Episodes
00. Introduction (optional)
This 5-minute segment gives more information on the series. It is helpful but optional. Feel free to skip it and dive into the science. You can always return to it later.
01. Formation and Struture of the Universe
Where did our universe come from? We will look how the discovery of the red shift in the early 20th century radically changed our view of the universe. From there we will dive into Big Bang cosmology and look at the philosophical implications of our universe having a beginning. With these new insights from cosmology, we will take a fresh look at Genesis chapter one and other Biblical passages on the Universe and the nature of time. If you have not heard these concepts before, it is a fascinating topic and deals directly with the “Is there a God” question.
02. Design of the Universe
In the last segment, we saw that our universe had a beginning, which points to something beyond our universe that caused it to come into existence. Does science give us any indication of what made our universe? Was there a plan behind our universe, or was it just some random event? Well, it turns out science does show evidence of what made our universe, or at least characteristics of what lies beyond.
03. Formation of the Earth
In this segment we will look at the formation of the earth, sun, stars, oceans, continents, atmosphere and water cycle. We will compare earth’s physical history to what is mentioned in Genesis and other Biblical passages. Phrases such as “The earth was formless and void” and “Let there be light” will be explored. Reconciling earth’s history with Genesis can be challenging and is an important topic in evaluating the credibility of the Bible.
04. Appearance of Life Forms before Man
In this segment we will look at the history of life on earth except for man, which will be covered the following week. The talk will primarily focus on the fossil record and some key aspects of various life forms. We will then compare Earth’s life history with the Genesis account. A deep dive into evolutionary theory well be covered in later podcasts.
05. Formation of the Earth
Where did mankind come from? Did modern humans evolve from an ape-like species or are humans the result of a creation process? Is mankind a higher form of animal, or are we distinct from the rest of the animal kingdom? What were the Neanderthals? Is there any scientific basis for the story of Adam & Eve to be literal, or is it figurative? Join us for a fascinating talk that has significance with how we view ourselves as human beings. This is the last of a 5-part tour through Genesis chapter 1.
06 & 7. Evolutionary theory, two parts
Scientists agree evolutionary changes contributed to life’s diversity, but the debate is whether evolution explains all of life’s diversity? Is there evidence to support an alternative explanation? After studying evolution and leading similar groups, I realize one can’t have a meaningful discussion regarding evolution unless those involved understand the theory – and few people do. My goal is to teach key aspects of evolutionary theory in two podcasts and critiquing it in a third segment.
This presentation on evolution will be a departure from that norm and will be just science, with little tie-in to philosophy, theology or the Bible. Even if you have a degree in biology, you will probably pick up some key points. The first time I taught on evolution, a woman with a master’s degree in biology was fascinated. If segment on evolution gets too technical for you or doesn’t hold your interest, skip ahead 4 podcasts to Noah’s Ark.
08. Evolution part 3 - Critique of the Theory
This will be the last of a 3-part look at evolutionary theory. We spent the prior two podcasts going over key evolutionary concepts and now we have the foundation to critique the theory. After much study, my take is evolutionary processes contributed to life’s diversity but cannot offer a full explanation and there is evidence directly supporting intelligent intervention. With this podcast, we will take a thorough and enlightening look at life.
09. Origin of Life
Life first appeared on earth about 3.6 billion years ago as single cell bacteria and scientists refer to this as the origin of life. Where life came from is an important question in science and this talk will dive into the origin of life issue. This is perhaps the most technical talk in the series, but it will be explained in a way that those without a science background will understand. The next couple topics will be more philosophical and less technical.
10. Noah's Ark
Noah’s Ark is one of the most extreme stories in the Bible. Is it an allegory or a real event? We will look at different interpretations of the story and the plausibility of it being a real event. We will then ask if there is any evidence that this event happened. It turns out there are a couple things in science that offer subtle support for the account – nothing close to compelling, but interesting. Chances are you’ve never heard what I’ll be presenting.
11. Could there be Other Universes? (The Multiverse)
There is an expression, “All roads lead to Rome”. In a similar way it can be said that among science-orientated people, “All existence of God discussions lead to contemplating the Multiverse”. This podcast will explore the possibility that there are other universes besides our own. This concept is referred to as the Multiverse, for multiple universes, and is highly speculative since there is currently no way to measure or detect another universe and probably never will be. Big Bang cosmology strongly suggests there is something beyond our universe. Is it a God, a multiverse, or both? If exploring what science says about the existence of God is of particular interest, then this is one of the key talks of the series. Don’t miss it!
12. Could we be living in a Computer Simulation?
For centuries philosophers entertained the question of whether the universe is an illusion. A modern take on this question is whether the universe is a computer simulation, similar to the movie The Matrix. When researching this topic, I was shocked to see how much discussion is out there regarding us being in a computer simulation and how many people see this as a realistic possibility. The talk will first briefly address the illusion question and then move on to artificial intelligence. From there we’ll dive into the computer simulation possibility, which will be the bulk of the presentation.
13. If God made the Universe, who made God?
“If God made the universe, who made God?” Be ready to take a deep dive into this question and address it from a couple different angles. If you get a chance, go to YouTube and search for “Dr. Quantum Visits Flatland”. This is a 5-minute video that has nothing directly to do with the “who made God” question but illustrates a concept I will use in the talk. If you don’t get to see it, by all means listen to this fascinating topic. I will also address the question “What is heaven like”, as the material presented offers insight into this as well.
14. Thermodynamics
Thermodynamics is my personal favorite topic in the series and when giving this live has been one of the group’s favorites as well. It is possibly the most intellectually challenging topic in the series, but don’t let that scare you as its presented in a way that non-science people can grasp the key ideas. The first two thirds of the talk will be pure science. Once we have a foundational understanding of thermodynamics, I’ll cover some profound philosophical and theological implications that can change the way you view the world. Thermodynamics is a natural lead-in to next podcast on the Problem of Pain and Suffering. Best to get a good night’s sleep before listening to this mind-expanding topic.
15. The Problem of Pain & Suffering
If there is a loving God, why is there so much pain and suffering? This is an age-old question that many have wrestled with in life. This podcast will dive into this question. Don’t expect solid answers, rather new insights or a fresh perspective for looking at this issue. The problem of pain flows out of the prior podcast on thermodynamics.
16. How does one know if something is true?
What is truth? How can someone know if something is true? How does one generation pass truth to the next? What are the various ways and degrees that science claims to know something? We will explore these questions and take a look at the concept of truth. This talk provides a good foundation for the following podcast on “Cults, Deception and Bad Science”.
17. Cults, Deception and Bad Science
A religious sect can be described as a cult for doctrinal beliefs, sociological factors or both. We will discuss both but focus on the sociological factors where the discussion also encompasses non-religious organization/groups that exhibit cult-like behavior. An overview of conspiracy theories will be covered. We will also talk about deception in general and how bad science is often used in deceiving people, such as medical quackery. Finally, we’ll cover how bad science is used to support unsubstantiated philosophical ideas.
18. Quantum Mechanics
Since most people do not know what Quantum Mechanics is, it becomes a black box that swindlers use to sell things or justify bogus spiritual ideas. This talk will put you in the driver’s seat by giving an overview of key quantum mechanical ideas and show where quantum mechanics has philosophical implications and where it does not. Some aspects covered: Heisenberg uncertainty principle, particle-wave duality, discrete versus continuous energy states, and Schrodinger’s cat. Don’t let the big words scare you, non-technical people will follow the talk just fine.
19. Are we Alone in the Universe?
Could there be intelligent life on other planets? Well of course there “could” be. More meaningful questions are: What is the likelihood that there is intelligent life somewhere else in the universe? What is necessary for a star or planet to be a potential life site? Could the universe have harbored intelligent life far in the past or far into the future? If there is advanced intelligent life elsewhere, could it travel from one star to another? Could it be possible to communicate with extraterrestrial life and what would be the risk/rewards of doing so? What about non-carbon-based life? What are the theological and philosophical implications of extraterrestrial intelligent life? Listen in to this fascinating presentation on these questions. UFOs will not be covered here but saved for the following podcast.
20. UFOs
There is a lot of hype regarding UFOs. I’m a science and logic guy, not a hype and speculation guy. This talk will be a rigorous and methodological approach to UFOs. You may find the material and analysis surprisingly different from other presentations you’ve heard. Part of my preparation for this topic was interviewing someone regarding two separate events that happened over 50 years ago.