Dr. Robin Collins is a Professor of Philosophy and Chair of the Department of Philosophy at Messiah College. Collins is the foremost defender of what is known as the teleological argument for the existence of God. He has a background in both physics and philosophy and will be discussing how the specific physical constants and conditions in the universe are finely-tuned for intelligent life and how this “fine-tuning” gives us reason to believe in a Creator.
Here is the video:
Topics:
the constants and quantities set at the origin of the universe is fine-tuned for conscious, embodied intelligences like us
three kinds of fine-tuning: 1) laws of nature, 2) constants, 3) quantities
examples of 1): gravity, electromagnetism, strong force, quantization, Pauli exclusion principle
examples of 2): gravitational constant, cosmological constant,
examples of 3): initial distribution of mass-energy
in addition to fine-tuning for life, there is also fine-tuning for discoverability
Naturalistic response to the evidence: the multiverse hypothesis
problems with the multiverse hypothesis
additional topics
I put the ones I am ready to speak on in bold. I recommend you learn those as well in order to illustrate the fine-tuning with evidence when you present it. The evidence is important because I’ve never found a single atheist who I discussed this with who could properly state the argument or understand the evidence. They talk about it without really understanding it, which is why we need to be ready to explain it to them.
Three episodes of the ID the Future podcast on human origins.
Part 1:
On this episode of ID the Future, the CSC’s Rob Crowther speaks with Casey Luskin, co-author of the new book Science & Human Origins. There are frequent and spurious claims made in the media that the genetic and fossil evidence of human-ape common ancestry is incontrovertible. In Science and Human Origins, Doug Axe, Ann Gauger, and Casey Luskin seek to equip readers with the knowledge to discern interpretation from fact and rhetoric from evidence. Listen in as Luskin introduces the book and specifically discusses his own assessment of the fossil data.
On this episode of ID the Future, Casey Luskin interviews Dr. Ann Gauger, co-author of Science & Human Origins and senior research scientist at the Biologic Institute. In recent years, human origins has become an especially hot topic as some scientists claim that the human race is a product of undirected natural selection and cannot be traced back to two parents. Dr. Gauger disagrees. Tune in to hear Dr. Gauger discuss the evidence against human-ape common ancestry, drawing from her research in such fields as anatomy and population genetics.
On this episode of ID the Future, Casey Luskin and Ann Gauger, co-authors of Science & Human Origins, discuss the assumptions behind the Darwinian evolutionist’s argument for common ancestry. Are these assumptions valid, or are there too many unknown variables? Dr. Gauger presents the inconsistencies between the Darwinian doctrine of common ancestry and the evidence from population genetics.
The IRS says it has lost emails from five more workers who are part of congressional investigations into the treatment of conservative groups that applied for tax exempt status.
The tax agency said in June that it could not locate an untold number of emails to and from Lois Lerner, who headed the IRS division that processes applications for tax-exempt status. The revelation set off a new round of investigations and congressional hearings.
On Friday, the IRS said it has also lost emails from five other employees related to the probe, including two agents who worked in a Cincinnati office processing applications for tax-exempt status.
The agency blamed computer crashes for the lost emails. In a statement, the IRS said it found no evidence that anyone deliberately destroyed evidence.
What are the odds of all these employees suddenly losing their e-mails because of “computer crashes” at the same time? Zero.
