Almost 50 years ago, physicist Steven Weinberg wrote that “[t]he more the universe seems comprehensible, the more it also seems pointless.” But is our universe really just a meaningless accident? Or can we detect true genius by studying its workings? On a new episode of ID the Future, we are pleased to share the first half of an interview with Dr. Jonathan Witt on the Denison Forum podcast about a cosmos charged with meaning and purpose. In their book A Meaningful World, Dr. Witt and co-author Benjamin Wiker develop a philosophical argument that the more we learn about the universe, the more it seems laden with meaning. Dr. Witt discusses this argument with host Mark Turman. 

In Part 1, Witt shares his personal journey of faith and notes why he became skeptical of Darwinism. He discusses why he and Wiker wrote their book, describing the volume as an antidote to the materialist thinking that has dominated academic and scientific circles for the last 150 years. Witt explains that after studying the hallmarks of genius in humans, they looked for the same characteristics in nature, finding bountiful examples of the same challenges, surprises, mystery, and elegance one expects from a work of genius.

Download the podcast or listen to it here. Look for Part 2 next.

Dig Deeper

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