Afleveringen
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Join biochemists Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Robert DiSilvestro as they discuss discoveries with theological and philosophical implications pointing to the reality of God’s existence.
Did life originate through evolutionary processes on the primordial Earth or through the handiwork of a Creator? In this episode Fuz and Robert critique one of the latest proposals from origin-of-life researchers for how proteins originated in the prebiotic world. In their analysis, Fuz and Robert show that a creation model best explains life’s origin.
Links and Resources:
Origins of Life: The Protein Folding Problem All Over Again?
Origins of Life: Biblical and Evolutionary Models Face Off by Fazale Rana and Hugh Ross
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Join biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana and astrophysicist Hugh Ross as they discuss new discoveries with theological and philosophical implications pointing to the reality of God’s existence.
Young-earth creationists argue that the buildup of mutations quickly causes genomes to deteriorate, driving organisms to extinction. This process of genetic entropy occurs on a timescale of 6,000–10,000 years, indicating that Earth and life on Earth cannot be billions of years old. Drawing from recent work in genetics, biochemist Fuz Rana explains why this young-earth argument fails.
Little Red Dots (LRDs) are compact objects that are the emerging cores of large galaxies seen during the cosmic dawn (early stages of the universe). They were thought to challenge several big bang creation models because they were too bright. This challenge was based on the assumption that all their light came from stars. Spectra of LRDs show much of the light comes from gas spiraling into growing supermassive black holes at LRDs’ centers. This conclusion well fits big bang models where many first-to-form stars are hundreds of times the Sun’s mass.
Links and Resources:
Estimating the Proportion of Beneficial Mutations That Are Not Adaptive in Mammals
The Rise of Faint, Red AGN at z > 4: A Sample of Little Red Dots in the JWST Extragalactic Legacy Fields
Is the Big Bang Theory in Trouble?
A Matter of Days
Dinosaur Blood and the Age of the Earth
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Join astrophysicists Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries with theological and philosophical implications pointing to the reality of God’s existence.
Dimethyl sulfide in a planet’s atmosphere has been widely cited as an unambiguous signature of life on the planet. However, the discovery of dimethyl sulfide in a comet, in the interstellar medium, and in laboratory photochemical experiments shows nonbiological pathways for the manufacture of dimethyl sulfide and other organosulfurs. Thus, the James Webb Space Telescope’s discovery of such organic compounds on exoplanets can’t prove life exists on another planet.
The seeds of big bang cosmology were planted nearly 100 years ago, and it stands as the reigning cosmology model for the last 60–70 years. What many people may not realize is that the mathematical foundation for the big bang rests on an approximation needed to solve Einstein’s equations of general relativity. Over the last 20 years, a growing group of scientists have argued that more accurate solutions that don’t utilize the approximation provide a better model of the universe while simultaneously removing the need for dark energy. We describe the basics of this new model and discuss the apologetics implications.
Links and Resources:
Carbon-Bearing Molecules in a Possible Hycean Atmosphere
Abiotic Production of Dimethyl Sulfide, Carbonyl Sulfide, and Other Organosulfur Gases Via Photochemistry: Implications for Biosignatures and Metabolic Potential
Evidence for Abiotic Dimethyl Sulfide in Cometary Matter
On the Abiotic Origin of Dimethyl Sulfide: Discovery of DMS in the Interstellar Medium
Dark Energy May Not Exist: Something Stranger Might Explain the Universe
Supernovae Evidence for Foundational Change to Cosmological Models
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Join biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana and astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries with theological and philosophical implications pointing to the reality of God’s existence.
Fuz discusses the work of Chinese scientists who have identified the functional significance of the [genetic?] fusion event that seemingly generated human chromosome 2. This insight validates a key prediction of the RTB human origins model and adds credibility to the Bible’s description of humanity’s creation.
Jeff explains why scientists and engineers increasingly look to nature for inspiration to “build a better mousetrap.” Virtually every airplane in existence has a vertical tail that keeps the airplane on a straight line without rolling or spinning on its vertical axis. A recent study of how birds fly without a vertical tail reveals the sophisticated system of sensors, reflexes, and materials used to achieve “rudderless” flight. Far from a kludge job, such sophistication points to the work of a Creator who designed birds with this remarkable ability.
Links and Resources:
Incomplete Lineage Sorting of Segmental Duplications Defines the Human Chromosome 2 Fusion Site Early During African Great Ape Speciation
Bird-Inspired Reflexive Morphing Enables Rudderless Flight
Birdlike Robot Flies Steady Without a Vertical Tail
Thinking About Evolution, chapter 22, “Is the Watchmaker Really Blind?” by Fazale Rana
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Join astrophysicists Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries with theological and philosophical implications pointing to the existence of God.
Hugh explains that the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Collaboration has released redshift and position measurements on 3,855,000 galaxies and 857,000 quasars in the redshift range 0.1–2.1. Analysis of this database shows that gravity alternatives to general relativity on large cosmic size scales are negligible and provides stronger evidence for a time-varying dark energy equation of state. The analysis also yields the best measure to date of the cosmic matter density, thereby affirming a feature of cosmic creation. Jeff discusses how scientists over the past 10–15 years have discovered a tension between measurements of the Hubble constant from the early universe compared to the late universe. If found to be a real discrepancy, such a tension could point to new physics and a greater understanding of the development of the universe. A new study with data from James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) affirms the validity of the late Hubble constant measurement, strengthening the case for a legitimate discrepancy.
Links and Resources:
DESI 2024 VII: Cosmological Constraints from the Full-Shape Modeling of Clustering Measurements
Modified Gravity Constraints from the Full Shape Modeling of Clustering Measurements from DESI 2024
Hubble Constant Tension Resolution
Resolving Hubble Constant and Creation Tension
Universe Expansion Study Confirms Challenge to Cosmic Theory
JWST Validates HST Distance Measurements: Selection of Supernova Subsample Explains Differences in JWST Estimates of Local H0
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Join biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana and OB/GYN Christina Cirucci as they discuss regret, desisting, and detransitioning among people who receive gender-affirming care.
How often do people change their minds after they transition to the opposite gender? What motivates that change of mind?
Can gender transitioning be fully reversed?
Warning: This content may include explicit material. Viewer discretion is advised. The intention is not to offend but to provide information. Proceed only if you are comfortable with conversations regarding gender-affirming care, gender reassignment surgeries, and detransitioning.
Disclaimer: Reasons to Believe is expressing our Christian beliefs on the issues of gender identity in the intersection of science and faith, as it’s an important discussion and many people have valid questions.
This research showcases the expertise of select members of the RTB Scholar Community on matters of gender identity. RTB is not offering medical or other professional advice. People need to consult with their own physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, etc. We want to see everyone make informed, educated decisions.
Links and Resources:
Gender Identity White Papers: Learn to Defend Biblical Sexuality with Gentleness and Respect
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Join biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana and astrophysicist Hugh Ross as they discuss DNA survival in fossils and how mussels could help civilization. These new discoveries suggest theological and philosophical implications alluding to the reality of God’s existence.
Fuz surveys three key scientific papers on DNA survival in fossils and explains why the recovery of DNA fragments from fossils can’t be used to make the case that Earth is only 6,000 years old. Meanwhile, Hugh explains how mussels use adhesive properties to stick to almost any surface. Scientists from Rice University bioengineered bacteria, inspired by the mussel’s adhesive properties, that could rid the world’s oceans, rivers, lakes, and food stocks of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) pollutants that threaten human health and civilization.
Links and Resources:
The Half-Life of DNA in Bone: Measuring Decay Kinetics in 158 Dated FossilsA New Model for Ancient DNA Decay Based on Paleogenomic Meta-AnalysisDeep-Time Paleogenomics and the Limits of DNA SurvivalHarnessing Nature-Inspired Catechol Amino Acid to Engineer Sticky Proteins and Bacteria -
DNA Data Storage
In this episode, biochemist Fazale Rana discusses one of the latest advances in DNA data storage technology and explains how this insight adds to the evidence that a Creator played a role in the origin and basic design of life.
Most Hunted Particle
The most sought-after particles in the universe are axions, the leading candidate to comprise most of the universe’s dark matter. A team of physicists led by Dion Noordhuis has shown that the best place to look for axions is around rapidly spinning neutron stars, where scientists believe axion clouds reside. Current radio telescopes may be able to detect the mystery particles, a discovery that would bolster the evidence for a big bang creation model.
Links and Resources:
Parallel Molecular Data Storage by Printing Epigenetic Bits on DNA
Axion Clouds Around Neutron Stars
Dark Matter Particles
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In this episode, biochemist Fazale Rana and OB/GYN Christina Cirucci discuss the safety of gender-affirming care, including gender reassignment surgeries.
•What do these procedures entail?•Are there benefits to these procedures?•What are the complications?•How should Christians respond to someone who is considering these types of operations?
Warning: This content may include explicit material. Viewer discretion is advised. Theintention is not to offend but to provide information. Proceed only if you are comfortable with conversations regarding gender-affirming care and gender reassignment surgeries.
Disclaimer: Reasons to Believe is expressing our Christian beliefs on the issues of gender identity in the intersection of science and faith, as it’s an important discussion and many people have valid questions.
This research showcases the expertise of select members of the RTB Scholar Community on matters of gender identity. RTB is not offering medical or other professional advice. People need to consult with their own physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, etc. We want to see everyone make informed, educated decisions.
Reference:The Truth About Transgenderism—What Scripture, Science, and Medicine Say
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Fine-Tuning and the Multiverse
Join Jeff Zweerink and Rabbis Elie Feder and Aaron Zimmer as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.
Scientists have discovered that the fundamental constants needed to describe our universe provide evidence of an intelligent cause that made the universe. In recent years, many scientists have argued that the multiverse provides an alternative explanation of the fundamental constants. However, for a multiverse to fulfill this role, it must exhibit specific features. A close examination of those features shows that workable multiverse models also demonstrate the same evidence of an intelligent cause. In this episode, we discuss the fine-tuning argument and multiverse response with Rabbis Elie Feder and Aaron Zimmer.
Links and Resources:
3 Proofs of God from SciencePhysics to God EpisodesMultiverse Musings: An Updated Summary -
Join Hugh Ross in this breaking News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Hugh interviews fellow RTB astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink while Jeff is in Antarctica. Jeff is part of a research team that’s preparing to launch a balloon loaded with instruments that will either detect dark matter particles or impose more stringent constraints that will guide future efforts to find the universe’s elusive dark matter particles. The quest to find dark matter particles is considered the holy grail for astrophysicists, with a Nobel Prize in the waiting for the discovery team.
Links and Resources:
No Dark Matter Near the Sun—Oh Wait, We Found It
Designed to the Core
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Join Jeff Zweerink in a conversation with authors Krista Bontrager and Monique Duson as they discuss their theological and philosophical journey toward understanding what the Bible says about racial harmony.
How good and pleasant it is for brothers and sisters to dwell together in unity! Yet conversations between people who hold different views on the topic of race rarely bring unity. Join Jeff, Krista, and Monique as they provide a shining example of how seeking biblical truth can bring true unity even while exploring a divisive topic.
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Will AI Ever Be Like Us?
In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana and philosopher Kristen Davis explore the question, Will AI ever be like us?
One of the most important questions to emerge from advances in AI is the age-old, Who are we as human beings?
Some people claim that when we achieve artificial general intelligence—the ability of machines to learn intellectual tasks that human beings can—AI systems will be persons, just like us. Others claim that when we achieve artificial superintelligence—the ability of machines to surpass human beings’ capabilities—AI systems will represent the next stage in evolutionary history.
Are these viewpoints valid?
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AI and the Genome
In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana describes recent insight from two investigators who make the case that genomes are generative AI systems. The architecture and operation of biochemical information is far more sophisticated and complex than previously recognized and points to purposeful design.
Earth’s Past Temperature
Two new studies on Earth’s past climate have provided important data for predicting Earth’s future climate, as well as exoplanet habitability. Oxygen-18 measurements from shale, iron oxide, carbonates, and chert show that Earth’s climate was warm from 2.0–0.5 billion years ago. Then a drop in global mean surface temperature (GMST) occurred 500 million years ago to a decline in atmospheric carbon dioxide. An integration of geological data with climate model simulations shows that GMSTs varied from 11–36°C over the past 485 million years, a much larger range than previous reconstructions. Temperature changes were especially dramatic at high latitudes. During the Phanerozoic, Earth spent more time in warm climate states than cold ones and atmospheric CO2 was the dominant control on climate. Throughout the past 2 billion years, atmospheric CO2 played the most important role in compensating for increasing solar luminosity.
Links and Resources:
Hot and Cold Earth Through Time
A 485-Million-Year History of Earth’s Surface Temperature
Oxygen Isotope Ensemble Reveals Earth’s Seawater, Temperature, and Carbon Cycle History
The Genomic Code: The Genome Instantiates a Generative Model of the Organism -
Join Jeff Zweerink and Kevin Birdwell as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.
Winter Gatekeeper Hypothesis
Virtually all public discussion about climate changes focuses on greenhouse gases—usually only carbon dioxide. Clearly greenhouse gases impact the climate, but scientific research demonstrates that the climate system is far more complicated than any single set of gases could describe. Specifically, one of the dominant drivers of the climate may be Earth’s capacity to transport energy from the tropics to the poles. This episode describes the winter gatekeeper hypothesis and its consequences for the global climate.
Links and Resources:
The Winter Gatekeeper Hypothesis (VII). A Summary Plus Q&A -
Nuclear Power and Climate Change
One undeniable question accompanies any discussion about climate change: How much power do we need and what existing technologies are capable of generating that power? Most technologies capable of producing sufficient power for the world’s energy needs also emit large amounts of greenhouse gases. Technologies emitting fewer greenhouse gases don’t produce abundant power—except for nuclear power. In this episode, atmospheric scientist Kevin Birdwell and astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink discuss how current and future nuclear power technologies dramatically impact our ability to generate adequate power for humanity in an environmentally friendly way.
Links and Resources:
Safe, Clean, Proliferation Resistant and Cost-Effective Thorium-Based Molten Salt Reactors for Sustainable DevelopmentTime Warp: Molten Salt Reactor Experiment—Alvin Weinberg’s Magnum Opus -
Join Hugh Ross in this breaking News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Hugh describes a search for dark photons, a candidate for comprising a large fraction of the universe’s dark matter. The search consisted of comparing a detailed map of the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR) with a catalog of more than 500 million galaxies.
Dark matter makes up 24.5% of the universe.Probability of ordinary photons from the CMBR morphing into dark photons peaks when they pass through the plasma of electrons surrounding galaxy clusters.Loss of CMBR photons will be correlated with galaxy cluster positions and would make the CMBR map look more splotchy.The search team accounted for other effects known to distort the CMBR map.The search team found no evidence for dark photons. They placed an upper limit on dark photon contribution to dark matter more than 10 times lower than previous analyses.Future comparisons of the CMBR map with positions of denser, older galaxies will yield more stringent limits on dark photons.Axions remain as the leading candidate particles to comprise the majority of the universe’s dark matter.Links & Resources
Dark Photon Limits from Patchy Dark Screening of the Cosmic Microwave BackgroundNews of the Day episode: Dark Matter Particles? -
Interview with Physician Raj Kumar Songa
In this episode of Stars, Cells, and God, Hugh Ross interviews Raj Kumar Songa, a physician specializing in internal medicine. Raj is a Reasons to Believe Scholar Community member and serves on the board of directors of RTB APAC (Asia-Pacific). He lives in Hyderabad, India, where in addition to his medical practice he heads up several enterprises, including a Christian bookstore. He also serves as a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley.
In this interview Raj shares his testimony of how he became a follower of Jesus Christ, his role in launching RTB APAC, biblical principles of giving, and the responsibility of all Christians to use the wealth they create to further the kingdom of God.
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A Medical Analysis of the Hallucination Hypothesis
Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Dr. Joe Bergeron as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.
Jesus’s disciples experienced something that made them believe Jesus bodily resurrected from the dead after a grisly death by crucifixion. As a naturalistic explanation to explain away the biblical narrative, critical scholars have proposed that Jesus’s disciples were hallucinating when they saw the resurrected Jesus. This has been referred to as the hallucination hypothesis. Dr. Bergeron provides a medical analysis of hallucination hypotheses and explains why they are unsupportable and inconsistent with current medical understanding.
Links and Resources:
The Crucifixion of Jesus: A Medical Doctor Examines the Death and Resurrection of Christ -
Aquinas’s Fifth Way
Join Jeff Zweerink and Kyle Keltz as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.
Modern scientists often dismiss Aquinas’s Five Ways as being outdated, irrelevant, or even invalid. However, when properly understood, the Five Ways show a remarkable similarity to how we think and approach science and they provide profound insight into explaining the universe. In this episode, astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink and philosopher Kyle Keltz clear up some misconceptions about the Fifth Way and design arguments while also showing how scientific advances over the last four centuries provide strong support for the premises of the Fifth Way.
Links and Resources:
Dr. Kyle Keltz has written two papers on Thomas Aquinas’s Five Ways, focusing on the Second Way and Fifth Way. They will be available at reasons.org in early 2025. - Laat meer zien
