Best Irreducible Complexity Podcasts (2025)

1
Denyse O’Leary: Why Materialism Can’t Explain the Mind 41:34

16h ago41:34

41:34

Is the soul a myth? Does your mind really just boil down to brain function? On today's ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid speaks with journalist Denyse O'Leary about surprising findings out of neuroscience that shatter materialist assumptions. O'Leary is co-author with Dr. Michael Egnor of The Immortal Mind: A Neurosurgeon's Case for the Existenc…

1
Stephen Meyer: God Behind the Birth of Science and the Cosmos 18:57

4d ago18:57

18:57

Do we have to choose between science and God? Absolutely not, says philosopher of science Dr. Stephen Meyer. In fact, theistic ideas about nature actually inspired the rise of modern science. On today’s ID the Future from the archive, Return of the God Hypothesis author Stephen Meyer and radio host Michael Medved discuss the arguments presented in …

1
Michael Egnor Reads From His New Book The Immortal Mind 21:57

6d ago21:57

21:57

On this ID The Future, Dr. Michael Egnor reads the Introduction to his new book The Immortal Mind: A Neurosurgeon's Case for the Existence of the Soul, now available from Worthy Books. In this reading, Dr. Egnor shares his journey from being a medical student who believed science could explain everything, including how consciousness emerges from th…

1
Jay Richards on the “Ground Clearing” Work of Jonathan Wells 29:56

8d ago29:56

29:56

Before the positive case for intelligent design can be received effectively, the case against the Darwinian evolutionary mechanism must be clearly laid out. One man who was instrumental in this initial "ground clearing operation" was biologist Dr. Jonathan Wells, our friend and colleague who passed away in 2024. On this ID The Future, host Andrew M…

1
Engineered Complexity in the Microbial World 22:36

11d ago22:36

22:36

On this ID the Future from the archive, host Jonathan Witt speaks to molecular biologist and professor Dustin Van Hofwegen about his research into the engineered complexity in microbial life. Hofwegen shares his research on the famous decades-long E. coli evolution experiment conducted by Richard Lenski, which showed the sudden appearance of an abi…

1
Physicist Brian Miller: The Non-Algorithmic Nature of Life 37:27

13d ago37:27

37:27

For decades, we’ve thought the control center of life lies in DNA. But a new scientific framework is emerging that challenges that idea, and suggests that vast portions of the genome are immaterial and lie outside the physical world. Today, physicist Dr. Brian Miller shares his perspective on the cutting-edge, potentially revolutionary research of …

1
A Neurosurgeon Pulls Back the Curtain on the Soul 37:10

15d ago37:10

37:10

On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid is thrilled to welcome back renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Michael Egnor to continue discussing his new book The Immortal Mind: A Neurosurgeon's Case for the Existence of the Soul. The book tackles provocative ideas, making a case that the human soul exists and that the mind is immortal. In this compelling co…

1
Michael Denton on the Primal Patterns That Govern Living Systems 15:44

18d ago15:44

15:44

On this classic ID The Future out of the vault, biochemist Dr. Michael Denton discusses the implications of recurring animal body plans, arguing that they are predetermined types that point away from purely mechanistic processes. He observes that structures like the insect body plan were fixed long ago and haven't changed. He argues they are better…

1
Can Evolutionary Processes Explain Human Creativity? 38:53

20d ago38:53

38:53

On this ID The Future, we're sharing a conversation that first aired on Mind Matters News, another podcast from the Discovery Institute that focuses on the intersection of artificial and natural intelligence. In this episode, guest host Pat Flynn welcomes engineer Dr. Eric Holloway and professor Robert J. Marks to discuss the information cost of cr…

1
Why Life Is the Most Unnatural Thing in the Universe 25:57

22d ago25:57

25:57

We usually think of life as the most natural thing there is – blooming plants, flowing water, the cycles of nature. But what if that perspective is fundamentally challenged by the very laws of physics that govern our universe? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid welcomes physicist Dr. Eric Hedin to the podcast to discuss the compelling ide…

1
New Study Shatters the 1% Human-Chimp Difference Myth 32:51

25d ago32:51

32:51

When scientists originally studied the chimp genome, they used the human genome as a template. This scaffolding technique gave birth to the popular claim that chimp and human genomes are only 1% different. But new research has now blown the 1% myth out of the water. On today's ID The Future, geologist Dr. Casey Luskin speaks with host Dr. Emily Ree…

1
Register Now: HS Biology and Chemistry With Intelligent Design Integration 32:30

27d ago32:30

32:30

On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid welcomes Kristin Marais and Summer Lile, two passionate instructors from the Discovery Institute Academy, to discuss their high school biology and chemistry courses, uniquely taught from the perspective that nature reflects intelligent design. These courses offer a complete, sequenced curriculum and incl…

1
The Immortal Mind: How Neuroscience Points Beyond Materialism 28:45

29d ago28:45

28:45

Is your mind more than just your brain? Does the soul actually exist? These questions have been pondered for millennia. What does the latest scientific research suggest? On this ID The Future, renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Michael Egnor begins a conversation with host Andrew McDiarmid about his new book The Immortal Mind: A Neurosurgeon's Case for the …

1
Johannes Kepler, the Book of Nature, and the Language of Mathematics 15:52

1M ago15:52

15:52

On this episode of ID the Future from the archive, Andrew McDiarmid talks with science historian Michael Keas about pioneering mathematical astronomer Johannes Kepler, based on Keas’s book Unbelievable: 7 Myths About the History and Future of Science and Religion. Kepler studied theology before turning to math and science, and it was his belief in …

1
Stephen Meyer: There’s a “Powerful Signal of Design” in Nature 34:15

1M ago34:15

34:15

On this ID The Future, enjoy the concluding half of a remarkable and candid discussion on the limits of Darwinian evolution and the arguments for intelligent design. The conversation, recorded in 2019, is hosted by Peter Robinson for his program Uncommon Knowledge, and features philosopher of science Dr. Stephen Meyer, mathematician and author Dr. …

1
The Mathematical Case Against Darwinian Evolution 30:13

1M ago30:13

30:13

Does the math behind Darwinian evolution add up? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid invites you to enjoy the first half of a remarkable and candid discussion about the limits of Darwinian evolution and the arguments for intelligent design. The conversation, originally recorded in 2019, is hosted by Peter Robinson for Uncommon Knowledge, a…

1
Lost In (Search) Space: Why Randomness Challenges Neo-Darwinian Theory 16:12

1M ago16:12

16:12

On this episode of ID the Future from our archive, Dr. Paul Nelson talks with Dr. Wolf-Ekkehard Lönnig, retired geneticist at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Germany, about randomness in natural selection and why randomness is such a controversial topic. SourceBy Discovery Institute

1
More Than a Thumb: Integrated Design in the Giant Panda 42:41

1M ago42:41

42:41

Is the famous “panda’s thumb” evidence of unguided evolutionary processes, or is it a masterpiece of engineering and the result of intelligent design? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid concludes his conversation with retired geneticist, Dr. Wolf-Eckehard Lönnig, an intelligent design pioneer who has been offering robust criticism of Darw…

1
Evolved or Engineered? A Geneticist Evaluates the Panda’s Thumb 34:24

1M ago34:24

34:24

In 1980, influential paleontologist and evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould wrote that “we can know that evolution has happened by the imperfections and oddities that life shows.” But is that true? And what if we take a closer look at those assumed evolutionary oddities and see instead evidence of engineered elegance? On this ID The Future, ho…

1
How Darwinism Has Corroded Western Culture 17:49

2M ago17:49

17:49

On this ID the Future from the archive, hear the second half of Discovery Institute’s John West’s talk given at the 2020 Dallas Conference on Science and Faith, on how Darwinism has corroded Western culture. In this portion he examines the morally poisoning effects of Darwinism on marriage, sexual ethics, and religion, such that virtually anything …

1
David Klinghoffer Reads From His New Book Plato’s Revenge 20:59

2M ago20:59

20:59

On this ID The Future, science writer David Klinghoffer reads from his new book Plato’s Revenge: The New Science of the Immaterial Genome, now available from Discovery Institute Press. This is a compact book, but it’s the story of a very big idea, and one that has the potential to usher in the next great revolution in biology. Source…

1
Plato’s Revenge: An Interview with David Klinghoffer 24:45

2M ago24:45

24:45

You're likely familiar with the genetic revolution — the discovery that physical structures in the cell, including DNA and RNA, shape every organism. But we are now overdue for another and more profound revolution in science, one you've likely heard very little about. Recent findings reveal that genetic and even epigenetic sources alone cannot acco…

1
John West on Darwin’s Culturally Corrosive Idea 20:23

2M ago20:23

20:23

On this ID the Future from the vault, catch the first half of a public talk by political scientist John West on how Darwinism has poisoned Western culture. In the lecture, delivered at the Dallas Conference on Science & Faith, West explores how Darwin’s purely materialistic theory of evolution has drained meaning from nature, undercut the idea of i…

1
Larry Sanger on Wikipedia, AI, and Preserving Human Knowledge 36:08

2M ago36:08

36:08

On this episode of ID The Future, hosts Andrew McDiarmid and Nathan Jacobson continue their conversation with Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger. In this segment, Sanger explains how his philosophy to decentralize the world's knowledge plays into science and truth-seeking in the age of AI. He talks about the shortcomings of large language models and…

1
Skeptic to Believer: Wikipedia Co-Founder Larry Sanger’s Intellectual Journey 40:50

2M ago40:50

40:50

On this ID The Future, Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger joins hosts Andrew McDiarmid and Nathan Jacobson to delve into his personal evolution from longtime skeptical philosopher to belief in God. After falling out of faith in his teens, Sanger became a committed skeptic and agnostic, adhering to the principle of methodological skepticism for decad…

1
Louis Pasteur: A Man of Science and Faith 34:13

2M ago34:13

34:13

On this episode of ID the Future out of the archive, biologist Ann Gauger walks listeners through the triumphs, flaws, and tragedies of Louis Pasteur, the French scientist whose scientific breakthroughs have saved millions of lives, and whose work on microbes sounded the death knell of the idea of spontaneous generation. Dr. Gauger also discusses h…

1
Why the “Universe From Nothing” Model Points to Intelligent Design 20:58

2M ago20:58

20:58

Did our universe come from nothing, as some physicists have proposed? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid critiques the audacious claim that our universe popped into existence out of nothing. What is nothing? What isn’t nothing? And how does the universe from nothing claim actually imply intelligent design? McDiarmid shares audio from the …

1
Brian Miller on Circular Reasoning in Origin of Life Theories 36:00

2M ago36:00

36:00

Is origin of life research going round in circles? This is ID the Future, a podcast that isn't afraid to tackle the big questions about evolution and intelligent design. Today, host Eric Anderson chats with physicist Dr. Brian Miller about circular reasoning and other problems in origin of life research. They discuss the work of Stephen Meyer and J…

1
Robert Shedinger: Darwin’s Sacred Cause is “Historical Fiction” 14:45

2M ago14:45

14:45

On today’s ID the Future from our archive, historian of science Michael Keas concludes a two-part conversation with science-and-religion scholar Robert Shedinger about his research into the writing and work of 19th century naturalist Charles Darwin. In this segment, Shedinger makes the case that a well-known biography of Charles Darwin, Darwin’s Sa…

1
Casey Luskin on Intelligent Design, Evolution, and the Fossil Record 36:34

2M ago36:34

36:34

On this episode, Dr. Casey Luskin concludes his conversation about the basics of intelligent design with Sam Kleckley, host of the Live Life in Motion podcast. You'll find this interview (including Part 1) particularly helpful if you are new to the science of intelligent design yourself, or you have friends or family who are open to learning more. …

1
Unpacking Intelligent Design: A Beginner’s Guide with Casey Luskin 30:54

2M ago30:54

30:54

How would you explain intelligent design to someone who has just recently begun looking into it? Perhaps you are new to it yourself, or you have a friend or family member who is curious. Today, Dr. Casey Luskin begins a two-part discussion of the basics of intelligent design with Sam Kleckley, host of the Live Life in Motion podcast. Part 1 present…

1
Rescuing Evolutionary Theory from Darwinian Mythology 19:20

2M ago19:20

19:20

Does the public promotion of Darwin's theory of natural selection match Darwin's own private view of his theory? On this episode of ID the Future out of the archive, historian of science Michael Keas begins a two-part conversation with Robert Shedinger, the Wilford A. Johnson Chair of Biblical Studies and Professor of Religion at Luther College and…

1
A Celebrated Life: Colleagues Remember Dr. Jonathan Wells 28:04

3M ago28:04

28:04

On this ID The Future, we bring you excerpts from a recent gathering to celebrate the life of biologist Dr. Jonathan Wells, who passed away in September 2024 at the age of 82. Dr. Wells was one of the first fellows of the Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture. In 2000, Wells took the science world by storm with Icons of Evolution, a …

1
How to Study Biology with Systems Engineering Principles 39:43

3M ago39:43

39:43

Traditional methods in biology have proven insufficient for understanding and accurately predicting complex biological systems. Why? The great majority of biologists are trained to study life from the bottom up, as the result of unguided evolutionary processes. It turns out there are better ways to observe, question, hypothesize, experiment, and an…

1
Puncturing the Science-Faith Warfare Myth 32:55

3M ago32:55

32:55

On today’s ID the Future out of the vault, join host and geologist Casey Luskin and historian of science Michael Keas for a lively conversation puncturing a series of anti-Christian myths about the history of science, including the Dark Ages myth, the flat-earth myth, the myth that humanity was rendered insignificant by the discovery of the size of…

1
Missiles & Jackhammers: How Plants Spread Themselves Far and Wide 26:31

3M ago26:31

26:31

Host Andrew McDiarmid welcomes science reporter David Coppedge to the show to explore some fascinating examples of intelligent design in the plant world. They look so helpless tied to the soil, but plants and fungi have perfected technologies for spreading themselves far and wide. Coppedge and McDiarmid unpack the ingenious methods plants and fungi…

1
Brian Miller: Transforming Lives Through the Summer Seminar 25:25

3M ago25:25

25:25

On this episode of ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid interviews Dr. Brian Miller about the Discovery Institute's Summer Seminar Program, which offers a unique opportunity for students and professionals to explore intelligent design across various scientific disciplines. Dr. Miller shares his personal journey from participant to teacher, highligh…

1
A Privileged Place for Life and Discovery 24:01

3M ago24:01

24:01

On this ID the Future out of the vault, host and geologist Casey Luskin continues his conversation with astrobiologist Guillermo Gonzalez about the many ways Earth’s place in the cosmos is finely tuned for life. In this second half of their conversation, Gonzalez zooms out to discuss the galactic habitable zone and the cosmic habitable age. Luskin …

1
Humility and Humor: Richard Sternberg Remembers Jonathan Wells 27:47

3M ago27:47

27:47

On this episode of ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid continues a series of interviews celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Jonathan Wells, our close colleague and friend who passed away in 2024 at the age of 82 years old. Dr. Wells was one of the first fellows of Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture and made significant contrib…

1
How Jonathan Wells Dismantled the Icons of Evolution 34:05

3M ago34:05

34:05

On this episode of ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid invites Dr. Casey Luskin to share some of his memories of our longtime colleague Dr. Jonathan Wells, who recently passed away at 82 years old. Dr. Wells was one of the first fellows at Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture. In a career spanning three decades, Wells made signific…

1
Guillermo Gonzalez on Growing Evidence of Earth’s Privilege 22:42

3M ago22:42

22:42

On today’s ID the Future out of the archive, astrobiologist Guillermo Gonzalez, co-author of The Privileged Planet, begins a two-part conversation with host Casey Luskin by providing a rapid survey of some of the growing evidence that Earth is finely tuned in numerous ways to allow for life. He draws a helpful distinction between local fine tuning …

1
“The Ultimate Gentleman”: Tom Woodward Remembers Jonathan Wells 23:41

3M ago23:41

23:41

On this ID The Future, Dr. Tom Woodward shares more memories of our longtime colleague Dr. Jonathan Wells, who recently passed away at 82 years old. Dr. Wells was one of the first fellows at Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture, and his contributions over the last quarter century to the intelligent design movement have been formidab…

1
Tom Woodward on the Impact of Icons of Evolution 20:00

3M ago20:00

20:00

On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid welcomes Dr. Tom Woodward to the podcast to share some of his memories of our longtime colleague Dr. Jonathan Wells, who recently passed away at 82 years old. In Part 1, Dr. Woodward tells the story of Jonathan’s efforts to fight the battle over textbook misinformation with his 2000 book Icons of Evoluti…

1
Richard Sternberg on the Information Beyond the Genome 22:59

3M ago22:59

22:59

On this episode of ID the Future out of our archive, evolutionary biologist Dr. Richard Sternberg, a research fellow at the Biologic Institute and a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture, speaks about his mathematical and logical work showing the difficulty of identifying genes purely with material phenomena. It …

1
Gutsy and Loyal: The Qualities of My Friend Jonathan Wells 24:05

3M ago24:05

24:05

On this episode of ID The Future, philosopher of biology Paul Nelson continues to share his remembrances of our longtime colleague Dr. Jonathan Wells, who passed away in 2024 at 82 years old. Dr. Wells was one of the first fellows at Discovery Institute’s Center for Science & Culture, and his contributions to the intelligent design movement over th…

1
Paul Nelson: My Adventures with Jonathan Wells 31:43

4M ago31:43

31:43

On this episode of ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid welcomes philosopher of biology Paul Nelson to share some of his remembrances of our longtime colleague Dr. Jonathan Wells, who passed away in 2024 at 82 years old. Dr. Wells was one of the first fellows at Discovery Institute’s Center for Science & Culture, and his contributions to the intell…

1
Chimp and Human Genomes: An Evolution Myth Unravels 29:47

4M ago29:47

29:47

On today’s ID the Future from the vault, Casey Luskin continues his conversation with host Eric Anderson about the myths surrounding human origins. Luskin rebuts the popular claim that the human and chimp genomes are 98-99% similar and therefore surely resulted from Darwinian common descent. He also throws shade in the argument that humans and chim…

1
Using AI to Discover Intelligent Design 21:06

4M ago21:06

21:06

Can we train AI models to help us detect evidence of intelligent design? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid welcomes science reporter and former NASA engineer David Coppedge to the podcast to talk about scientists who are doing just that: using artificial intelligence to make design inferences. Here, Coppedge tells us about a group of sci…

1
Can Meaning and Purpose Emerge From a Darwinian Process? 34:42

4M ago34:42

34:42

Did meaning and purpose arise from a bottom-up Darwinian process to give us an evolutionary advantage? Or is the universe infused with meaning and purpose for a deeper reason than survival? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid and Dr. Emily Reeves explore whether meaning and purpose can emerge from an unguided evolutionary process. They als…

1
A Better Explanation for Human Origins 33:56

4M ago33:56

33:56

What is wrong with the standard evolutionary story of human origins? On today’s ID the Future from the archive, host Eric Anderson begins a two-part conversation with geologist Dr. Casey Luskin to discuss why evolutionary models of paleo-anthropology, genetics, and evolutionary psychology fail to account for human origins. Dr. Luskin contributed a …

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Irreducible Complexity Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide