Episodes

  • How to Restore Sanity to Scientific Debates

    How to Restore Sanity to Scientific Debates
    May 13 2026
    Everywhere you turn, you’re likely to see evidence of error in thinking, and the realm of science is no exception. On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid concludes his conversation with J. Budziszewski, a professor of government, philosophy, and civic leadership at the University of Texas at Austin and author of the new book Pandemic of Lunacy: How to Think Clearly When Everyone Around You Seems Crazy. In his book, Budziszewski identifies thirty irrational ideas that are prevalent in modern society. He argues that many people have abandoned common sense and objectivity, leading to a cloud of confusion regarding human nature, science, and morality. In Part 2, we jump into more lunacies relevant to the scientific debates around human beings, biological life, and design in nature.

    Source
    Show More Show Less
    35 mins
  • Reclaiming Common Sense in a Pandemic of Lunacy

    Reclaiming Common Sense in a Pandemic of Lunacy
    May 12 2026
    Bad ideas have consequences. We don't have to look far to see evidence of it. Every day the news headlines are filled with conflicting versions of the same story. Biological facts are treated as “opinions,” logic is labeled as “hate,” and to speak up for common sense is seen as a revolutionary act. We're seeing this in every area of life, including science. So what's going on? How can we get back to clear thinking and respectful discourse? Helping us answer those questions today is J. Budziszewski, a professor of government, philosophy, and civic leadership at the University of Texas at Austin and author of the new book Pandemic of Lunacy: How to Think Clearly When Everyone Around You Seems Crazy. In his book, Professor Budziszewski patiently explains 30 delusions that beset us in the modern age. Ranging over the topics of morality and happiness, politics and science, family and sexuality, the real and the unreal, and God and religion, Budziszewski makes the case for sanity in accessible, commonsense language. In Part 1 of the conversation, we start zooming into some of the bad ideas that are specifically relevant to science and the arguments for intelligent design. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation.

    Source
    Show More Show Less
    42 mins
  • The Humble Origins of the Big Bang Theory

    The Humble Origins of the Big Bang Theory
    May 9 2026
    The Big Bang theory changed how we understand our universe. But who do we have to thank for it? On this classic ID The Future out of our archive, host Andrew McDiarmid concludes his conversation with esteemed cosmologist Jean-Pierre Luminet, who sets the record straight on the real heroes of the Big Bang Theory with his book The Big Bang Revolutionaries, available from Discovery Institute Press. In Part 2, Dr. Luminet begins by shedding more light on Georges Lemaitre, the Big Bang theory's chief architect. Lemaitre demonstrated a rare humility, concerned more with pursuing an accurate understanding of the universe than with who got credit for the theory. Luminet explains why it took so long for scientists to accept Lemaitre's theory over other competing theories of universal origins. Luminet also shares insight into two other architects of the Big Bang theory - Russian physicist Alexander Friedmann and Russian-American physicist and cosmologist George Gamow.

    Source
    Show More Show Less
    26 mins
  • How Changing Your Mind Can Physically Alter Your Brain

    How Changing Your Mind Can Physically Alter Your Brain
    May 7 2026
    Is it possible to personally alter the physical structure of your brain? Today’s episode of ID The Future comes to us from our sister podcast Mind Matters News. Host Dr. Michael Egnor sits down with fellow neurosurgeon and author Dr. Lee Warren to discuss his book The Life-Changing Art of Self-Brain Surgery. Dr. Warren shares how his medical training and Christian faith collided after the tragic loss of his son. The experience helped him realize that the mind is more than just brain activity. Dr. Warren unpacks the main thrust of his book, describing self-brain surgery as the intentional practice of choosing different thoughts to physically change the brain’s structure and improve overall health. Dr. Warren has observed the effects of such self-driven change in real-time brain scans, which deliver positive results like reducing the body’s stress response and promoting healing.

    Source
    Show More Show Less
    52 mins
  • Composing the Cosmos: Scoring The Story of Everything

    Composing the Cosmos: Scoring The Story of Everything
    May 4 2026
    One thing that makes the new documentary film The Story of Everything so stunning is the inspired musical score written for it. On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid welcomes composer, producer, and arranger Hannah Parrott to discuss her experiencing of putting the cosmos to music, from the farthest galaxies to the inner recesses of the cell. The movie, showing in theaters for one week only (April 30 - May 6, 2026) is a cinematic exploration of the cosmos that unpacks three scientific discoveries of the last century that reveal mind and purpose behind the universe. In this conversation, Hannah explains why she loves the medium of film music and gives us a glimpse into her process of creating music for The Story of Everything. She says music can bypass analytical thinking to reach a viewer's emotional core. She also values that the music she writes is able to work together with the visuals to create a lasting impression: "And it's just this overload of experiencing the story on every visceral level you can," Hannah notes. "And I think music is a huge part of that and works in tandem as this choir of voices telling the same story."

    Source
    Show More Show Less
    24 mins
  • The Real Heroes of the Big Bang Revolution

    The Real Heroes of the Big Bang Revolution
    May 1 2026
    The discovery that the universe had a beginning was one of the most remarkable scientific achievements of the last century, and that story is told cinematically in the new movie The Story of Everything. The developments sparked a cosmological paradigm shift and a radical new way to understand our world. But the three scientists most responsible for the big bang revolution are largely unknown to the public and underestimated by other scientists in their field. On this ID The Future out of the vault, host Andrew McDiarmid begins a conversation with esteemed cosmologist Jean-Pierre Luminet, who sets the record straight on the real heroes of the Big Bang Theory with his book The Big Bang Revolutionaries, published by Discovery Institute Press. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation.

    Source
    Show More Show Less
    32 mins
  • Using the Logic of Surprise to Infer Cosmic Design

    Using the Logic of Surprise to Infer Cosmic Design
    Apr 30 2026
    On a hike, you stumble upon a seemingly abandoned cabin in the woods. When you walk in, you notice a steaming cup of tea sitting on the table. On the hypothesis that the cabin is deserted, the tea would be shockingly surprising. But on the hypothesis that the cabin is inhabited, not so much. How does this little story illuminate the case for intelligent design? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid speaks with Dr. Timothy McGrew, one of the experts featured in the new movie The Story of Everything. The movie is a cinematic exploration of the scientific evidence for a mind behind the universe. Based on Dr. Stephen Meyer’s 2021 book Return of the God Hypothesis, The Story of Everything brings the evidence for intelligent design to life through stunning footage, cutting-edge animation, and engaging interviews with over 20 scientists and scholars.

    Source
    Show More Show Less
    43 mins
  • Michael Denton: How the Universe is Uniquely Fit for Life

    Michael Denton: How the Universe is Uniquely Fit for Life
    Apr 25 2026
    Did you know the ID The Future episode archive stretches back 20 years? Chances are, you've missed a few! So every Friday, we pull a gem out of the vault and air it anew. On this episode of ID the Future that first aired in 2012, Casey Luskin sits down with Dr. Michael Denton, a senior fellow of Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture who holds a PhD in biochemistry. Denton is the author of Evolution: A Theory in Crisis, which has been credited with influencing both Phillip Johnson and Michael Behe, as well as Nature's Destiny: How the Laws of Biology Reveal Purpose in the Universe, which elaborates on the evidence of design in nature. In this exchange, Luksin and Denton discuss the ways in which the universe is uniquely fit for carbon-based life, and perhaps even human life. Denton argues that when it comes to evidence of fine-tuning in the universe, the more you look, the more you find. Tune in to discover what he has found that has led him to the inference that our world is intelligently designed.

    Source
    Show More Show Less
    25 mins