On a new episode of ID the Future, Robert J. Marks interviews chemist Charles Thaxton about a seminal 1984 book he co-authored, The Mystery of Life’s Origin, foundational to the intelligent design movement, and a later project, Of Pandas and People. Download the podcast or listen to it here.

The main body of Mystery was generally praised, Thaxton explains. It was the epilogue that proved controversial. (Look for except at Evolution News tomorrow.) There the three authors reviewed five proposed explanations for life’s origins and suggested that the best explanation was that the first life originated through an act of creative intelligence. The Mystery of Life’s Origin has now been re-released in an updated and greatly expanded version, with new contributions by Stephen Meyer, James Tour, and others. 

Photo: Stephen Meyer discuss the work and impact of Charles Thaxton at the 2020 Dallas Conference on Science & Faith, by Chris Morgan.