Is the universe meaningful or meaningless? Purposeful or pointless? On a new episode of ID the Future, enjoy the second half of an interview with Dr. Jonathan Witt about the evidence of purpose and meaning built into the universe. Dr. Witt is co-author of the book A Meaningful World, which argues that the more we learn about the universe, the more it seems laden with meaning. He unpacks this argument in a discussion with host Dr. Mark Turman. 

Here in Part 2, Witt describes four characteristics common in all works of human genius and provides examples, from Shakespeare’s Hamlet to Euclid’s geometry. He then explains that we find the same hallmarks in the natural world, from the “unreasonable effectiveness” of mathematics and the elegant structure of the DNA helix to the efficiency of protein machines and the intricate interconnected systems that keep organisms alive. It turns out, Witt argues, that the deeply original thinking and high levels of intelligence we so admire in human genius has a long-standing precedent in nature.

Download the podcast or listen to it here. Listen to Part 1 here.

This conversation originally aired on the Denison Forum podcast. We thank the Denison Forum for permission to share it. 

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• Get your own copy of A Meaningful World: How the Arts and Sciences Reveal the Genius of Nature.