An enthusiastic crowd greeted the Seattle premiere of Fire-Maker: How Humans Were Designed to Harness Fire and Transform Our Planet on Tuesday night. (See the trailer here.) The film, which goes on sale on May 18 and features the work and thought of Discovery Institute biologist Michael Denton, was followed by a lively Q&A.

A high school student asked Dr. Denton what originally “sparked” his interest in fire. Michael responded that it was his belief in our unique fitness as human beings, the peculiar fine-tuning of human existence and capability (for more on that, see Privileged Species), that inspired him to search for other potential examples of fitness. “The more you look for fitness in nature,” he said, “the more you find it.”

Denton added that he believes one of the major scientific developments of the 21st century is and will be more and more major discoveries of elements of fitness in nature — a staggering accumulation of evidence, down to the micro level, that suggests this is indeed a privileged planet.

After the event, a crowd huddled around the book table to snatch up Denton’s latest, Evolution: Still a Theory in Crisis, and a long line formed as he signed books. It was clear there were some longtime fans of Dr. Denton in attendance; they had likely followed his work since his first book, Evolution: A Theory in Crisis, was published in 1985. Eager high school and college students offered an encouraging freshness as well.

Fire-Maker will have its Texas premiere on May 18! It is the third documentary in a series featuring Dr. Denton’s research. The first two films can be viewed online at the Privileged Species website, where you’ll be able to buy your copy of Fire-Maker packaged with The Biology of the Baroque.

Photo credit: Janine Solfelt.