Is there evidence of purpose in the universe? Or is life just a collection of accidental processes that did not have us in mind? On a new episode of ID the Future, I read an excerpt from The Farm at the Center of the Universe, a new young adult novel from astrobiologist Guillermo Gonzalez and author Jonathan Witt. On a weekend visit to his grandparents’ farm, Isaac is caught between two very different worldviews. He must choose for himself which makes the most sense.

In Chapter 2, Isaac wakes up to his first morning at the farm. He helps his grandfather collect eggs and milk the cow. At breakfast, his abuelo gives him a glimpse into the complexity of even simple farm animals. A chicken grows from an egg, Grandpa notes, but an egg comes from a chicken. How does a process like evolution get that going? It turns out biology is full of chicken-and-egg problems that are challenging to explain through evolutionary processes. But Isaac’s science teacher cousin Charlie is ready to defend the Darwinian view, and sparks begin to fly at the breakfast table. By the end of the friendly debate, Isaac has lots of questions. Will they get answered before the weekend is over? Download the podcast or listen to it here.

Dig Deeper

• Order a copy of The Farm for yourself, your teen, or a friend!
• Watch our interview with authors Guillermo Gonzalez and Jonathan Witt: