Stephen C Meyer - News

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:54:31 -0800

The evolution debate is about to undergo a paradigm shift. Darwin's Origin of Species launched a revolution whose scientific, cultural and spiritual effects are still with us. Now a new revolution is on the horizon. On June 18, the HarperOne imprint of HarperCollins will publish Darwin's Doubt: The Explosive Origin of Animal Life and the Case for Intelligent Design, by Stephen C. Meyer. For now but not for long, exclusively at DarwinsDoubt.com, you can preorder your copy, receiving a steep discount, free shipping and four free digital books! Dr. Meyer is the Cambridge University-trained leader and founder of the ID movement. His previous book, Signature in the Cell, caught the attention of scholars who previously had nothing friendly to say about ID. Even distinguished atheist philosopher Thomas Nagel admitted that it confronted him with a "fiendishly difficult problem." But Signature in the Cell considered only the mystery of the origin of life. Dr. Meyer's new book expands the scope of the case for ID to the entire sweep of life's history. In some ways his book resembles Darwin's Origin, with its methodical style, summarizing and synthesizing arguments and evidence in an unprecedentedly rigorous and powerful way. Or since the idea of intelligent design stretches back to classical philosophy, waiting only to be restated definitively in contemporary scientific terms, it might best be compared to Richard Dawkins's The Blind Watchmaker, which performed a similar service for Darwinian theory. Meyer begins with what Darwin himself regarded as a troubling enigma, a subject of doubt and even some scientific distress. It is a mystery from which subsequent generations of Darwinists have sought to distract the public's attention. Some 530 million years ago, in the event called the Cambrian explosion, there sprang suddenly into existence the majority of animal body plans (phyla) that have existed on Earth. The shallow seas of the Cambrian period abruptly teemed with diverse, exotic animals. Evolutionary biologists and paleontologists have struggled to explain this epic event. Dr. Meyer takes his readers on a journey through scientific history, starting with the discovery of the Burgess Shale by Charles Walcott in 1909. He shows how failed attempts to give a satisfying Darwinian explanation of the Cambrian explosion have opened the door to increasingly profound questions, posed by evolutionary biologists themselves, leading to a far greater mystery: the origin of the biological information necessary to build the animals of the Cambrian and all the living creatures that have existed on Earth. Here is a sweeping account, stunningly illustrated with gorgeous color photos, of the frontiers of the scientific critique of Darwinism and the case for ID. Exacting and thorough, yet remarkably accessible to the thoughtful lay reader, Darwin's Doubt introduces us to the challenges to Darwinism based on the study of combinatorial inflation, protein science, population genetics, developmental biology, epigenetic information, and more. Meyer explains how post-Darwinian alternatives and adaptions of Darwin's theory -- including self-organizational models, evo-devo, neutral or nonadaptive evolution, natural genetic engineering, and others -- fall short as well. He demonstrates that the weaknesses of orthodox evolutionary theory, when flipped over head-to-foot, are precisely the positive indications that point most persuasively to intelligent design. Evolutionary biologists studying gene regulatory networks and fossil discontinuity, among other fields, have come tantalizingly close to reaching this conclusion themselves. The Cambrian event, fundamentally, represents an information explosion, the first but not the last in the history of life. As no book has done before, Darwin's Doubt spells out the implications of this fact. Dr. Meyer stands on the verge of turning the evolution debate in an entirely new direction, compelling critics of the theory of intelligent design, at last, to respond substantively and in detail. The book will be a game-changer, for science and culture alike. Go here now to preorder, for a limited time only!

Intelligent Design is not Creationism

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 11:05:52 -0800

This article was originally published in the Daily Telegraph (UK) on January 29. Original Article In 2004, the distinguished philosopher Antony Flew of the University of Reading made worldwide news when he repudiated a lifelong commitment to atheism and affirmed the reality of some kind of a creator. Flew cited evidence of intelligent design in DNA and the arguments of "American [intelligent] design theorists" as important reasons for this shift. Since then, British readers have learnt about the theory of intelligent design (ID) mainly from media reports about United States court battles over the legality of teaching students about it. According to most reports, ID is a "faith-based" alternative to evolution based solely on religion. But is this accurate? As one of the architects of the theory, I know it isn't.

Dr. Meyer Gives Inaugural Annual Lecture for C4ID in London

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 12:28:06 -0800

In November 2011, Dr. Meyer addressed a distinguished group of leading British political, cultural, and intellectual leaders at the Royal Horseguards Hotel, No. 1 Whitehall, London, England. In attendance were several members of the House of Lords, university vice chancellors, and many journalists, politicians, philosophers and scientists. He was giving the inaugural annual lecture of the Centre for Intelligent Design (UK). The event was hosted by former Lord Chancellor Lord McKay of Clashfern. The complete video of Dr. Meyer's talk, including an important Q&A discussion on what constitutes science, is now available on YouTube. Also available: coverage of the event here and here on Evolution News & Views and at the website for the Centre for Intelligent Design UK.

New Research Supports Meyer's Discussion of Pre-Biotic Chemistry in Signature in the Cell

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:49:00 -0800

A recent Nature publication reports a new technique for measuring the oxygen levels in Earth's atmosphere some 4.4 billion years ago. The authors found that by studying cerium oxidation states in zircon, a compound formed from volcanic magma, they could ascertain the oxidation levels in the early earth. Their findings suggest that the early Earth's oxygen levels were very close to current levels. This research supports Dr. Meyer's discussion in Signature in the Cell. On pgs. 224-226 of Ch. 10: Beyond the Reach of Chance, Meyer states that when Stanley Miller conducted his famous 1953 experiment simulating early Earth's atmosphere, he "assumed that the earth's atmosphere contained virtually no free oxygen." Meyer reveals that new geochemical evidence showed that the assumptions Miller had made about the early atmosphere were incorrect. This new research is additional confirmation that oxygen was present in significant quantities. Because oxygen quenches organic reactions necessary to produce essential building blocks of life, the ability of inorganic materials to produce organic life, as chemical evolutionary theory assumes, is not possible. Read the complete article at ENV.

Dr. Meyer Debates Signature in the Cell Arguments with Keith Fox on Premier Radio UK

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 12:42:57 -0800

During a recent visit to London, Dr. Stephen Meyer debated Keith Fox on Premier Radio UK's "Unbelievable" program. Fox is a professor of biochemistry at Southampton University and Chair of the UK's Christians in Science network. Two years after its publication, Meyer's Signature in the Cell continues to make an impact with its powerful argument for design in DNA. In this lively conversation, Meyer and Fox discuss origins of life and the design inference in science.

Overflowtoday.com asks Stephen Meyer if he's got science

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 11:43:13 -0800

Many scientists say complex life just randomly happened. Overflowtoday.com interviewewd Stephen Meyer to find out if there Is any shred of scientific evidence that life was created? Watch the short video here.

What Accounts for Information in DNA? Watch Part 3 of Stephen Meyer's Series on the John Ankerberg Show

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 11:12:01 -0800

The DNA Enigma -- where did the information in DNA come from? -- is the supreme puzzle for Darwinian evolution. With the question affecting the origin of life, the chance hypothesis is completely out of the question, and pre-biotic natural selection begs the question. Watch as Stephen Meyer explains the inference to the best explanation for information in DNA, the origin of life, and our world: intelligent design.

Did DNA Evolve? Part 2 of Stephen Meyer's Series on the John Ankerberg Show

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 10:57:42 -0800

Does the New Scientific Evidence About the Origin of Life Put an End to Darwinian Evolution?

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 15:40:45 -0800

The John Ankerberg Show will launch this weekend a multi-part series examining the science behind origin of life theories and featuring Dr. Stephen C. Meyer.

Citation Bluffs About Earth's Early Atmosphere Dominate Misguided Response to Signature in the Cell

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 09:41:58 -0800

Stephen Meyer's book Signature in the Cell is primarily devoted to assessing attempts by materialists to explain the origin of information in life. Over the course of about four pages, he includes a short discussion of a peripherally related topic, the earth's early atmosphere and the likelihood of chemical monomers forming on the early earth. He notes that "[i]n the years following Miller's experiment, however, new geochemical evidence showed that the assumptions Miller had made about the early atmosphere were incorrect" and that a "neutral" atmosphere which is "not friendly[] to the production of amino acids" is more likely." (pp. 224-225) Some critics have claimed that recent research shows that that the Earth's early atmosphere was in fact reducing, and that Meyer's claims do not hold up. Are the critics right? One critic who has made such arguments is Gary Hurd, an anti-ID blogger with a Ph.D. in anthropology, who in a recent Amazon review argues that Stephen Meyer's book Signature in the Cell is "outdated" because Meyer contends that the earth's early atmosphere was not reducing, and, therefore, would not have readily produced the amino acids needed for life. Hurd also charges that Meyer's book is the result of "self-plagiarism." A closer examination shows that Hurd's review is an exercise in citation-bluffing.

Phillip Johnson Reviews SITC In Touchstone Magazine

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 15:25:58 -0800

Dogmatic Signs A Review of Signature in the Cell By: Phillip E. Johnson Touchstone Magazine

For anyone who wants to understand the argument for the necessary role of intelligent design in the history of life, the indispensable source is now Stephen C. Meyers' book Signature in the Cell (HarperOne, 2009). For cultural reasons, when arguments for the validity of Darwin's theory of evolution have been made in the past, emphasis has often been placed on the question of human descent from ape-like ancestors. Meyers' book, in contrast, directs attention to the scientifically most important subject: the origin of the cell and its complex molecular mechanisms.

Read the whole review here.

Signature in the Cell, A "Wise Defense of Intelligent Design

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 10:21:52 -0800

Now that it's out in paperback, Stephen Meyer's book is getting more attention and a wider audience. Today Professor Anthony J. Sadar has a thoughtful review of Signature in the Cell in the Washington Times, where he writes:

In "The Blind Watchmaker," atheist Richard Dawkins proclaimed, "Darwin made it possible to be an intellectually fulfilled atheist." Now, with the paperback release of Stephen C. Meyer's "Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design," theists can rejoin with, "Meyer made it possible to be an intellectually fulfilled theist." Indeed, in his book, Mr. Meyer begins the chorus by stating that "as a Christian theist, I find this implication of intelligent design 'intellectually satisfying.' " But, to suppose that "Signature in the Cell" is a book that argues for intelligent design (ID) from a religious or even metaphysical perspective is to suppose badly. For this book makes a strong case for ID as a rigorous scientific argument for the origin of life - at least as rigorous and scientific as any purely materialistic explanation such as neo-Darwinism.

Signature in the Cell: The First Year

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:10:08 -0800

Over the course of a year, Stephen C. Meyer's Signature in the Cell has made a powerful impact for intelligent design, reaching a wide audience with its cutting-edge science. From making Amazon.com's best-seller list for science books in 2009 to being named one of Times Literary Supplement's Top Books of the Year, Signature in the Cell is a work that fittingly earned its author WORLD Magazine's "Daniel of the Year." Watch the video below for more.

What are the origins of the information found in DNA?

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 08:38:33 -0800

In this new video, Dr. Stephen Meyer explains the historical scientific method and how it applies to the origin of the information that makes life possible. It's the question facing origin of life researchers: where does the information come from?

Dr. Meyer on Evidence 4 Faith

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:30:10 -0800

Dr. Stephen Meyer was recently on the radio show Evidence 4 Faith discussing his book, Signature in the Cell. Listen here.