Reasons to Believe Podcast (Reasons To Believe)

Join Hugh Ross in this breaking News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Hugh describes a discovery that may resolve a long-standing mystery about dark matter.

• Dark matter is matter that doesn’t interact with light or interacts at an extremely weak level.
• The quantity of dark matter that exists and its locations in the universe are not mysteries.
• Dark matter’s composition is a mystery that has stymied astronomers and physicists for 5 decades.
• Leading candidates for dark matter’s composition are axions and sterile neutrinos, but neither of these particles has been detected.
• Physicists Elba Alonso-Monsalve and David Kaiser propose that primordial black holes (PBHs) could make up all or a large fraction of dark matter if they formed previous to a tenth of a quadrillionth of a second after the cosmic creation event.
• These PBHs would take two forms: atom-sized bodies with masses equal to that Deimos and Phobos; bodies a ten thousandth the diameter of a proton with masses equal to a ton, with only the first form possibly existing to the present time.
• Observable tests for these PBHs include the degree to which they would 1) shift the balance between protons and neutrons, 2) cause ripples in the cosmic spacetime fabric, and 3) affect the amount of helium produced during the universe’s first 3 minutes.

Primordial Black Holes with QCD Color Change

Quantum Gravity Constraints Affirm Cosmic Creator

• What causes gender dysphoria?
• Does gender dysphoria have genetic causes?
• Is it due to environmental factors?
• Does it occur during fetal development?
• What is rapid onset gender dysphoria?

Biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana is joined by physician Steve Willing as they address these questions and discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.

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 Reasons to Believe 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 & Resources:

• Transgenderism and the Bible
• A Scientific and Medical Evaluation of Transgenderism

Join astrophysicist Hugh Ross and one of America’s most famous cosmologists, Brian Keating, 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

Hugh and Brian discuss research on the polarization signals in the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR)—the radiation left over from the cosmic creation event—that Brian conducted on the BICEP, BICEP2, POLARBEAR2, and Simons Array telescopes. They also discuss the significance of the polarization signals in establishing what kind of inflation event occurred at the tiniest fraction of a second after the universe’s beginning and the ongoing quest to gather more data on the polarization of the CMBR as a tool to learn more about the beginning and design of the universe. Brian also briefly describes his spiritual journey: a member of a Catholic church during his youth, becoming an atheist, and now a devout Jew in practice but an agnostic in belief.

Links and Resources

• Losing the Nobel Prize: A Story of Cosmology, Ambition, and the Perils of Science’s Highest Honor
• Into the Impossible: Think Like a Nobel Prize Winner

Join Fazale Rana and Ryan Matthews 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.

Intersex Conditions and Transgenderism

Are there only two sexes? Many people argue that intersex conditions are evidence that sex exists on a spectrum. Is this a valid argument?

In this episode, medical doctor Ryan Matthews joins biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana to take on these questions and more. Along the way, Dr. Matthews makes the point that disorders of sexual development cannot be marshalled to normalize transgenderism.

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 Reasons to Believe 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: 

• Transgenderism and the Bible
• A Scientific and Medical Evaluation of Transgenderism

RTB president Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Dr. Steve Willing, a seasoned neuroradiologist, tackle the sensitive and pivotal topic of transgenderism through a biblical perspective. From the philosophical and scientific considerations to the profound implications for society and individuals, join us as they navigate through this complex terrain with respect, compassion, and a commitment to seeking the truth in the pursuit of a better understanding of God’s design for humanity.

Transgenderism Through a Medical and Biblical Lens

Reasons to Believe explores this topic not only to shed light on the scientific underpinnings of gender identity, but also to provide a comprehensive understanding rooted in biblical teachings. This initiative stems from a commitment to offer credible, trustworthy insights amid a landscape fraught with controversy and differing perspectives. Fuz and Steve discuss the definitions of transgenderism and the evolving medical and societal landscapes, and they address critical questions surrounding gender identity. They examine recent studies and societal shifts that help explain why gender identity has become a leading issue in contemporary discourse.

DISCLAIMER: Reasons to Believe is expressing our Christian beliefs on the issue 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 Reasons to Believe 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: 

• A Scientific and Medical Evaluation of Transgenderism
• Transgenderism and the Bible

How original sin best explains the human condition

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink 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.

JWST Galaxies Explained

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has revealed that early galaxies have much brighter ultraviolet luminosities than many big bang creation models predicted. Do such data challenge the creation view? Further research suggests not. Using a computer simulation, astronomers have found that the standard big bang creation models can still accommodate the new data from JWST. Their conclusions remain consistent with the findings reported in the Stars, Cells, and God episode #79 on the “Source of Heavy Elements”, aired on November 29, 2023.

RESOURCES:

Bursty Star Formation Naturally Explains the Abundance of Bright Galaxies at Cosmic Dawn

Dilution of Chemical Enrichment in Galaxies 600 Myr after the Big Bang

AI Sees Differently than Us

As AIs (artificial intelligence) mimic more and more human behavior, the question continues to arise of whether AI is truly intelligent or not. One way to assess the data is to understand whether the AI does things differently than a human. In the arena of image and audio recognition, AIs have advanced tremendously, but there are some noticeable discrepancies between AI and human categorization. Research into one type of discrepancy shows that humans and AIs really do see the world differently—and those differences highlight important defining features of humanity.

RESOURCES:

Model Metamers Reveal Divergent Invariances between Biological and Artificial Neural Networks

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink 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.

Three physicists used data collected from 165 stations in the Himalayan-Tibetan region and a regional climate model to determine the effect of black carbon aerosols (BCAs) on the climate of South Asia. Their analysis revealed warming at high elevations due to BCAs. Such atmospheric heating reduces the global mean precipitation, which impacts the summer monsoons in South Asia. Thus, all of South Asia is facing a climate change crisis with both dire economic and health consequences. In this episode, astrophysicist Hugh Ross explains that replacing coal and biofuels with natural gas as an energy source is the quickest and most economical solution to South Asia’s climate crisis.  

Continents play a critical role in Earth’s capacity to support a thriving and diverse array of life. Scientific studies show that some present-day continents formed at least 3 billion years ago. Those studies have assumed that the same process responsible for how our continents look today also ensured their stability. However, a recent paper highlights some important processes needed for large pieces of continents to stick around for billions of years. In this episode, astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink discusses how those processes reveal more fine-tuning of Earth to support life.

• Elevation-Dependence of Warming Due to Aerosol-Induced Snow Darkening over the Himalayan-Tibetan Region
• Climate-Relevant Properties of Black Carbon Aerosols Revealed by In Situ Measurements: A Review

• Subaerial Weathering Drove Stabilization of Continents

Join Hugh Ross in this breaking News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Hugh describes the discovery of microspherules and meltglass at three North American sites, consistent with low-altitude airbursts from a disintegrating comet, that explain the Younger Dryas cooling onset 12,800 years ago.

• During the younger Dryas (12,800–11,700 years ago), global mean temperatures plummeted by 10–15°C. This cooling event, in part, explains the unprecedented climate stability that persisted from 9,500 to 75 years ago.
• Geologists had cited the Hiawatha Impact Crater in northwestern Greenland as evidence for an asteroid impact that caused the younger Dryas cooling event.
• Recently, physicists disputed the claimed 12,800 years ago date for the Hiawatha Crater, citing argon-argon and uranium-lead dating of zircon crystals that yielded a melt date of 57.99±0.54 million years ago.
• 26 scientists report their discovery of microspherules, meltglass, nanodiamonds, and combustion aerosols, consistent with them being caused by low-altitude airbursts, at sites in New Jersey, Maryland, and South Carolina.
• The microspherules, meltglass, and nanodiamonds all have radiocarbon dates of 12,835—12,735 years ago. The implied melt temperatures range from 1,250°C to 3,053°C.
• The high-temperature, high-pressure shock waves generated by low-altitude airbursts from a disintegrating comet would explain the Younger Dryas Cooling Event and the accompanying multi-continent megafaunal extinctions but would not necessarily leave behind any discoverable impact craters.

• Platinum, Shock-Fractured Quartz, Microspherules, and Meltglass Widely Distributed in Eastern USA at the Younger Dryas Onset (12.8 ka)
• Hugh Ross, Weathering Climate Change (Covina, CA: RTB Press, 2020): 149–161, 187–191.

Join Hugh Ross in this breaking News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Hugh describes the discovery of four fully-formed supermassive black holes that existed just 410–760 million years after the cosmic creation event.

• Quasar J1120+0641, seen 760 million years after the cosmic beginning, has a supermassive black hole (SMBH) weighing 1.52 billion solar masses.
• Quasar J1342+0928, seen 700 million years after the beginning, has a SMBH weighing 0.78 billion solar masses.
• Quasar J0313-1806, seen 690 million years after the beginning, has a SMBH of 1.6 billion solar masses.
• The most distantly detected SMBH belongs to GN-z11. Just 410 million after the beginning, its SMBH weighs 0.002 billion solar masses.
• There are three ways such SMBHs can form so early in a big bang universe: through 1) very aggressive early gas accretion by the BHs; 2) mergers of the BHs arising from many 500+ solar-mass first generation stars; and 3) mergers of 10,000+ solar-mass gas clouds that collapse into black holes without forming stars.
• The discovery of many more cosmic dawn SMBHs will determine which one, of more, of the three ways explains the SMBHs. 

• A Mature Quasar at Cosmic Dawn Revealed by JWST Rest-Frame Infrared Spectroscopy
• Black Holes as Evidence of God’s Care

Ken discusses the background and influence of his early apologetics books | Help us to reveal God in science by supporting Reasons to Believe at: support.reasons.org?source=OLPDCSTAP

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana in this breaking News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Fuz discusses work by a team of anthropologists from Spain who maintain that analysis of a partial skull fossil indicates that Neanderthals provided compassionate care for a Neanderthal child with Down syndrome.

• Does this discovery mean that Neanderthals were just like us?
• In light of this find, can humans be regarded as exceptional and unique?
• If Neanderthals were like us, can the biblical claim that humans solely bear God’s image remain valid?

• The Child Who Lived: Down’s Syndrome Among Neanderthals?
• An Observation of a Severely Disabled Infant Chimpanzee in the Wild and Her Interactions with Her Mother
• Primates and Disability: Behavioral Flexibility and Implications for Resilience to Environmental Change
• Key Difference in Developing Human and Neanderthals Brains
• Should Chimpanzee Behavior Challenge Human Exceptionalism?

Abdu Murray discusses how to reach Muslims with the truth of the gospel

Join Jeff Zweerink and Steve Baertschi, president of Baertschi Consulting, 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.

Perils of Space Travel

Although science fiction makes space travel seem almost inevitable, current research demonstrates numerous challenges to humans residing in space for long periods of time. Along with the well-known detrimental effects on muscle mass and density, research shows that prolonged periods in space expose the human body to far more radiation than encountered here on Earth. That radiation dramatically decreases our bodies’ capacity to fight off cancer and to keep past viral exposure in check. Additionally, radiation impacts the function of our gastrointestinal system and its ability to absorb nutrients and oral medications. These results highlight Earth’s amazing capacity to host a diverse and abundant array of life.

Drug Stability for Mars Mission

Drug stability is a function of the storage environment. Shelf-lives of 2–3 years (from refrigerated to room temperature storage) are common. NASA is planning for a roundtrip mission to Mars, expected to last 2–3 years. Little is known about the stability of drugs in deep space (outside of Earth’s protective magnetosphere). Limited studies of drugs on the International Space Station raise significant questions that have identified critical parameters: microgravity, vibration, humidity, ionizing radiation, carbon dioxide levels, and repackaging. Can we ensure a safe, stable drug formulatory that will meet all of the health needs for a round-trip journey to Mars in the deep space environment?

References:

PODCAST LINKS:

Space Radiation Triggers Persistent Stress Response, Increases Senescent Signaling, and Decreases Cell Migration in Mouse Intestine

NK Cell Function Is Impaired during Long-Duration Spaceflight

Negative Effects of Long-Duration Spaceflight on Paraspinal Muscle Morphology

YOUTUBE LINKS:

Santosh Kumar et al., “Space Radiation Triggers Persistent Stress Response, Increases Senescent Signaling, and Decreases Cell Migration in Mouse Intestine,” https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1807522115

Austin B. Bigley et al. “NK Cell Function Is Impaired during Long-Duration Spaceflight,” https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00761.2018

Katelyn Burkhart et al., “Negative Effects of Long-Duration Spaceflight on Paraspinal Muscle Morphology,” https://doi.org/10.1097/brs.0000000000002959

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink 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.

Life on K2-18b?

Two months ago the Internet blew up with articles and blogs announcing that astronomers had discovered molecules in the atmosphere of exoplanet K2-18b that only living organisms can produce. Those biosignature molecules were dimethyl sulfide and chloromethane. While there is no doubt that methane was detected in K2-18b’s atmosphere and carbon dioxide likely detected, the detections of dimethyl sulfide and chloromethane were marginal at best. Furthermore, astronomers have detected chloromethane in a comet and an interstellar cloud where it is well established that life and life chemistry is impossible, and they found abiotic pathways for the production of dimethyl sulfide. The Internet articles overlooked the physical characteristics of K2-18b and its host star that categorically rule out any possibility of physical life on the planet.

References:

Carbon-Bearing Molecules in a Possible Hycean Atmosphere

Structure and Dynamics of Cold Water Super-Earths: The Case of Occluded CH4 and Its Outgassing

Galaxy Formation Models

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has provided numerous images and results that challenge our current models of galaxy formation. Some astronomers have even used this discrepancy to argue against big bang cosmology. A recent paper provides strong evidence for the formation of spiral-type galaxies forming within the first billion years of the universe (where most models predict much longer formation times). We discuss the importance of this data and the implications for how galaxy formation models will change—particularly becoming more complex. Additionally, we expect that this complexity will reveal even more evidence for design in the universe than is now known.

Reference:

The JWST Hubble Sequence: The Rest-Frame Optical Evolution of Galaxy Structure at 1.5 <z <6.5

New Comet Belt?

Join Hugh Ross in this breaking News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Hugh describes an analysis by an international team of 44 astronomers of a survey of trans-Neptunian objects. This analysis reveals strong evidence for the existence of a sixth belt of asteroids/comets in the solar system. Here are some takeaways:

• The Kuiper Belt asteroids/comets orbit at 35–55 times Earth’s orbital distance from the Sun.
• The asteroids/comets in the newly discovered belt orbit at 70–90 times Earth’s orbital distance from the Sun.
• There appears to be a gap from 55­–70 times Earth’s orbital distance from the Sun where very few asteroids/comets exist.
• If this discovery of a new asteroid/comet is confirmed, it will enable astronomers to develop a much more detailed Grand Tack model for the early migration of solar system planets.
• A more detailed Grand Tack model will reveal even more evidence for the exquisite fine-tuning of the solar system that makes advanced life possible on Earth.

Links and Resources: 

• Candidate Distant Trans-Neptunian Objects Detected by the New Horizons Subaru TNO Survey
• Hugh Ross, Designed to the Core

In this special episode, we replay a recorded conversation between prominent astronomer Dr. David Block (professor emeritus of mathematics and astronomy at the University of Witwatersrand and the director of RTB Africa) and world-renowned astronomer Giovanni Fazio (senior physicist at the Center for Astrophysics-Harvard & Smithsonian and a lecturer in the department of astronomy at Harvard University). This wide-ranging conversation between two friends includes their collaboration studying the Andromeda galaxy, their perspectives on God’s handiwork in creation, and Dr. Fazio’s groundbreaking contributions to infrared astronomy.                            

References:

PODCAST LINK:

Professor David Block’s YouTube Channel

YOUTUBE LINKS:

Professor David Block’s YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@professordavidblock5038

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink 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.

Crust Thickness and Life

A team of five geophysicists demonstrated that the level of oxides in basalt primary melts are a good proxy for the thickness of Earth’s crust. They then supervised a machine-learning algorithm to analyze global geodatabases (e.g., EarthChem and GEOROC) of basalts to determine the variation of the thickness of Earth’s crust spanning the past 3.8 billion years. Their analysis revealed five features of Earth’s crust that led to supercontinent cycles and plate tectonics that are highly fine-tuned for complex life on Earth.

Antimatter Feels Gravity

When Einstein first published his general theory of relativity, scientists did not even know about antimatter—which was discovered almost 15 years later. Since then, scientists have speculated about how antimatter behaves in gravitational fields. Most think that it behaves just like normal matter. However, gravity’s weakness compared to electromagnetic forces has prevented any direct test to see if antimatter falls like normal matter. Recently, the ALPHA collaboration was able to isolate enough atoms of antihydrogen (antimatter counterpart of hydrogen) to demonstrate that the atoms behave like normal hydrogen atoms in a gravitational field. This result demonstrates two things. First, it provides even more evidence for the constancy of the laws of physics. Second, it shows that scientists are willing, able, and driven to test fundamental parts of theories rather than simply accept them without data.

LINKS & RESOURCES -

PLAYLIST – https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUwTeBAi_JFG-J6mqU3em0LV7pFUiq9wp&si=uiWkZdNWit1syzgn

Crust Thickness and Life

Zhen-Jie Zhang et al.,

“Lithospheric Thickness Records Tectonic Evolution by Controlling Metamorphic Conditions,” https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adi2134 Meng Guo and Jun Korenaga, “Argon Constraints on the Early Growth of Felsic Continental Crust,” https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aaz6234

Antimatter Feels Gravity

E. K. Anderson et al.,

“Observation of the Effect of Gravity on the Motion of Antimatter,” https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06527-1

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Hugh Ross 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.

Growing Human Organs in Pigs

In the fall of 2023, a team of researchers from China published the results of a proof-of-principle study that demonstrated for the first time that it’s possible to grow humanized kidneys in a fetal pig. This work provides the means to study the process of organogenesis that may also alleviate the shortage of organs available for human transplant procedures. However, this research raises all sorts of questions that could be summarized with a single question: “Should we play God?”

In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana describes the work of the Chinese researchers and offers a Christian perspective on the creation of human-animal chimeras.

Mitigating Air Pollution

Air pollution level in India’s capital territory of Delhi is more than 25 times greater than the maximum human tolerable level set by the World Health Organization (WHO). This pollution is called PM2.5 (inhalable particles with diameters of 2.5 micrometers or less) and is almost entirely composed of black carbon soot, mineral dust, sulfates, nitrates, ammonia, and sodium chloride. Scientists at WHO have determined that the average Indian living in Delhi would live 11.9 years longer if the PM2.5 level there were reduced to WHO’s maximum limit. Nearly all of India’s PM2.5 air pollution comes from the burning of coal, wood, biomass, diesel, gasoline, and oil, in that order. Replacing these fuel sources with natural gas would eliminate all of India’s PM2.5 except for the small contribution from road and construction dust. This replacement would also immediately reduce carbon greenhouse gas emissions by nearly half.      

PODCAST LINKS:

Generation of a Humanized Mesonephros in Pigs from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells via Embryo Complementation

Additional Resources:

A Theology for Synthetic Biology, Part 1

A Theology for Synthetic Biology, Part 2

YOUTUBE LINKS:

Jiaowei Wang et al., “Generation of a Humanized Mesonephros in Pigs from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells via Embryo Complementation,” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37683604/

Additional Resources:

Fazale Rana, “A Theology for Synthetic Biology, Part 1,”

https://reasons.org/explore/publications/articles/a-theology-for-synthetic-biology-part-1-of-2

Fazale Rana, “A Theology for Synthetic Biology, Part 2,” https://reasons.org/explore/publications/articles/a-theology-for-synthetic-biology-part-2-of-2

PODCAST LINKS:

Air Quality Life Index 2023: Annual Update (August 2023)

Air Quality Life Index, India Fact Sheet (2023)

The Relationship between Fine Particle Matter (PM2.5) Exposure and Upper Respiratory Tract Diseases

YOUTUBE LINKS:

Michael Greenstone and Christa Hasenkopf, Air Quality Life Index 2023: Annual Update (August 2023),https://aqli.epic.uchicago.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/AQLI_2023_Report-Global.pdf

Air Quality Life Index, India Fact Sheet (2023), https://aqli.epic.uchicago.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/India-FactSheet-2023_Final.pdf

Łukasz Zaręba et al., “The Relationship between Fine Particle Matter (PM2.5) Exposure and Upper Respiratory Tract Diseases,” https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4426/14/1/98

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Jeff Zweerink 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.

CRISPR Update

In December of 2023, the FDA approved two revolutionary new treatments for the blood disorders sickle cell anemia and ß-thalassemia, both based on gene-editing technology. This approval represents an important milestone for gene therapy and the treatment of thousands of genetic disorders. It also serves as a stepping stone for human enhancements and adds to the legitimacy of transhumanism.

In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana describes these new gene therapies and discusses the ethical issues connected to them. He also offers a Christian response to the prospects of human enhancements and transhumanism.

Two Noteworthy AI Finds

As the field of artificial intelligence (AI) advances, research continues to show both the promise and peril of using AI. For example, most AIs work well within a single domain (e.g., classifying signs, responding to language, playing a game). Recent work in game play resulted in an AI capable of mastering multiple games that in the past required different approaches. However, the AI (called Student of Games) mastered multiple different games using a single algorithm. This development represents a significant step (the promise) on the journey to make an artificial general intelligence. Yet, other research demonstrates that a wide variety of AIs are highly vulnerable to malicious attacks. Specifically, the algorithms AIs use to recognize images are easily exploited and manipulated (the peril). 

In this episode, astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink explains the breakthrough and why a Christian perspective is needed when considering such advances.  

PODCAST LINKS:

FDA Approves First CRISPR Editing Treatment for Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle Cell CRISPR ‘Cure’ Is the Start of a Revolution in Medicine

Additional Resources:

Fazale Rana, Humans 2.0

PODCAST LINKS:

Student of Games: A Unified Learning Algorithm for Both Perfect and Imperfect Information Games

AI Networks Are More Vulnerable to Malicious Attacks Than Previously Thought

QuadAttack: A Quadratic Programming Approach to Ordered Top-K Attacks

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Hugh Ross 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.

Neanderthal Flower Burial Nixed

Were Neanderthals like us? The answer to this question has profound implications for our understanding of human origins, and for the RTB creation model.

Some anthropologists argue that Neanderthals engaged in ritualistic burials reflecting the capacities for symbolism and religion—features that define modern humans. One of the most important pieces of evidence for ritualistic burials among Neanderthals comes from the Shanidar Cave in northern Iraq. One of the layers harboring Neanderthal remains and artifacts includes a partial adult skeleton that was unearthed in what appears to be a grave. The skeleton had a clump of pollen grains from flowering plants on top of it. Some anthropologists believe that this find indicates Neanderthals buried their dead with flowers—possible evidence for ritualistic burial practices.

However, researchers from Liverpool John Moores University have reexamined the pollen recovered from Shanidar and reach a very different conclusion.

In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana discusses this latest insight into Neanderthal burials and its impact on the RTB human origins model.

References:

Shanidar et ses fleurs? Reflections on the Palynology of the Neanderthal “Flower Burial” Hypothesis

Who Was Adam? A Creation Model Approach to the Origin of Humanity

Did Neanderthals Bury Their Dead with Flowers?

https://reasons.org/explore/publications/articles/did-neanderthals-bury-their-dead-with-flowers

Source of Heavy Metals A team of 13 astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to measure the chemical abundances of galaxies that formed just 600 million years after the big bang creation event. They found that these galaxies are much poorer in heavy elements than what astronomers had previously thought. This underabundance makes Earth’s endowment of the heavy elements essential for advanced life and civilization all the more remarkable, and it provides yet more evidence for the super-intelligent, supernatural design of the solar system—and Earth in particular—that makes the existence of humans and human civilization possible. 

References:

Dilution of Chemical Enrichment in Galaxies 600 Myr after the Big Bang

Jeff Zweerink discusses the need for Christians to guide the development of AI

Join Fazale Rana and Hugh Ross 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.

Chimp Tactical Behavior

Researchers from the Tai Chimpanzee Project operating out of the Ivory Coast recently reported that chimpanzees make use of high ground to gain tactical information about rival groups. This is the first time that this human-like behavior has been observed in other animals. According to these researchers this behavior requires advanced cognitive skills and provides insight into humanity’s evolutionary origins. What do these observations say about human uniqueness and human exceptionalism? Do human beings only differ in degree, not kind, from the Great Apes? In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana discusses this impressive study and engages these challenging questions.

New Big Bang

Test Astronomers used the SIBELIUS DARK computer simulation to test the predictions of the standard LCDM big bang creation model and standard galaxy formation theory. Based on these predictions, SIBELIUS DARK successfully reproduced the spatial distributions of galaxies in the Laniakea supergalaxy cluster. It agreed with the observed excess of giant elliptical galaxies along the supergalactic plane. The simulation also revealed—contrary to previous studies—new confirmation that large disk and elliptical galaxy formation fits key predictions of the LCDM big bang model. 

Links & Resources

PLAYLIST –  Stars, Cells, and God  

Sylvain R. T. Lemoine et al.,

“Chimpanzees Make Tactical Use of High Elevation in Territorial Contexts,” https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3002350 Till Sawala et al., “Distinct Distributions of Elliptical and Disk Galaxies across the Local Supercluster as a LCDM Prediction,” https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-023-02130-6

Additional Resource

Fazale Rana,

“Should Chimpanzee Behavior Challenge Human Exceptionalism?,” https://reasons.org/explore/blogs/the-cells-design/should-chimpanzee-behavior-challenge-human-exceptionalism

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 discuss the philosophical background that led to Aquinas’s work—specifically in articulating the Second Way—and explore its relevance in light of scientists’ research to develop a quantum theory of gravity.

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.

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink 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.

Too Many Early Galaxies

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has revealed about ten times as many galaxies within the cosmos’s first 420 million years as what some big bang creation models predict. Astronomers are searching for an explanation for this overabundance of early galaxies. Possible scenarios include a high number of supernova events during the universe’s first 420 million years. Different big bang models predict different average star masses and different star formation rates during the universe’s first half billion years. It will take at least another year of JWST observations to determine which of these big bang creation models correctly describes very early and later epochs of cosmic history.    

Resources:

Pointlike Sources among z > 11 Galaxy Candidates: Contaminants Due to Supernovae at High Redshifts?

AI Easily Fooled

Powerful large language models (like ChatGPT) have demonstrated remarkable abilities to provide solutions to problems that require complex reasoning. Yet researchers want to discern the level of understanding by the AIs (artificial intelligence), just as a teacher wants to know how well a student comprehends a correct answer they provided. A recent study shows that despite generating good answers, AIs have very little understanding of the issues involved. Specifically, when confronted with challenges that involved absurdly wrong facts (like 8 x 7 = 14), the AIs will disavow the previous answer and apologize for being mistaken. This research demonstrates that, while AIs accomplish impressive tasks, they do not demonstrate some essential features of “intelligence.”

Resources:

Can ChatGPT Defend Its Belief in Truth? Evaluating LLM Reasoning via Debate

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.

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss ground-breaking scientific discoveries that have theological and philosophical implications, including for the evidence of God’s existence.

Pig Organs in Humans

Recently, research teams from NYU Langone Health, the University of Alabama, Birmingham, and the University of Maryland independently achieved milestones by transplanting kidneys and hearts from genetically engineered pigs into brain-dead patients and terminally ill patients otherwise ineligible for transplants. 

Xenotransplantation holds the promise to ease the demand for organ transplants but raises a host of ethical questions. 

In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana discusses the technical challenges that xenotransplantation must overcome before it can move into the clinical setting. He also describes some of the ethical challenges associated with xenotransplants. 

Once these challenges are overcome, the questions remain: What should the Christian perspective be on xenotransplantation? Should we “play God”?

References:

Results of Two Cases of Pig-to-Human Kidney Xenotransplantation

First Clinical-Grade Porcine Kidney Xenotransplant Using a Human Decedent Model

Developing Pig-to-Human Organ Transplants

Additional Resources:

Pig Organs May One Day Save Human Lives by Fazale Rana (article)

Advance Holds Potential to Resolve Cloning’s Ethical Challenges by Fazale Rana (article)

A Theology for Synthetic Biology, Part 1 by Fazale Rana (article)

A Theology for Synthetic Biology, Part 2 by Fazale Rana (article)

Will AI Do Science?

Researchers currently utilize AI (artificial intelligence) to diagnose early-stage Alzheimer’s, analyze vast databases to discover protein-folding classes (and new protein folds), and determine whether a sample is biotic or abiotic in origin. The AI in the last example also differentiated between recent biotic and fossilized biotic samples. As AI development progresses, one wonders whether it will be able to do science rather than just assist scientists. Fuz and Jeff explore this question in light of recent advances.  

References:

Can the AI Driving ChatGPT Help to Detect Early Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease?

Artificial Intelligence Tools Shed Light on Millions of Proteins

Did Life Exist on Mars? Other Planets? With AI’s Help, We May Know Soon

Does Light Tire and Does It Prove the Big Bang Wrong?

Join Hugh Ross in this News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God as he discusses a paper published by computer scientist Lior Shamir. Lior’s statistical analysis of redshifts of distant galaxies indicates that light may lose energy as it travels through space and that if light indeed gets tired, then a major revision of the standard big bang model is in order.

• Shamir’s claimed effect may be a statistical artifact akin to Bible code claims.
• Tired light is just one of several systematic effects that could explain the statistical bias discovered by Shamir.
• Direct distance measurements have affirmed that galaxy redshifts are entirely explained by cosmic expansion out to 470 million light-years.
• If light indeed tires, then images of distant quasars and blazars should be blurry but they’re not.
• If light indeed tires, then the cosmic microwave background radiation should cool at a different rate than what astronomers observe.
• The apparent maturity of some galaxies in the early universe does not challenge the standard big bang model if, as the Webb telescope has affirmed, many of the universe’s first stars are hundreds of times more massive than the Sun.

LINKS AND RESOURCES: 

• An Empirical Consistent Redshift Bias: A Possible Direct Observation of Zwicky’s TL Theory
• Hugh Ross, The Creator and the Cosmos, 4th ed.

Join Hugh Ross in this breaking News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Hugh describes stars at our galaxy’s center showing their luminosities are augmented by the annihilation of dark matter particles in their cores. This could be the first direct discovery of dark matter particles.

• Dark matter makes up 24.5% of the universe.
• Neutrinos are the only dark matter particles detected so far and comprise <1% of dark matter.
• Three astronomers produced a mock stellar population that evolves both with and without energy from dark matter particle annihilation.
• High-mass stars that gain much of their luminosities from dark matter particle annihilation can shine brightly for >10 billion years rather than <100 million years. They shine as brightly as young stars, spectroscopically measure to be old, and have lower temperatures.
• Density of dark matter in our galaxy is extremely high within one light-year of its supermassive black hole (SMBH).
• Stars within one light-year of our galaxy’s SMBH have the distinct properties of stars whose luminosities are augmented by dark matter particle annihilation.
• Observations by 30-meter telescopes will find enough stars within a light-year of our galaxy’s SMBH to make possible an indisputable detection of dark matter particles.

• Dark Branches of Immortal Stars at the Galactic Center
• Black Holes as Evidence of God’s Care

Join astrophysicist Hugh Ross in this breaking News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Hugh describes the discovery of the important role interstellar space clouds played in establishing the current ice age cyclethat made our advanced civilization possible.

• How rare it is for the solar system to traverse cold, dense interstellar clouds,
• How the entry of the solar system into a cold dense interstellar cloud about 2.5 million years ago sustained the cooling effect initiated by the Eltanin collider,
• How modeling of 21-centimeter data from the HI4PI survey revealed the velocity of the solar system across the Local Ribbon of Cold Clouds (LRCC),
• How the solar system’s traverse of the LRCC drastically affected the heliosphere and cooled Earth’s climate,
• How geological evidence for iron-60 and plutonium-244 isotopes affirms Earth’s traverse across cold, dense interstellar clouds, and
• How measurements reveal the solar system will exit the local interstellar cloud in the next few thousand years.

This episode is packed with astronomical and geological revelations that explain why our current global, high-technology civilization is uniquely possible.

A Possible Direct Exposure of the Earth to the Cold Dense Interstellar Medium 2–3 Myr Ago

Hugh Ross, Weathering Climate Change, 57–227.

Join Jeff Zweerink and Josh Swamidass 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.

AI Abilities Emerging or Not?

One concern regarding the development of artificial intelligence (AI) relates to the emergence of unpredictable features that arise as the systems grow in scale. Researchers consider an “emergent ability” as something that the AI has routinely failed to accomplish but suddenly performs well as the system grows in size (either from hardware or software growth). A number of papers claiming emergent abilities populate scientific literature. However, a recent study shows that these “emergent” abilities often reflect poorly designed measurement metrics or insufficient statistics. Better metrics and statistics remove the indicators of emergence. In this episode, computational biologist and physician Josh Swamidass and astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink discuss the details surrounding this issue and offer some insights from a Christian perspective.

PODCAST LINK:

Are Emergent Abilities of Large Language Models a Mirage?

YOUTUBE LINK:

Rylan Schaeffer, Brando Miranda, and Sanmi Koyejo, “Are Emergent Abilities of Large Language Models a Mirage?,” https://arxiv.org/abs/2304.15004

In this episode, biochemist Fazale Rana is joined by Brazilian lawyer and philosopher Tassos Lycurgo to discuss how the laws of logic point to the necessary existence of God. In this freewheeling conversation, they also discuss the relationship between mathematics and God and explore other philosophical arguments for God’s existence.

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana, Hugh Ross, and Jeff Zweerink for a conversation celebrating the 100th episode of Stars, Cells, and God. They answer questions submitted by our dedicated listeners and dive deeper into topics where science and faith intersect.

For 100 episodes, this podcast has served as a space for deep conversation with leaders in the science-faith arena to explore how the latest scientific discoveries provide evidence for God’s existence, the reliability of Scripture, and the credibility of the Christian worldview. We’re honored to have our listeners participate in this episode by posing great questions on YouTube to our three scholars.

We look forward to the next 100episodes with you! 

Timestamps:

7:32 –  Question from @EmaManfred on AI image generators replacing artists

You can listen to the full episode on this topic HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhe5OxN6k3s

22:16 – Question from @whyaskwhybuddry on plants on Earth before the Sun, insects, and birds

You can listen to the full episode on this topic HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jA0XVjNSZw

28:58 – Question from @SamytheGreek on humans having Neanderthal DNA

You can listen to the full episode on this topic HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXUmCr_Ct1E

41:14 – Question from @johnbaker2755 on animals learning tactical capabilities

You can listen to the full episode on this topic HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxyACrh2sUU

50:15 – Question from @pierreabbat6157 on vitamins in lab-grown meat

You can listen to the full episode on this topic HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Gu3WtT3vAU

Join Hugh Ross in this breaking News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Hugh describes the discovery of the most distant known galaxy and what the characteristics of this galaxy imply for the cosmic dawn and the big bang creation model.

Join us as we explore:

• The astounding measurement of galaxy JADES-GS-z14-0 at a redshift of 14.32, revealing a glimpse into the universe just 280 million years after the cosmic creation event.
• Insights into the size and brightness of this newly discovered galaxy, with its light spanning over 1,600 light-years, predominantly from young stars rather than a supermassive black hole.
• The implications of JWST observations on the big bang model, sparking discussions among young-earth creationists and other astrophysicists about potential overhauls to our understanding of cosmic origins.
• The standard big bang creation model and its components—including dark energy, exotic dark matter, and ordinary matter—and how JWST’s mission aims to detail the masses and populations of the universe’s first stars.
• How JWST’s latest findings support the biblically predicted big bang cosmic model and strengthen the evidence for a universe finely tuned by a cosmic Creator.

This episode is packed with astronomical insights and cosmic revelations!

A Shining Cosmic Dawn: Spectroscopic Confirmation of Two Luminous Galaxies at z ~14

JWST/MIRI Photometric Detection at 7.7 µm of the Stellar Continuum and Nebular Emission in a Galaxy at z > 14

JWST Glowingly Affirms Big Bang Creation Event

What Does the Bible Say about the Big Bang?  

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Hugh Ross 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.

Soft Tissues in Fossils

A research team from the University College Cork (UCC), Ireland, published two separate reports in which they present evidence for melanin pigments and keratin filaments in fossilized feathers. The researchers developed models for the chemical alterations of melanin and keratin during fossilization. Using these models, they identified degradation products in fossilized feathers that age-date 120 to 130 million years old.

Young-earth creationists cite the recovery of soft tissue materials in fossils as evidence that Earth is only 6,000 years old, and the fossil record is the result of a global deluge. They argue that it’s impossible for biological materials to survive for millions of years and, therefore, the fossils must be thousands of years old.

In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana describes the UCC researchers’ work and explains how certain biological materials can endure in fossils for tens of millions of years, negating the claims of young-earth creationists.

Resources:

Taphonomic Experiments Reveal Authentic Molecular Signals for Fossil Melanins and Verify Preservation of Phaeomelanin in Fossils

Preservation of Cornelius B-Proteins in Mesozoic Feathers

Additional Resource:

Fazale Rana, Dinosaur Blood and the Age of the Earth

Evidence for the Planet Theia

The only plausible explanation for the origin of the Moon is that a collision between two rocky planets, Theia and the proto-Earth, occurred when the solar system was about 90 million years old. However, direct evidence for the existence of Theia has been elusive. Now, simulations performed by 12 astrophysicists (combined with seismic measurements) show that two large regions, thousands of kilometers across, deep in Earth’s mantle are denser than the surrounding mantle. Therefore, these regions must be the remains of Theia’s iron-rich mantle that sank and settled above Earth’s core, where it deposited an extraordinary high density and exceptional abundance of the heaviest elements.    

Resources:

Moon-Forming Impactor as a Source of Earth’s Basal Mantle Anomalies

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink 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.

Before the First Stars

A team of astronomers have used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) “to boldly go where no man has gone before”: to observe and measure the composition of gas clouds before any stars formed. The JWST’s primary mission is to explore the cosmic dawn—the first billion years of cosmic history. Astronomers took a high-resolution spectrum of a giant gas cloud in the halo of GN-z11, a bright galaxy 13.38 billion light-years away, corresponding to only 410 million years after the big bang creation event. The only elements found in the gas cloud’s spectrum were hydrogen and helium. This is the first time astronomers detected an object in the universe where no elements heavier than helium exist. This discovery affirms a major prediction of the biblically predicted big bang creation model: that before stars formed, the elemental composition of the universe, by mass, will be 75.33% hydrogen, 24.67% helium, and a trace amount of lithium. The level of ionization in the gas cloud revealed that the stars in GN-z11’s core must all be in the range of 50–1,000 times the Sun’s mass. This mass range explains why astronomers observe many bright galaxies and several supermassive black holes in the cosmic dawn. All these discoveries provide yet more evidence that the more we learn about the universe, the more evidence we accumulate that a God beyond space and time created and exquisitely designed the universe so that at the just-right time and location, humans could live and thrive. 

The Universe: 28 GYr Old?

Recent images from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) found galaxies that, given their age, appeared far larger and more complex than expected. In more lay-level arenas, this discovery was used to cast doubt on the standard big bang cosmological model. However, this discovery generated quite a bit of excitement in the scientific community because it revealed a fun problem to investigate. Consequently, astronomers have invested much effort trying to understand how to explain these large, complex galaxies. An author of a recent paper attempts to understand these galaxies by modifying how light propagates through the universe and by having some fundamental constants change over time. A careful analysis of this latter approach shows how standard big bang cosmology (with dark energy and dark matter) can give a robust explanation of the universe—and provide evidence for the God of the Bible.

References:

PODCAST LINKS:

JADES NIRSpec Spectroscopy of GN-z11: Lyman-a Emission and Possible Enhanced Nitrogen Abundance in a z = 10.60 Luminous Galaxy

JWST-JADES. Possible Population III Signatures at z = 10.6 in the Halo of GN-z11

YOUTUBE LINKS:

Andrew J. Bunker et al., “JADES NIRSpec Spectroscopy of GN-z11: Lyman-a Emission and Possible Enhanced Nitrogen Abundance in a z = 10.60 Luminous Galaxy,” https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202346159

Roberto Maiolino et al., “JWST-JADES. Possible Population III Signatures at z = 10.6 in the Halo of GN-z11,” https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2306.00953

References:

 PODCAST LINK:

Testing CCC + TL Cosmology with Observed Baryon Acoustic Oscillation Features

YOUTUBE LINK:

Rajendra P. Gupta, “Testing CCC + TL Cosmology with Observed Baryon Acoustic Oscillation Features,” https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad1bc6

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.

A Medical Analysis of the Hallucination Hypothesis

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

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink 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.

Metal-Free Stars

Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a team of 15 astronomers discovered a galaxy (RXJ2129-z8HeII) with a measured redshift that corresponds to a distance of 13.16 billion light-years. This measurement implies that astronomers are seeing it just 630 million years after the big bang creation event. The newly discovered galaxy’s features include two unique features: a bright ultraviolet continuum with an extremely steep spectral slope and a strong helium emission line. These newly found features, combined with a discovery made a few months earlier of an ionized gas cloud in the halo of another galaxy that contains only hydrogen and helium, affirms a fundamental prediction of the biblically predicted big bang creation model. That prediction claims that before any stars form the elemental composition of the universe will, by mass, be composed of 75.33% hydrogen, 24.67% helium, and a trace amount of lithium. These discoveries provide yet more evidence that the more we learn about the universe, the more evidence we accumulate that a God beyond space and time created the universe and exquisitely designed it so that humans could live and thrive. 

Links and Resources: 

• A Strong He II ƛ640 Emitter with Extremely Blue UV Spectral Slope at z = 8.16: Presence of Pop III Stars?
• Possible Population III Signatures at z = 10.6 in the Halo of GN-z11

*Unfortunately we encountered audio problems at the time this episode was recorded*

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink 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.

Xenotransplant Success

Worldwide, millions of people need organ transplants and many die while waiting. It is impossible to scale up human organ donation rates to meet the demand. However, recent success in xenotransplantation may solve the shortfall. Surgical transplants of pig hearts, livers, and kidneys all show promise of (at least temporary) function and no signs of organ rejection. Xenotransplantation provides yet more evidence that God designed the higher animals to enhance human health and well-being.    

References:

PODCAST LINKS:

First Pig Kidney Transplant in a Person: What It Means for the Future

First Pig Liver Transplanted into a Person Lasts for 10 Days

First Pig-to-Human Heart Transplant: What Can Scientists Learn?

Monkey Survives for Two Years after Gene-Edited Pig-Kidney Transplant

YOUTUBE LINKS:

Smriti Mallapaty and Max Kozlov, “First Pig Kidney Transplant in a Person: What It Means for the Future,” https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00879-y

Smriti Mallapaty, “First Pig Liver Transplanted into a Person Lasts for 10 Days,” https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00853-8

Sara Reardon, “First Pig-to-Human Heart Transplant: What Can Scientists Learn?,” https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00111-9

Max Kozlov, “Monkey Survives for Two Years after Gene-Edited Pig-Kidney Transplant,” https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03176-2

“Big Ring” of Galaxies Found

Astronomers recently announced the discovery of a “Big Ring” of galaxy clusters. According to calculations based on scientists’ best understanding of the universe, the size of this ring exceeds the largest size structure that could possibly form, and it joins a class of about 10 structures that are “too big.” While some people might take this find as evidence that our current understanding of the universe (size, age, composition, etc.) is wrong, the discovery highlights how well we comprehend the universe and provides insight that will direct us into a deeper understanding. It also affirms the biblical prediction that we live in an orderly, reliable, and understandable creation.

References:

PODCAST LINKS:

An Impossibly Huge Ring of Galaxies Might Lead Us to New Physics. Here’s How

Giant Ring? Giant Arc? These “Structures” May Not Even Be Real

YOUTUBE LINKS:

Keith Cooper, “An Impossibly Huge Ring of Galaxies Might Lead Us to New Physics. Here’s How,” https://www.space.com/big-ring-galactic-superstructure-celestial-anomaly

Ethan Siegel, “Giant Ring? Giant Arc? These “Structures” May Not Even Be Real,” https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/giant-ring-arc-structures-not-real/

Join Hugh Ross and David Winyard 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.

Solar Probes Revolutionize Our Understanding of the Sun

Before NASA conducts research in space, much thought must go into mission planning and spacecraft design. Currently, two remarkable NASA missions demonstrate special orbits and heat management systems: the Parker Solar Probe and the James Webb Space Telescope. The former must endure intense heat as it loops between the Sun and the orbit of Venus. The latter operates far outside Earth’s orbit at low temperatures (below -370o F)—shielded from heat from the Sun, Earth, and Moon—to detect infrared light from deep space. Together, they are great vehicles to teach engineering dynamics and thermal-fluid science. Astrophysicist Hugh Ross and engineer David Winyard explain how insights gained from such missions will enhance scientists’ ability to forecast major space-weather events that impact life on Earth.

Links and Resources: 

• NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Mission Will Revolutionize Our Understanding of the Sun

•  

  Webb Image Release—Webb Space Telescope GSFC/NASA

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink 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.

Cosmic Explosion Risk

Astronomers have discovered yet another risk to advanced life in the universe—extremely luminous, fast-cooling transients. The most likely explanation for this newly discovered cosmic exploder is a tidal encounter between a star and a stellar-mass black hole or a star and an intermediate-mass black hole. It will take further observations to determine the precise risk of these events to advanced life in the universe. Initially, however, it appears that Earth resides in a galaxy, galaxy group, and galaxy cluster where such events should either be nonexistent or extremely rare.

RESOURCES:

AT 2022aedm and a New Class of Luminous, Fast-Cooling Transients in Elliptical Galaxies

Dust Drives Dinosaur Demise

Overwhelming evidence points to dramatic extinction events in Earth’s history where most of the life died out. One of the most well-known extinction events occurred 66 million years ago (the boundary between the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods) and marked the end of the non-avian dinosaurs on Earth. Although the evidence pointing to the extinction is strong, scientists still seek to understand what caused the mass death. New evidence points to a specific size of dust particle that caused photosynthesis to shut down for almost two years after the impact of a miles-wide asteroid hitting Earth. This new research provides insight into Earth’s history as well as the processes God used to prepare Earth for humanity.

RESOURCES:

The Dust That May Have Killed the Dinosaurs

Chicxulub Impact Winter Sustained by Fine Silicate Dust

Join Hugh Ross in this breaking News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Hugh describes how the latest measurements of cosmic baryon acoustic oscillations shed light on the true nature of dark energy and may resolve the tension between measurements of the cosmic expansion rate (Hubble constant) based on nearby galaxies with measurements based on the cosmic microwave background radiation and extremely distant galaxies. 

• Some of the Hubble constant tension is resolved by the fact that our galaxy resides in an under-dense part of the universe.
• The remaining tension can be resolved if (1) the curvature of the universe slightly departs from a flat geometry, (2) the dark energy equation of state slightly varies as the universe ages, and/or (3) systematic errors in expansion rate measurements based on Cepheid variable stars are greater than they are for the tip of the red giant branch stars.
• The Dark Energy Survey Collaboration (DESC) analyzed 1,829 type Ia supernovae with distances spanning 0.14–10.92 billion light-years calibrated by the most extensive survey of baryon acoustic oscillations.
• The DESC found that systematic errors in Cepheid variable star measures are a significant factor in the Hubble constant tension.
• The DESC showed that the latest survey of baryon acoustic oscillations revealed a slight variation in the dark energy equation of state.
• The Euclid telescope will soon map baryon acoustic oscillations to a far greater extent, which will provide a definitive resolution of the Hubble constant tension.

Links and Resources:

• The Dark Energy Survey Supernova Program: An Updated Measurement of the Hubble Constant Using the Inverse Distance Ladder
• The Dark Energy Survey Supernova Program: Investigating Beyond—ΛLCDM
• Resolving Hubble Constant and Creation Tension

In this special episode, Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Sy Garte discuss Garte’s new book, Science and Faith in Harmony. Garte’s approach to science and faith inspires a sense of wonder. He demonstrates the many ways that science—the study of God’s spoken word—harmonizes with Scripture—God’s written word—in profoundly beautiful and meaningful ways.

References:

PODCAST LINKS:

The Works of His Hands: A Scientist’s Journey from Atheism to Faith

Science and Faith in Harmony: Contemplations on a Distilled Doxology

Sy Garte

YOUTUBE LINKS:

Sy Garte, The Works of His Hands: A Scientist’s Journey from Atheism to Faith, https://a.co/d/iFzvash

Sy Garte, Science and Faith in Harmony: Contemplations on a Distilled Doxology, https://a.co/d/7W2jnKw

Sy Garte, https://sygarte.com

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Jeff Zweerink 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.

Biological Basis for Belief?

As human beings, our religious nature defines us. Treating it as a scientific question, many scientists wonder, how do we account for human spirituality and religiosity? Are there brain structures and processes that explain this behavior? Using lesion mapping, a research team from Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital recently determined the brain regions and neural circuits that account for religiosity and spirituality.

This study (amongst others) raises troubling questions for Christians.

Is our spirituality and response to religion based on our brain’s biology?

Is there a materialistic, mechanistic explanation for religious acceptance?

Do people really experience God?

In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana addresses these questions and presents a model that accommodates these scientific findings, while retaining a biblical view of human nature.

Woke at the University

During the 2023–2024 academic year, Rice University offered a course called “Afrochemistry” that claimed to “apply chemical tools and analysis to understand Black life in the US.” From January 16 to May 16, 2024, AcademicJobsOnline.org advertised a job for the University of Victoria’s physics and astronomy department that was only open to an indigenous person. Both examples show how a worldview subversive to the scientific enterprise is spreading into the scientific community. This view of contemporary critical theory sees the world in terms of oppressors and oppressed. In contrast, the Judeo-Christian worldview sees all people as valuable and worthy of God’s and our love. Additionally, the Judeo-Christian worldview buttresses and supports the foundation needed for the scientific enterprise to flourish.

YOUTUBE LINKS:

Michael A. Ferguson et al., “A Neural Circuit for Spirituality and Religiosity Derived from Patients with Brain Lesions,” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34454698/

Additional Resources

Fazale Rana, “Is There a Biological Basis for Belief?,” https://reasons.org/explore/publications/articles/is-there-a-biological-basis-for-belief

Fazale Rana, “Is There a Biological Basis for Belief? A Follow Up,”

https://reasons.org/explore/publications/articles/is-there-a-biological-basis-for-belief-a-follow-up

Fazale Rana, “Does Oxytocin Cause Spiritual Experiences?,”

https://reasons.org/explore/blogs/the-cells-design/does-oxytocin-cause-spiritual-experiences

PODCAST LINKS:

University of Victoria, Department of Physics and Astronomy

New ‘Afrochemistry’ Course Widely Panned as Identity Politics Dumbing Down Hard Sciences

YOUTUBE LINKS:

AcademicJobsOnline, “University of Victoria, Department of Physics and Astronomy,” posted January 16, 2024, https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/27010

Jennifer Kabbany, “New ‘Afrochemistry’ Course Widely Panned as Identity Politics Dumbing Down Hard Sciences,” https://www.thecollegefix.com/new-afrochemistry-course-widely-panned-as-identity-politics-dumbing-down-hard-sciences/

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Hugh Ross 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.

A team of life scientists has claimed to discover a new organelle (called a nitroplast) that fixes nitrogen. It looks like this organelle evolved from an endosymbiont that assumed permanent residence in a eukaryotic cell. If so, this discovery provides support for the endosymbiont hypothesis, challenging the notion that a Creator is responsible for life’s origin and design. In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana describes this work and its significance to life’s history, and offers a critical assessment of the study’s conclusion.

An international team of 17 scientists has proposed that a dramatic weakening of Earth’s magnetic field caused an oxygen level jump 575 million years ago. They showed that a much weaker magnetic field would cause solar particles to split apart water molecules in Earth’s atmosphere into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen would escape to interplanetary space, leaving the oxygen to accumulate in Earth’s atmosphere. They demonstrated that that the magnetic field decline is sufficient to explain most of the rapid oxygen rise (from 2% to 8%) that occurred at the time of the Avalon explosion, which marked the first appearance of macroscopic animals. In this episode, Hugh Ross explains that the transition of Earth’s core from being 100% liquid to where a solid inner core begins to form would explain the dramatic weakening of Earth’s magnetic field—and the minimum oxygen level needed for complex life—that occurred 0.6 million years ago.     

• Nitrogen-Fixing Organelle in a Marine Alga
• Mitochondrial Protein Import Advances the Case for Creation
• Near-Collapse of the Geomagnetic Field May Have Contributed to Atmospheric Oxygenation and Animal Radiation in the Ediacaran Period
• Designed to the Core, 183–197  

Episode Description:

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Jeff Zweerink 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.

ERVs and Embryo Development

For many people, the shared ERV (endogenous retrovirus) sequences in the human and great ape genomes evince common ancestry and an evolutionary origin for humanity. Yet, new discoveries about the physiological role of ERVs suggest another interpretation for why they appear in the human genome. In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana discusses the latest insight into ERV molecular biology and explores the question, “Can a creation model explain the occurrence of ERV sequences in the human genome?”

References:

PODCAST LINK:

Endogenous Retroviruses Shape Pluripotency Specification in Mouse Embryos

Additional Resource:

Insights about Suppressyn Support Creation Model View of ERVs

YOUTUBE LINK:

Sergio de la Rosa et al., “Endogenous Retroviruses Shape Pluripotency Specification in Mouse Embryos,” https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adk9394

Fazale Rana, “Insights about Suppressyn Support Creation Model View of ERVs,” https://reasons.org/explore/blogs/the-cells-design/insights-about-suppressyn-support-creation-model-view-of-ervs

Just the Right Amount of Water

Most people know that life depends on Earth’s oceans, but the continents play an equally critical role in Earth’s capacity to support life. However, a planet’s ability to have land relies on having just the right amount of water. Too little and there are no oceans at all but too much and the continents never rise above the ocean’s surface. One factor that influences the amount of surface water is the planet’s capacity to store water in its interior. Recent studies indicate that the ancient earth could store much less water than today. Therefore, doubling the amount of water on Earth would have prevented the formation of continents that rise above the oceans and stymied Earth’s capacity to support life.

References:

PODCAST LINK:

Constraining the Volume of Earth’s Early Oceans with a Temperature-Dependent Mantle Water Storage Capacity Model

YOUTUBE LINK:

Junjie Dong et al., “Constraining the Volume of Earth’s Early Oceans with a Temperature-Dependent Mantle Water Storage Capacity Model,” https://doi.org/10.1029/2020AV000323

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Dr. Christina Cirucci, a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist, for a deep dive into the critical and controversial topic of gender identity and puberty blockers from a Christian perspective.

Gender Identity and Medical Ethics

There’s still much to explore regarding the ethical implications of gender identity and medical interventions. In this insightful dialogue, biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana and medical doctor Christina Cirucci discuss what puberty blockers are, their use in gender-affirming healthcare, and their reversibility and safety. Through her work and research with RTB, Dr. Cirucci raises thought-provoking questions that challenge Christians to consider their stance on issues such as:

• What are the undisclosed risks associated with puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones in children and adolescents?
• What roles do parents and medical professionals play in decisions concerning gender identity care?
• How do Christian ethics shape our understanding of gender identity and medical interventions?

Central to our discussion is the biblical concept that every human bears God’s image, underscoring their inherent dignity and worth. We emphasize the necessity of accurate and reliable information regarding gender identity care and advocate for compassionate, informed, and respectful responses.

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 Reasons to Believe Scholar Community on matters of gender identity. RTB is not offering medical or other professional advice. Individuals still need to consult with their own physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, etc. Our desire is to see everyone make informed, educated decisions.

Links & Resources:

• A Scientific and Medical Evaluation of Transgenderism
• Transgenderism and the Bible

A prominent atheist philosopher says original sin is the faith's strongest argument

Join astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink and special guest Christian apologist and lawyer Abdu Murray (president and founder of Embrace the Truth Ministry) 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.

Musings on AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) has already penetrated many areas of our daily life. While AI can bring some benefits, we often don’t understand the long-term effects of AI use. In this episode, Jeff Zweerink and Abdu Murray explore some of the consequences that might ensue as we utilize AI in the legal profession. Of particular interest is the way AI will impact our relationships, not just in legal matters, but in everyday life as well.

References:

Can the AI Driving ChatGPT Help to Detect Early Signs of Alzheimer's Disease?

Did Life Exist on Mars? Other Planets? With AI’s Help, We May Know Soon

Join Fazale Rana and Jeff Zweerink 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.

Origin of Composite Genes

A team of investigators from the University of Nottingham in the UK has demonstrated that composite genes make up about 5 percent of the gene groups in animal genomes. When viewed from an evolutionary framework, these composite genes don’t appear to have accrued gradually in animal genomes but instead arose in bursts at times that correlate with evolutionary innovation. As it turns out, about 40 percent of composite genes appear to have had multiple independent evolutionary origins.

In this episode, biochemist Fazale Rana discusses this remarkable study and explores what this new insight means for evolutionary and creation models.

RESOURCES: 

Bursts of Novel Composite Gene Families at Major Nodes in Animal Evolution

Additional Resource:

Fazale Rana, What If . . . ? Convergence Strengthens the Case for Creation?

Infinities and Absurdities

The topic of infinity fascinates people and provides for interesting discussions regarding the nature of creation. Often, when discussing infinity, one will hear the claim that actual infinities don’t exist because they lead to absurdities. In this episode, astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink provides some background to this assertion and then makes a counter claim that we could apply the same logic to the notion of zero. However, since few rational people would argue that actual zeroes don’t exist, Jeff contends that we cannot use some popular arguments about infinities to claim that actual infinities don’t exist.

RESOURCES: 

Infinity

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana in this breaking News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Fuz reports on the work by a research team from Tianjin University in China, who, recently stole headlines when they announced that they developed a chip that used human brain tissue to control a robotics system. This remarkable breakthrough (called organoid intelligence) generates excitement and also raises some profound ethical and theological questions.

• How this technology works
• Why researchers are pursuing the development of biocomputing and organoid intelligence
• Ethical concerns associated with this work
• Christian perspective on organoid intelligence

• Lab-Grown Human Brain Tissue Used to Control Robot
• Organoid Intelligence (OI): The New Frontier in Biocomputing and Intelligence-in-a Dish
• A Christian Perspective on Living Electrodes
• Brain Organoids Cultivate the Case for Human Exceptionalism

The brain is the most complex structure in the universe, but we know more about distant objects in space than the human brain. In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana and Dr. Uditha Jayatunga discuss the amazing complexity of human and animal brains and the problem it poses for the evolutionary paradigm. 

Links and Resources:

• What Is the Memory Capacity of a Human Brain?
• The Human Brain’s Memory Could Store the Entire Internet
• The Human Brain vs. Supercomputers . . . Which One Wins?
• Uditha Jayatunga, Intelligent Design as Proof of Creation: A Scientific Analysis

Join Fazale Rana and Jeff Zweerink 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.

Free Will: An Illusion?

The prominent neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky has created a stir with the recent publication of his book Determined. Based on a wide range of findings from neuroscience and genetics, Sapolsky argues that free will is an illusion. All of our decisions are predetermined by influences beyond our control.

In this episode, biochemist Fazale Rana discusses the radical and far-ranging implications of Sapolsky’s dangerous idea, before presenting the scientific evidence, demonstrating that free will really exists. 

Rana concludes by offering a model for free will based on the Christian worldview.

References:

Determined: A Science of Life without Free Will

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and guest Casey Luskin 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.

One of the most exciting areas of science and engineering is biomimetics and bioinspiration. Scientists and engineers working in this field develop new technology and solve engineering problems by studying and copying biological designs. In this episode biochemist Fuz Rana and special guest Casey Luskin, associate director of the Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture, discuss recent findings in biomimetics and bioinspiration and explore the implications of this work for the design argument.

• Effect of Schooling on Flow Generated Sounds from Carangiform Swimmers
• Bioinspired Multiscale Adaptive Suction on Complex Dry Surfaces Enhanced by Regulated Water Secretion
• Geometric Design of Antireflective Leafhopper Brochosomes
• Spider Silk Inspires New Technology and the Case for a Creator

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink 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.

More than 58,000 dams that are built higher than 15 meters (50 feet) exist on nearly all the world’s rivers. Consequently, migratory fish stocks have declined by 76% since 1970 and populations of “megafish” have declined by 94%. Two water resource engineers combined fish migratory taxonomy data with migratory fish life cycle and dam impact models to determine the best fish rescue strategies for five flagship fish species residing in the 12 large dams on the Yangtze River in China. They identified six major misjudgments in China’s fish rescue programs and concluded that large, effective fishways are essential for maintaining robust fish stocks.

The quest for more powerful and capable AIs inevitably involves making more sophisticated training algorithms and models with a larger number of parameters. While pursuing this quest, AI developers are also investigating how to align AIs with the values and behaviors we want. Recent research demonstrated that those two goals currently stand in opposition to one another. Specifically, making larger, more sophisticated models results in AIs that effectively resist training to eliminate malicious behavior—regardless of whether the malicious behavior was intentionally programmed or an unintended consequence. Such results provide additional evidence that we humans need to build godly character in ourselves so that we can wisely and responsibly develop and use these powerful AI tools.

• Dams Trigger Exponential Population Declines of Migratory Fish 
• The Evaluation of a Definite Integral by the Method of Brackets Illustrating Its Flexibility

Join Hugh Ross in this breaking News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Hugh describes the first accurate dating of the beginning and end of the Sturtian snowball event—which covered over 80% of Earth’s surface with thick ice—and how this precise timing made advanced life possible.

• Previous attempts to date the Sturtian snowball event were based on five or less detrital zircons.
• Geologists recovered more than 2,000 detrital zircons from the Port Askaig Formation in Scotland, where advancing and retreating glaciers had not eroded away the historical record of the Sturtian. In the words of lead author Elias J. Rugen, “by some miracle the transition can be seen.”
• Uranium-lead isotope measurements of the zircons yielded radiometric dates for when the sedimentary layers in the Port Askaig Formation transitioned from warm tropical to cold glacial conditions and back again.
• The uranium-lead derived ages showed that the Sturtian snowball event lasted from 720 to 663 million years ago.
• The Sturtian event dramatically reduced carbon dioxide and dramatically increased oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere.
• If the Sturtian event had occurred any earlier, then the Sun would have been too dim to prevent Earth from being permanently covered with ice. On the other hand, if the Sturtian event had occurred any later, then the brighter Sun would have shortened the duration and limited the ice coverage, resulting in too little oxygen and too much carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere, ruling out the possibility of advanced life.

Links and Resources:

• Glacially Influenced Provenance and Sturtian Affinity Revealed by Detrital Zircon U–Pb Ages from Sandstones in the Port Askaig Formation, Dalradian Supergroup
• Hugh Ross, Designed to the Core, 218–220.