keep working and keep informed .
The media is full of talking heads and experts .
They ’ re mostly doing their best , but the ideologues and grifters are all too plentiful .
To wit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” about the importance of evolutionary science and Darwin in the management of the coronavirus pandemic .
• “ Geneticist Spencer Wells on COVID-19 as ‘ Evolution in Action ’ ” • “ Coronavirus — we need to learn from Darwin ” There ’ s no doubt that COVID-19 evolved : populations of viruses change with time .
Of course , we know that from epidemiology and virology and simple observation .
Darwin ’ s theory has little to do with epidemiology .
Darwin proposed that all biological adaptation and speciation arose from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence for intelligence in nature , this atheist biology was a tough sell without a mechanism by which the stunning tapestry of information-bearing life came about .
In an epiphany , Darwin hit upon the explanation for life — survivors survived !
Atheists at last were intellectually satisfied .
Darwin ’ s actual impact on epidemiology is minimal — his theory ( published in 1859 ) mainly served to distract scientists and doctors from the real science on infectious disease that emerged from the work of Girolamo Fracastoro ( 16th-century physician who proposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Antonie van Leeuwenhoek ( 17th century — discovered microorganisms ) , Thomas Sydenham ( studied London epidemics in the 17th century ) , Edward Jenner ( first smallpox vaccine — 1757 ) ) , Ignaz Semmelweis ( discovered in 1847 that antisepsis prevented post-partum infections ) , John Snow ( stopped cholera epidemic in London , 1854 ) , Louis Pasteur ( germ theory of disease ) , Joseph Lister ( antiseptic surgery ) , Robert Koch ( modern bacteriology ) , Paul Ehrlich ( Nobel laureate who cured syphilis ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Salk ( polio vaccine ) , to name just a few .
Darwin , who was mathematically illiterate and fascinated by barnacles , flunked out of medical school , married his ( wealthy ) first cousin , wrote a book on the origin of species by natural selection in which he provided no evidence for the origin of species by natural selection , and worked sporadically , mostly from bed .
He would have required remedial training to get a job cleaning Pasteur ’ s test tubes .
Yet his contribution to atheism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was epochal .
Epidemiology , to which Darwinism is a “ narrative gloss , ” is an old and vigorous science .
But there ’ s more to the amelioration of epidemics than superb science .
The most important advance in preventing epidemics — probably more important than vaccinations and the gamut of 21st-century high-tech science — is low-tech public sanitation .
There is probably nothing ( except for food and water and blankets ) that has saved more lives from epidemics than enforcement of the principle that drinking water and sewage water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And low-tech medical care is indispensable as well .
Historian Rodney Stark points out that survival in epidemics is often more the consequence of ordinary courageous people who stick around and do their jobs than it is of sophisticated medical technology .
This was the reason that Christian communities in antiquity had much higher survival rates than pagan communities during epidemics .
Christians would stick around — at risk to themselves — and would not flee and abandon plague victims to die of starvation or exposure .
The most effective medical care in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damn .
Of course many modern scientists are doing good vital work in this pandemic .
Kudos to the virologists and epidemiologists and critical care specialists who are working hard to save lives .
We need to understand virology and develop anti-viral medications and develop strategies to “ flatten the curve ” of the pandemic .
But to those politicians and science grifters who would use this catastrophe for partisanship or ideology , give it a break .
Spin and evolutionary tautologies are just a pandemic of an intellectual sort .
What we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ image from 9-11 — this coronavirus pandemic reminds me of that time .
It ’ s a picture of a fireman in Tower 1 running up stairs , when everybody was running down .
You could see in his face that he knew what he was facing .
He had no illusions .
There are people who run towards things like that .
Every night , when most of us have put away our favorite novel and switched off our remote classroom link on our university-bought computer and done our last wipe with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boys at Shop Rite will begin restocking the shelves with toilet paper and food , working through the night in aisles trodden by thousands of panicked ( and a few febrile ) shoppers .
In the hospital the housekeepers on the 11-7 shift will clean patients ’ rooms , scrubbing walls and toilets that the rest of us wouldn ’ t touch without a hazmat suit .
And the nurses on the night shift will wipe the mucous and hold the hand of someone ’ s grandmother who is gasping for breath in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ housekeeper or nurse is doing more to fight this pandemic than all the politicians and talking-head science grifters and tenure-track professors in the department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard .
And more than all the neurosurgery professors , too .
So say a prayer , whether evolutionary biologists like it or not .
Pray for the stock boys and the housekeepers and the nurses .
Pray for the people on the front line — the people waiting in line at the hospital parking garage at 6:30 am .
Pray for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else is running away .

I was driving into work this morning and I hit the traffic jam. Every morning at about 6:30 am the traffic begins to back up on the highway leading into my medical center. It’s the morning shift — hundreds of nurses and clerks and aides and orderlies and housekeepers bleary-eyed and guzzling Starbucks and they wait to enter the parking garage and begin their (usually 12 hour) shift. I avoid the crush and go in the back way. It’s a bit of a walk but I need the exercise.
When I got into the office, our team was waiting to make rounds. Several of them were on call overnight — they spent the night in the ER, seeing neurosurgery patients, amidst the crush of humanity with fevers and coughs. I’m lucky — I’m the professor, and I mostly go to the operating room — where it’s sterile and everyone wears masks. My team in the ER doesn’t have that luxury. They don’t complain.
I worry about them. For their health, of course, but also because we really need them. Most of the neurosurgery emergency care for our very large county is provided by our department, and if our people get sick, a couple of million people will have difficulty getting care. We’re trying very hard to stay healthy in this COVID-19 pandemic, and to keep working and keep informed.
Treat Coronavirus with Darwinian Theory?
The media is full of talking heads and experts. They’re mostly doing their best, but the ideologues and grifters are all too plentiful. To wit, we get lots of “reminders” about the importance of evolutionary science and Darwin in the management of the coronavirus pandemic.
There’s no doubt that COVID-19 evolved: populations of viruses change with time. Of course, we know that from epidemiology and virology and simple observation. Darwin’s theory has little to do with epidemiology. Darwin proposed that all biological adaptation and speciation arose from wholly unintelligent processes. Given the ubiquitous evidence for intelligence in nature, this atheist biology was a tough sell without a mechanism by which the stunning tapestry of information-bearing life came about. In an epiphany, Darwin hit upon the explanation for life — survivors survived! Atheists at last were intellectually satisfied.
Darwin’s actual impact on epidemiology is minimal — his theory (published in 1859) mainly served to distract scientists and doctors from the real science on infectious disease that emerged from the work of Girolamo Fracastoro (16th-century physician who proposed that infections were caused by microorganisms), Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (17th century — discovered microorganisms), Thomas Sydenham (studied London epidemics in the 17th century), Edward Jenner (first smallpox vaccine — 1757)), Ignaz Semmelweis (discovered in 1847 that antisepsis prevented post-partum infections), John Snow (stopped cholera epidemic in London, 1854), Louis Pasteur (germ theory of disease), Joseph Lister (antiseptic surgery), Robert Koch (modern bacteriology), Paul Ehrlich (Nobel laureate who cured syphilis), Alexander Flemming (penicillin), Jonas Salk (polio vaccine), to name just a few.
Fascinated by Barnacles
Darwin, who was mathematically illiterate and fascinated by barnacles, flunked out of medical school, married his (wealthy) first cousin, wrote a book on the origin of species by natural selection in which he provided no evidence for the origin of species by natural selection, and worked sporadically, mostly from bed. He would have required remedial training to get a job cleaning Pasteur’s test tubes. Yet his contribution to atheism, unlike his contribution to science, was epochal.
A “Narrative Gloss”
Epidemiology, to which Darwinism is a “narrative gloss,” is an old and vigorous science. But there’s more to the amelioration of epidemics than superb science. The most important advance in preventing epidemics — probably more important than vaccinations and the gamut of 21st-century high-tech science — is low-tech public sanitation. There is probably nothing (except for food and water and blankets) that has saved more lives from epidemics than enforcement of the principle that drinking water and sewage water must not be the same water. And low-tech medical care is indispensable as well. Historian Rodney Stark points out that survival in epidemics is often more the consequence of ordinary courageous people who stick around and do their jobs than it is of sophisticated medical technology. This was the reason that Christian communities in antiquity had much higher survival rates than pagan communities during epidemics. Christians would stick around — at risk to themselves — and would not flee and abandon plague victims to die of starvation or exposure. The most effective medical care in a plague is someone who gives a damn.
Of course many modern scientists are doing good vital work in this pandemic. Kudos to the virologists and epidemiologists and critical care specialists who are working hard to save lives. We need to understand virology and develop anti-viral medications and develop strategies to “flatten the curve” of the pandemic. But to those politicians and science grifters who would use this catastrophe for partisanship or ideology, give it a break. Spin and evolutionary tautologies are just a pandemic of an intellectual sort.
Running Toward Danger
What we need right now is captured in an image from 9-11 — this coronavirus pandemic reminds me of that time. It’s a picture of a fireman in Tower 1 running up stairs, when everybody was running down. You could see in his face that he knew what he was facing. He had no illusions. There are people who run towards things like that.
Every night, when most of us have put away our favorite novel and switched off our remote classroom link on our university-bought computer and done our last wipe with Purell before bed, the midnight-shift stock boys at Shop Rite will begin restocking the shelves with toilet paper and food, working through the night in aisles trodden by thousands of panicked (and a few febrile) shoppers. In the hospital the housekeepers on the 11-7 shift will clean patients’ rooms, scrubbing walls and toilets that the rest of us wouldn’t touch without a hazmat suit. And the nurses on the night shift will wipe the mucous and hold the hand of someone’s grandmother who is gasping for breath in the ICU.
Every stock boy or housekeeper or nurse is doing more to fight this pandemic than all the politicians and talking-head science grifters and tenure-track professors in the department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard. And more than all the neurosurgery professors, too.
So say a prayer, whether evolutionary biologists like it or not. Pray for the stock boys and the housekeepers and the nurses. Pray for the people on the front line — the people waiting in line at the hospital parking garage at 6:30 am.
Pray for the people running into this plague when everyone else is running away.
Photo credit: David Mark via Pixabay.


evolutionnewsandviews--2020-03-18--Unguided Origin of Life: “Completely Impossible but Must Have Happened”

“ It ’ s completely impossible , but it must have happened.
” That ’ s how philosopher of science Stephen Meyer summarizes most responses from proponents of unguided chemical evolution when challenged on the origin of life .
In January , Meyer led a panel discussion with the authors of the foundational intelligent design text The Mystery of Life ’ s Origin at the Dallas Conference on Science & Faith .
You can see the entire interaction now , as Discovery Institute begins launching videos of the presentations from the hugely successful event : The occasion for the panel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ greatly expanded 35th-anniversary edition of the book , The Mystery of Life ’ s Origin : The Continuing Controversy .
You ’ ll enjoy the discussion between Meyer and Walter Bradley , Charles Thaxton , and Roger Olsen .
It ’ s introduced by materials scientist Walter Bradley , and Bradley in turn is introduced by Robert J .
Marks , director of Discovery Institute ’ s Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence .
This hour of stimulating talk is very timely , for two reasons .
First , as noted here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Jon Buell , the “ matchmaker ” who brought Bradley , Thaxton , and Olsen together in the first place .
Or as Dr. Marks puts it , using a different metaphor , Buell “ corralled these authors , ” and “ sparked ” the project that , in 1984 , started the modern intelligent design movement .
Their book inspired and influenced Meyer and many other leading thinkers in the world of ID .
In his personal comments , Bradley acknowledges here that Buell was “ a great mentor for me.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ locked up in our homes — so , solid intellectual and scientific content , that inspires , is just the thing to provide an alternative to what we see in the news and on social media at the moment .
The mystery in the title of the book “ sparked ” by Jon Buell is the ultimate inspiration , because it ’ s the ultimate mystery .
Bradley quotes the late New York University chemist and skeptic Robert Shapiro who conceded that the origin of life represents “ an astonishing stroke of luck.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and self-deprecating , despite their historic role ( further elaborated in my introduction to the new edition of Mystery ) .
And it ’ s fascinating to see them interact with Dr. Meyer , who is their intellectual inheritor .
We will be releasing videos from the Dallas Conference on Science & Faith each Wednesday here at Evolution News .
Join us next week as John West discusses “ Darwin ’ s Corrosive Idea .
”

“It’s completely impossible, but it must have happened.” That’s how philosopher of science Stephen Meyer summarizes most responses from proponents of unguided chemical evolution when challenged on the origin of life. In January, Meyer led a panel discussion with the authors of the foundational intelligent design text The Mystery of Life’s Origin at the Dallas Conference on Science & Faith. You can see the entire interaction now, as Discovery Institute begins launching videos of the presentations from the hugely successful event:
The occasion for the panel was the release of a new and greatly expanded 35th-anniversary edition of the book, The Mystery of Life’s Origin: The Continuing Controversy. You’ll enjoy the discussion between Meyer and Walter Bradley, Charles Thaxton, and Roger Olsen. It’s introduced by materials scientist Walter Bradley, and Bradley in turn is introduced by Robert J. Marks, director of Discovery Institute’s Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence. This hour of stimulating talk is very timely, for two reasons.
First, as noted here yesterday, we are mourning the passing of Jon Buell, the “matchmaker” who brought Bradley, Thaxton, and Olsen together in the first place. Or as Dr. Marks puts it, using a different metaphor, Buell “corralled these authors,” and “sparked” the project that, in 1984, started the modern intelligent design movement. Their book inspired and influenced Meyer and many other leading thinkers in the world of ID. In his personal comments, Bradley acknowledges here that Buell was “a great mentor for me.”
An Inspiring Alternative
Second, many of us are locked up in our homes — so, solid intellectual and scientific content, that inspires, is just the thing to provide an alternative to what we see in the news and on social media at the moment. The mystery in the title of the book “sparked” by Jon Buell is the ultimate inspiration, because it’s the ultimate mystery. Bradley quotes the late New York University chemist and skeptic Robert Shapiro who conceded that the origin of life represents “an astonishing stroke of luck.” Luck?
These speakers are charming and self-deprecating, despite their historic role (further elaborated in my introduction to the new edition of Mystery). And it’s fascinating to see them interact with Dr. Meyer, who is their intellectual inheritor.
We will be releasing videos from the Dallas Conference on Science & Faith each Wednesday here at Evolution News. Join us next week as John West discusses “Darwin’s Corrosive Idea.”


evolutionnewsandviews--2020-03-18--New Cosmos Episodes: Only Part of the Story

The third season of Cosmos , with Neil deGrasse Tyson , released its third and fourth episodes Monday night on Fox and National Geographic .
The season ’ s theme , “ Possible Worlds , ” must have seemed poignant to some viewers amidst a national shutdown as they thought about what kind of possible world we are all entering together .
As noted here already , these episodes will slip in smoothly in public school science classrooms , someday when all the schools reopen .
So how does the information on offer measure up ?
Episodes 3 , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summarizes the origins of the Milky Way galaxy , the elements , and the Earth .
Tyson takes us in his “ ship of the imagination ” to the deep sea on the early Earth .
He offers the viewer a close examination of the deep sea hydrothermal vents and towering “ black smoker ” chimneys , which he poetically describes as lost cities .
A natural chemical energy gradient between the alkaline interior of the chimney and the acidic ocean water on the outside is supposed to power life processes and lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He claims this is the most plausible theory for the origin of life ( OOL ) .
As in his previous discussions of the OOL , Tyson never brings up biological information as an issue .
He offers no hint of controversy among leading OOL scientists .
This is a disservice to the viewer .
For balance , we recommend the expanded edition of The Mystery of Life ’ s Origin .
One leading OOL researcher who disagrees with the vents origin scenario wrote : A requirement for ultraviolet irradiation to generate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environments .
This , along with strong bioenergetic and structural arguments , suggests that the idea that life originated at vents should , like the vents themselves , remain “ In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.
” The chemistry places certain demands on the environment of the early Earth : for example , the high concentrations of certain species through evaporation of solutions .
We begin to understand perhaps why Tyson sides with the “ vents ” OOL scenario when he takes us to Enceladus , a moon of Saturn with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Admitting that it is speculation , he then takes us in his ship to the depths of its ocean where we witness the hydrothermal vents that are creating life there once again .
Life on Earth is not special .
It is just what chemistry does throughout the universe when the not-so-rare conditions are met .
Tyson says , “ We think we are the story , for all we know we are just the by-product of geochemical processes throughout the cosmos.
” In this episode , Tyson also covers the Cambrian explosion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have all the answers yet but then offers some speculative explanations , such as the rise of oxygen .
Stephen Meyer dispatches these ideas in Darwin ’ s Doubt .
One glaring historical error in this episode is when Tyson claims Faraday discovered Earth ’ s magnetic field .
People have known about Earth ’ s magnetic field as long as there have been compasses .
In 1600 William Gilbert was the first to argue that Earth behaved like a giant magnet .
There is an historical interlude concerning William , John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no mention of their deep Christian faith .
No mention either of John ’ s skepticism about Darwin ’ s theory , which he called the “ law of higgledy-piggledy.
” Episode 4 , “ Vavilov , ” is mostly a historical episode .
The guiding theme is agricultural science .
Darwin gets another mention , but only in that his ideas benefitted from the work of Gregor Mendel .
Tyson sounds like an Internet troll when he says , “ Even now there are people who are afraid of his idea.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t try to belittle Mendel ’ s faith , an Augustinian friar and abbot .
In fact , in one animated sequence , he is briefly shown praying in a church .
Yes , people of faith can be good scientists , but you wouldn ’ t know that from this series so far .
Every picture of Mendel we ’ ve seen shows him wearing his clerical collar and sometimes a cross .
Any treatment of his work can not avoid the religious connection .
And , if you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theory of genetics , you can not avoid talking about Mendel .
If you asked him , Tyson might argue that Mendel ’ s faith was merely incidental to his scientific work .
Most of this episode is devoted to Nikolai Vavilov ’ s life ’ s work in agronomy and his rough treatment by Stalin and Trofim Lysenko .
Lysenko advocated a version of Lamarckism , in which characteristics acquired during an organism ’ s lifetime are passed down to its offspring .
Tyson criticizes the explanation offered by Lamarckism to account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But Darwinists haven ’ t done any better .
At one point Vavilov says , “ My only crime is a scientific difference of opinion.
” For this Vavilov suffered greatly at the hands of the Communist thugs .
This could have been uttered by a modern Darwin doubter or ID proponent at a university .
If only Tyson would pay one-tenth the attention to their plight at the hands of the Darwinistas .
Although Stalin is ultimately responsible for Vavilov ’ s suffering , notice that it was another scientist who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ruthless in their treatment of dissenting colleagues .
Missing from Tyson ’ s treatment of the Soviet experiment is any discussion of the roles played by Marx , Darwin , and materialism in its founding .
It is interesting that Lysenko convinced Stalin of his non-Mendelian ideas , but that did not change his conviction in believing in materialistic evolution .
Once again , Cosmos has told only part of the story .
Image : Screenshot from the trailer for Cosmos 3.0 , “ Possible Worlds .
”

The third season of Cosmos, with Neil deGrasse Tyson, released its third and fourth episodes Monday night on Fox and National Geographic. The season’s theme, “Possible Worlds,” must have seemed poignant to some viewers amidst a national shutdown as they thought about what kind of possible world we are all entering together. As noted here already, these episodes will slip in smoothly in public school science classrooms, someday when all the schools reopen. So how does the information on offer measure up?
What about Biological Information?
Episodes 3, “Lost City of Life,” quickly summarizes the origins of the Milky Way galaxy, the elements, and the Earth. Tyson takes us in his “ship of the imagination” to the deep sea on the early Earth. He offers the viewer a close examination of the deep sea hydrothermal vents and towering “black smoker” chimneys, which he poetically describes as lost cities. A natural chemical energy gradient between the alkaline interior of the chimney and the acidic ocean water on the outside is supposed to power life processes and lead to the formation of the first cells. He claims this is the most plausible theory for the origin of life (OOL). As in his previous discussions of the OOL, Tyson never brings up biological information as an issue.
He offers no hint of controversy among leading OOL scientists. This is a disservice to the viewer. For balance, we recommend the expanded edition of The Mystery of Life’s Origin. One leading OOL researcher who disagrees with the vents origin scenario wrote:
A requirement for ultraviolet irradiation to generate hydrated electrons would rule out deep sea environments. This, along with strong bioenergetic and structural arguments, suggests that the idea that life originated at vents should, like the vents themselves, remain “In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.” The chemistry places certain demands on the environment of the early Earth: for example, the high concentrations of certain species through evaporation of solutions. (John D. Sutherland, “Studies on the Origin of Life — the End of the Beginning,” Nature Reviews Chemistry 1, no. 12 (2017): 2)
Onward to Enceladus
We begin to understand perhaps why Tyson sides with the “vents” OOL scenario when he takes us to Enceladus, a moon of Saturn with ice-water geysers and a subsurface ocean. Admitting that it is speculation, he then takes us in his ship to the depths of its ocean where we witness the hydrothermal vents that are creating life there once again. Life on Earth is not special. It is just what chemistry does throughout the universe when the not-so-rare conditions are met. Tyson says, “We think we are the story, for all we know we are just the by-product of geochemical processes throughout the cosmos.”
In this episode, Tyson also covers the Cambrian explosion. He admits that we don’t have all the answers yet but then offers some speculative explanations, such as the rise of oxygen. Stephen Meyer dispatches these ideas in Darwin’s Doubt.
A Glaring Error
One glaring historical error in this episode is when Tyson claims Faraday discovered Earth’s magnetic field. People have known about Earth’s magnetic field as long as there have been compasses. In 1600 William Gilbert was the first to argue that Earth behaved like a giant magnet.
There is an historical interlude concerning William, John, and Caroline Herschel. Again, no mention of their deep Christian faith. No mention either of John’s skepticism about Darwin’s theory, which he called the “law of higgledy-piggledy.”
A Historical Episode
Episode 4, “Vavilov,” is mostly a historical episode. The guiding theme is agricultural science. Darwin gets another mention, but only in that his ideas benefitted from the work of Gregor Mendel. Tyson sounds like an Internet troll when he says, “Even now there are people who are afraid of his idea.”
It is refreshing that Tyson here doesn’t try to belittle Mendel’s faith, an Augustinian friar and abbot. In fact, in one animated sequence, he is briefly shown praying in a church. Yes, people of faith can be good scientists, but you wouldn’t know that from this series so far. Every picture of Mendel we’ve seen shows him wearing his clerical collar and sometimes a cross. Any treatment of his work cannot avoid the religious connection. And, if you’re going to discuss the origin of the theory of genetics, you cannot avoid talking about Mendel. If you asked him, Tyson might argue that Mendel’s faith was merely incidental to his scientific work.
Rough Treatment
Most of this episode is devoted to Nikolai Vavilov’s life’s work in agronomy and his rough treatment by Stalin and Trofim Lysenko. Lysenko advocated a version of Lamarckism, in which characteristics acquired during an organism’s lifetime are passed down to its offspring. Tyson criticizes the explanation offered by Lamarckism to account for the giraffe’s long neck. But Darwinists haven’t done any better.
At one point Vavilov says, “My only crime is a scientific difference of opinion.” For this Vavilov suffered greatly at the hands of the Communist thugs. This could have been uttered by a modern Darwin doubter or ID proponent at a university. If only Tyson would pay one-tenth the attention to their plight at the hands of the Darwinistas.
Although Stalin is ultimately responsible for Vavilov’s suffering, notice that it was another scientist who was the instigator. Scientists can be ruthless in their treatment of dissenting colleagues.
Missing from Tyson’s treatment of the Soviet experiment is any discussion of the roles played by Marx, Darwin, and materialism in its founding. It is interesting that Lysenko convinced Stalin of his non-Mendelian ideas, but that did not change his conviction in believing in materialistic evolution. Once again, Cosmos has told only part of the story.
Image: Screenshot from the trailer for Cosmos 3.0, “Possible Worlds.”


evolutionnewsandviews--2020-03-19--The Passing of Jon Buell

The Passing of Jon Buell

I learned with sadness this week that my good friend and colleague Jon Buell passed away on Saturday , March 14 .
I had been Jon ’ s academic editor for the Foundation for Thought and Ethics ( FTE ) , a Dallas publisher of books aimed at un-indoctrinating high school and college students .
He hired me in 1997 and I stayed on in that position until my family ’ s move from Texas to Iowa in 2012 .
We didn ’ t produce a lot of books at FTE , but it was quality work and it articulated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a materialist biology , a relativist ethics , and a revisionist historicism .
In short , FTE served as an antidote to the PC and progressivist culture .
Given how this culture has unfolded and seemingly prospered since FTE ’ s founding by Jon in 1980 , one might be tempted to say that our efforts were unsuccessful .
But Jon ’ s motives were always to be faithful and true , and he measured success in terms of quality of work , not popularity .
And we did have a significant impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our books with profit and those who virulently opposed them ( such as the ACLU and the NCSE ) .
Jon ’ s role in the intelligent design movement was seminal .
He was the moving force behind the publication of The Mystery of Life ’ s Origin , which appeared first in 1984 and appeared as a 35th anniversary edition greatly expanded and updated in January of this year .
That Jon was able to get Mystery to see the light of day was a miracle .
Convinced that a materialistic understanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jon sought to undermine this view at its weakest point , namely , the origin of life .
To that end , he gathered together top researchers who could address the problem and convincingly argue for the futility of materialistic origin of life scenarios .
Those researchers were Charles Thaxton , Walter Bradley , and Roger Olsen .
Painstaking in his quality control , Jon made sure the finished product left nothing to be desired .
But where to publish it ?
Jon knew too well the evangelical culture , which readily published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
To break out of this echo chamber , Jon insisted on going with a top secular press to publish Mystery .
He set himself a hard task .
In a day before Internet and PDFs , that meant making and mailing lots of photocopies .
He submitted the manuscript to over 150 publishers .
There were some near acceptances .
MIT Press had tentatively accepted it , but then a shakeup at the press led to the lay off of the editor who had gotten behind the manuscript .
Jon finally landed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no longer exists , it had a great reputation at the time , having published the work of multiple Nobel laureates , including Max Planck .
Jon ’ s work with Mystery was emblematic of his approach to publishing .
Content needed to be premium .
Edits needed to be clean .
Books needed to be beautifully produced .
The hero image at the start of this remembrance is a case in point , showing a masterful cover designed by Jon .
Jon ’ s father had been an illustrator for nationally recognized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s work around the office , and it was really quite excellent , on a par with Norman Rockwell ) .
We did a number of books for FTE during my time there .
The three big ones were Never Before in History ( a history of America ’ s founding that pointed up the clear Christian rather than French Enlightenment roots of our nation ) , Sex and Character ( a sex education book that without preaching clearly demonstrated the value of sexual restraint ) , and The Design of Life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remembrance ) .
All three are still available .
The history book has worn well , and can still be read profitably without any sense of having aged .
The sex education book remains a great book , but the images in it are now over two decades old , so it has a very dated feel , and the language , examples , and cited resources need substantial updating .
It was the prospect of doing The Design of Life , however , that got me hired at FTE .
Of Pandas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supplemental text for high school biology students , had sold well and made a significant , though not overly large , splash .
Appearing first in 1989 and then only slightly revised in 1993 , it needed substantial updating and upgrading by the time I was hired .
Intelligent design had made leaps and bounds in the 1990s , and that progress needed to be reflected in a revised edition .
That edition became a new book .
The Design of Life kept maybe 30 percent of the original ( Pandas ) and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the size of Pandas .
The new book got two new authors , me ( a mathematician ) and Jonathan Wells ( a biologist ) .
I was also the editor .
Except for some copyedits , the new book was ready to go to press in 2004 .
But then came the Kitzmiller v. Dover trial of 2005 , in which a misguided school board ( misguided both by their own naïveté and by the foolish legal council of the Thomas More Law Center ) enacted a policy that encouraged students to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own time as an alternative to atheistic evolutionary theories .
The policy itself was poorly worded and invited attack , positioning itself as part of a religion vs. science controversy rather than as it should have been , namely , a science vs. science controversy .
It didn ’ t help that in enacting the policy , one of the school board members stated that two thousand years ago Christ died for us and that we needed to stand up for him by enacting this policy ( or something like this — I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is pretty close ) .
Well meaning , perhaps .
Foolish , yes .
The ACLU pounced on this policy as an easy place to gun down intelligent design .
With Pandas as the focus of this trial , FTE was forced during the discovery phase to hand over our current manuscript of The Design of Life to the expert witnesses of the ACLU , who turned out to be Ken Miller and the National Center for Science Education ( NCSE ) .
Their entrenched opposition to FTE , Pandas , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record and longstanding .
At the trial , the judge ruled against the school board , and expanded the ruling also to condemn intelligent design .
Not that this was going to deter us from doing everything in our power to continue to advance intelligent design .
But when the dust settled after the trial , which had gone badly against us , the question was what to do with the existing manuscript of The Design of Life .
The other side knew exactly what was in it and would be fully prepared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as is .
Jon and I conferred , and the plan was simply to make it that much better and stronger than it was before .
It had to be entirely rewritten .
The science needed to be beefed up and expanded .
It needed to be bulletproof .
The Kitzmiller v. Dover decision came out early December 2005 .
Visiting my wife ’ s family in Iowa and staying with our three kids at a Country Inn & Suites , with the family asleep New Year ’ s Eve , I plunged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Design of Life .
I never worked as hard on a book as I did on that one .
We at FTE had something to prove .
And to this day I still think that what we produced , which finally was published end of 2007 , is the best single volume describing the length and breadth of intelligent design .
I write these words not to pat myself on the back , but rather to pat Jon on the back .
He was at the helm of FTE .
He had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking so long .
He had to commit to the work and be convinced that doing this right was the right course .
He had to overcome the disappointment of having our work handed over to our most implacable foes before it got published .
He had to find in himself the determination to say , “ We ’ re not going to let this defeat us , but we ’ re going to use this as an opportunity to do still better and stronger work.
” That was Jon .
That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s why I ’ ll miss him .
P.S .
Obviously , there ’ s so much more that can be said about Jon .
I got to know him at a 1992 symposium he helped put together to feature Phil Johnson ’ s work ( I describe that symposium in my remembrance of Phil , who passed away in November — another sad loss ) .
There I met his wife Sandy and their terrific children .
I remember going out with them for Tex-Mex after the symposium and having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sandy got sick with a lung infection that didn ’ t respond to antibiotics .
She died of that infection in the early 2000s , requiring constant care by Jon .
Jon got remarried , to Linda Montgomery .
I still remember the joy in his voice when he told me of his newfound love .
Jon hired Pam Bailey as his number two .
When Jon ’ s Alzheimer ’ s became increasingly obvious , Pam helped fold FTE into Discovery Institute Press , where she works to this day as head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pam , our mutual colleague , who told me the sad news .

I learned with sadness this week that my good friend and colleague Jon Buell passed away on Saturday, March 14. I had been Jon’s academic editor for the Foundation for Thought and Ethics (FTE), a Dallas publisher of books aimed at un-indoctrinating high school and college students. He hired me in 1997 and I stayed on in that position until my family’s move from Texas to Iowa in 2012.
We didn’t produce a lot of books at FTE, but it was quality work and it articulated without apology a broadly Christian worldview against a materialist biology, a relativist ethics, and a revisionist historicism. In short, FTE served as an antidote to the PC and progressivist culture.
Given how this culture has unfolded and seemingly prospered since FTE’s founding by Jon in 1980, one might be tempted to say that our efforts were unsuccessful. But Jon’s motives were always to be faithful and true, and he measured success in terms of quality of work, not popularity. And we did have a significant impact, as evident among those who used our books with profit and those who virulently opposed them (such as the ACLU and the NCSE).
The Intelligent Design Movement
Jon’s role in the intelligent design movement was seminal. He was the moving force behind the publication of The Mystery of Life’s Origin, which appeared first in 1984 and appeared as a 35th anniversary edition greatly expanded and updated in January of this year.
That Jon was able to get Mystery to see the light of day was a miracle. Convinced that a materialistic understanding of biological origins was completely wrong, Jon sought to undermine this view at its weakest point, namely, the origin of life. To that end, he gathered together top researchers who could address the problem and convincingly argue for the futility of materialistic origin of life scenarios. Those researchers were Charles Thaxton, Walter Bradley, and Roger Olsen.
Painstaking in his quality control, Jon made sure the finished product left nothing to be desired. But where to publish it? Jon knew too well the evangelical culture, which readily published its work within its own restricted community. To break out of this echo chamber, Jon insisted on going with a top secular press to publish Mystery. He set himself a hard task.
In a day before Internet and PDFs, that meant making and mailing lots of photocopies. He submitted the manuscript to over 150 publishers. There were some near acceptances. MIT Press had tentatively accepted it, but then a shakeup at the press led to the lay off of the editor who had gotten behind the manuscript. Jon finally landed with Philosophical Library. Though Philosophical Library no longer exists, it had a great reputation at the time, having published the work of multiple Nobel laureates, including Max Planck.
Premium Content, Beautifully Produced
Jon’s work with Mystery was emblematic of his approach to publishing. Content needed to be premium. Edits needed to be clean. Books needed to be beautifully produced. The hero image at the start of this remembrance is a case in point, showing a masterful cover designed by Jon. Jon’s father had been an illustrator for nationally recognized magazines (I would see his dad’s work around the office, and it was really quite excellent, on a par with Norman Rockwell).
We did a number of books for FTE during my time there. The three big ones were Never Before in History (a history of America’s founding that pointed up the clear Christian rather than French Enlightenment roots of our nation), Sex and Character (a sex education book that without preaching clearly demonstrated the value of sexual restraint), and The Design of Life (depicted at the start of this remembrance).
All three are still available. The history book has worn well, and can still be read profitably without any sense of having aged. The sex education book remains a great book, but the images in it are now over two decades old, so it has a very dated feel, and the language, examples, and cited resources need substantial updating.
The Design of Life
It was the prospect of doing The Design of Life, however, that got me hired at FTE. Of Pandas and People, an earlier intelligent design supplemental text for high school biology students, had sold well and made a significant, though not overly large, splash. Appearing first in 1989 and then only slightly revised in 1993, it needed substantial updating and upgrading by the time I was hired. Intelligent design had made leaps and bounds in the 1990s, and that progress needed to be reflected in a revised edition.
That edition became a new book. The Design of Life kept maybe 30 percent of the original (Pandas) and then greatly added other material, tripling the size of Pandas. The new book got two new authors, me (a mathematician) and Jonathan Wells (a biologist). I was also the editor.
Except for some copyedits, the new book was ready to go to press in 2004. But then came the Kitzmiller v. Dover trial of 2005, in which a misguided school board (misguided both by their own naïveté and by the foolish legal council of the Thomas More Law Center) enacted a policy that encouraged students to read Of Pandas and People on their own time as an alternative to atheistic evolutionary theories.
Science vs. Science
The policy itself was poorly worded and invited attack, positioning itself as part of a religion vs. science controversy rather than as it should have been, namely, a science vs. science controversy. It didn’t help that in enacting the policy, one of the school board members stated that two thousand years ago Christ died for us and that we needed to stand up for him by enacting this policy (or something like this — I’m going from memory, but this is pretty close). Well meaning, perhaps. Foolish, yes. The ACLU pounced on this policy as an easy place to gun down intelligent design.
With Pandas as the focus of this trial, FTE was forced during the discovery phase to hand over our current manuscript of The Design of Life to the expert witnesses of the ACLU, who turned out to be Ken Miller and the National Center for Science Education (NCSE). Their entrenched opposition to FTE, Pandas, and intelligent design was a matter of public record and longstanding.
At the trial, the judge ruled against the school board, and expanded the ruling also to condemn intelligent design. Not that this was going to deter us from doing everything in our power to continue to advance intelligent design. But when the dust settled after the trial, which had gone badly against us, the question was what to do with the existing manuscript of The Design of Life. The other side knew exactly what was in it and would be fully prepared to tear it down if it appeared as is.
Better and Stronger
Jon and I conferred, and the plan was simply to make it that much better and stronger than it was before. It had to be entirely rewritten. The science needed to be beefed up and expanded. It needed to be bulletproof. The Kitzmiller v. Dover decision came out early December 2005. Visiting my wife’s family in Iowa and staying with our three kids at a Country Inn & Suites, with the family asleep New Year’s Eve, I plunged into the massive revisions required for The Design of Life. I never worked as hard on a book as I did on that one. We at FTE had something to prove. And to this day I still think that what we produced, which finally was published end of 2007, is the best single volume describing the length and breadth of intelligent design.
I write these words not to pat myself on the back, but rather to pat Jon on the back. He was at the helm of FTE. He had to explain to supporters why this work was taking so long. He had to commit to the work and be convinced that doing this right was the right course. He had to overcome the disappointment of having our work handed over to our most implacable foes before it got published. He had to find in himself the determination to say, “We’re not going to let this defeat us, but we’re going to use this as an opportunity to do still better and stronger work.”
That was Jon. That’s why I loved him. And that’s why I’ll miss him.
***
P.S. Obviously, there’s so much more that can be said about Jon. I got to know him at a 1992 symposium he helped put together to feature Phil Johnson’s work (I describe that symposium in my remembrance of Phil, who passed away in November — another sad loss). There I met his wife Sandy and their terrific children. I remember going out with them for Tex-Mex after the symposium and having a wonderful time. Not long thereafter Sandy got sick with a lung infection that didn’t respond to antibiotics. She died of that infection in the early 2000s, requiring constant care by Jon. Jon got remarried, to Linda Montgomery. I still remember the joy in his voice when he told me of his newfound love. Jon hired Pam Bailey as his number two. When Jon’s Alzheimer’s became increasingly obvious, Pam helped fold FTE into Discovery Institute Press, where she works to this day as head of Discovery Institute Dallas. It was Pam, our mutual colleague, who told me the sad news.
Cross-posted at Dr. Dembski’s website, BillDembski.com.


evolutionnewsandviews--2020-03-19--Purpose and Hope in a Time of Turmoil

Purpose and Hope in a Time of Turmoil

During a recent staff meeting , two Discovery Institute staff members referenced essays by C.S .
Lewis , including “ On Living in the Atomic Age.
” In this new era of coronavirus uncertainty , Lewis ’ s words offer comfort in knowing that the situation we face is not unique , nor unprecedented .
The world has faced many plagues before , and wars , and suffering , and the economic uncertainty that often accompanies these periods .
And — as has been the case throughout history — human beings face death , regardless of its cause .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is suffering severely ( and bravely ) from cancer .
I feared for him , and prayed for him , long before coronavirus came on the scene .
Now we fear another contagion en masse .
Times like these , frightening as they are , can reorient one ’ s own priorities and those of society as a whole .
It is arguable that our decadence has preoccupied much of our time and energy on matters that , in the end , don ’ t really matter .
I won ’ t bother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , my list might be different from yours .
But one thing is certain : the top priority for most in these times is the health and well-being of family and friends , the ongoing work that doesn ’ t pause for a pandemic , and a greater reliance , for many , on faith in God .
The latter , if lasting , could be the best outcome from our present circumstance .
Why Do We Care ?
Discovery Institute ’ s mission is to advance a culture of purpose , creativity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will guide our organization , and now even our country , through the weeks and months ahead .
With that in mind , I recently asked a colleague a rhetorical question : Why do we care about what is happening ?
Why is it that we worry about the lives and livelihoods of our family , friends , and neighbors ?
And why are we presently trading economic hardship for the protection of human life ?
You know the answer : Because life matters more than the material .
Regardless of whether or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purposeful universe , which suggests God , the value of life is written on the human heart .
In times of crisis , life is what matters most .
Even to many dyed-in-the-wool materialists .
Human beings also display remarkable ingenuity and creativity .
Every human achievement — from eternity past to present day — represents the accumulation of knowledge and the application of that knowledge in everyday life .
This will be put to the test in big ways and small to address the current threat .
The big ways are obvious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ therapies to treat the sick , and vaccines to protect the healthy .
These will take time , but they will happen .
Other creative solutions — both known and unknown — are smaller , but no less important , especially when considered as a whole .
There is one example from our home base of Seattle that brought a tear to my eye just last night .
Health care workers from Providence St. Joseph Health , lacking urgently needed protective medical gear for nurses and doctors , scoured the city for raw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Working together in a conference room in Renton ( near Seattle ) , they produced 500 medical grade masks and face shields desperately needed to safely test patients .
As the old adage says , necessity is the mother of invention .
It is a truism , and one that can be witnessed in moving photos of the scene , now making the rounds on social media .
This ability to apply human creativity , and to innovate , will save lives .
In the end — thanks to our focus on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am hopeful .
Next month will mark my 20th year at Discovery Institute .
In that time , I have witnessed the trauma of September 11 , the wars that followed , the Great Recession , and other national and personal tragedies .
It ’ s not easy , and difficult decisions remain , but we always come through .
So , too , will our country .
And when we do , we will look back and realize that , in these times , purpose became primary ; that human minds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; and that innovations , heretofore unknown , played a vital role in our rising to the challenge .
A restoration of faith , and its application in daily life , is likely to be an outcome as well .
Here is some additional good news .
In this time of indefinite self-quarantine , social distancing , and binge watching , I encourage you to take advantage of Discovery Institute ’ s incredible array of video and audio resources along with some recent articles .
Please also share them with your friends and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and steadfast support of our work , even in the midst of the turmoil .
It is appreciated beyond words .
Photo : Seattle and the Space Needle at sunrise , by Shoot_It_RAW via Pixabay .

Editor’s note: Steven J. Buri is President of Discovery Institute.
During a recent staff meeting, two Discovery Institute staff members referenced essays by C.S. Lewis, including “On Living in the Atomic Age.” In this new era of coronavirus uncertainty, Lewis’s words offer comfort in knowing that the situation we face is not unique, nor unprecedented. The world has faced many plagues before, and wars, and suffering, and the economic uncertainty that often accompanies these periods. And — as has been the case throughout history — human beings face death, regardless of its cause. As I write this, a close friend is suffering severely (and bravely) from cancer. I feared for him, and prayed for him, long before coronavirus came on the scene. Now we fear another contagion en masse.
Times like these, frightening as they are, can reorient one’s own priorities and those of society as a whole. It is arguable that our decadence has preoccupied much of our time and energy on matters that, in the end, don’t really matter. I won’t bother to list them here. After all, my list might be different from yours. But one thing is certain: the top priority for most in these times is the health and well-being of family and friends, the ongoing work that doesn’t pause for a pandemic, and a greater reliance, for many, on faith in God. The latter, if lasting, could be the best outcome from our present circumstance.
Why Do We Care?
Discovery Institute’s mission is to advance a culture of purpose, creativity, and innovation. Those three pillars will guide our organization, and now even our country, through the weeks and months ahead. With that in mind, I recently asked a colleague a rhetorical question: Why do we care about what is happening? Why is it that we worry about the lives and livelihoods of our family, friends, and neighbors? And why are we presently trading economic hardship for the protection of human life? You know the answer: Because life matters more than the material. Regardless of whether or not one accepts the idea of a purposeful universe, which suggests God, the value of life is written on the human heart. In times of crisis, life is what matters most. Even to many dyed-in-the-wool materialists.
Put to the Test
Human beings also display remarkable ingenuity and creativity. Every human achievement — from eternity past to present day — represents the accumulation of knowledge and the application of that knowledge in everyday life. This will be put to the test in big ways and small to address the current threat. The big ways are obvious and immediate: the need to develop therapies to treat the sick, and vaccines to protect the healthy. These will take time, but they will happen.
Other creative solutions — both known and unknown — are smaller, but no less important, especially when considered as a whole. There is one example from our home base of Seattle that brought a tear to my eye just last night. Health care workers from Providence St. Joseph Health, lacking urgently needed protective medical gear for nurses and doctors, scoured the city for raw materials from home improvement and hobby stores. Working together in a conference room in Renton (near Seattle), they produced 500 medical grade masks and face shields desperately needed to safely test patients. As the old adage says, necessity is the mother of invention. It is a truism, and one that can be witnessed in moving photos of the scene, now making the rounds on social media. This ability to apply human creativity, and to innovate, will save lives.
Purpose, Creativity, Innovation
In the end — thanks to our focus on purpose, creativity, and innovation — I am hopeful. Next month will mark my 20th year at Discovery Institute. In that time, I have witnessed the trauma of September 11, the wars that followed, the Great Recession, and other national and personal tragedies. It’s not easy, and difficult decisions remain, but we always come through. So, too, will our country. And when we do, we will look back and realize that, in these times, purpose became primary; that human minds, not material processes saved the day; and that innovations, heretofore unknown, played a vital role in our rising to the challenge. A restoration of faith, and its application in daily life, is likely to be an outcome as well.
Here is some additional good news. In this time of indefinite self-quarantine, social distancing, and binge watching, I encourage you to take advantage of Discovery Institute’s incredible array of video and audio resources along with some recent articles. Please also share them with your friends and family.
Thank you for your loyal and steadfast support of our work, even in the midst of the turmoil. It is appreciated beyond words.
Photo: Seattle and the Space Needle at sunrise, by Shoot_It_RAW via Pixabay.