606. Stephen Meyer

Stephen C. Meyer received his Ph.D. in the philosophy of science from the University of Cambridge. A former geophysicist and college professor, he now directs Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture. Meyer is author of the New York Times bestseller Darwin's Doubt: The Explosive Origin of Animal Life and the Case for Intelligent Design and Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design, a (London) Times Literary Supplement Book of the Year. In 2004, Meyer ignited a firestorm of media and scientific controversy when a biology journal at the Smithsonian Institution published his peer-reviewed scientific article advancing intelligent design. Meyer has been featured on national television and radio programs, including The Jim Lehrer News Hour, CBS Sunday Morning, NBC Nightly News, ABC World News, Good Morning America, Nightline, FOX News Live, Paula Zahn Now (CNN), and the Tavis Smiley Show on PBS. He has also been featured in two New York Times front-page stories and has garnered attention in other top national media. Latest Book: Return of the God Hypothesis: Three Scientific Discoveries That Reveal the Mind Behind the Universe Website: stephencmeyer.org Summary and Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded July 9, 2021 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:03:42 - Introduction to Stephen's Work and Book 00:07:28 - The Intelligent Cause of DNA Information 00:10:29 - The Complexity of Natural Processes and Intelligent Design 00:13:23 - The Fine-tuning of the Laws of Physics 00:16:31 - The Fine-tuned Universe and Intelligent Design 00:19:38 - The Multiverse Hypothesis and Fine-Tuning 00:22:29 - Fine-tuning and Intelligent Agency 00:25:52 - The Shift from Religion to Materialism 00:29:04 - Different Views on the Nature of God 00:32:14 - Exploring Different Philosophical Conceptions 00:35:12 - The Power of Divine Agency 00:38:28 - God's Imminence and Transcendence 00:42:10 - Theistic and Pantheistic Versions of Eastern Religions 00:45:46 - Waves on the Ocean of Intelligence 00:49:59 - The Importance of Intelligent Design 00:54:57 - The Search for Meaning and Existence 01:02:02 - Storing and Reconstituting Information 01:07:28 - Near-Death Experiences and the Survival of the Soul 01:14:29 - The Existence of God through Logical Reasoning and Personal Experience 01:21:19 - The Combination of Rationality and Empiricism 01:26:45 - The Scientific Attitude in Spirituality 01:31:33 - The Role of Faith in Knowledge and Science 01:36:08 - Belief in the Unseen: Quarks, Electrons, and God 01:39:53 - Miracles and the Laws of Nature 01:46:20 - Intelligent Design and Limited Creative Power 01:52:28 - Mathematical Platonism and the Applicability of Maths to the Physical World 01:58:50 - Evaluation of Pantheism and Advaita 02:03:13 - The Challenges of Teaching Intelligent Design in Public Schools 02:08:52 - Belief in Intelligent Design across different religions 02:14:16 - Links to Stephen's Books and Audible Availability