Course Description

Join philosopher of science Stephen Meyer as he investigates the scientific evidence for intelligent design in the origin of life, the development of biological complexity, and physics and cosmology. In 42 short video lectures, Meyer explores the scientific basis for the theory of intelligent design—the idea that key features of life and the universe are best explained as the product of an intelligent cause rather than an unguided process. In this course, Meyer will guide you through the major concepts and information presented in his pathbreaking books Signature in the Cell and Darwin’s Doubt, as well as previewing some of the material about physics and cosmology in his book The Return of the God Hypothesis. Each video lecture is accompanied by a short quiz, and a special digital certificate of completion is offered for those who finish the course.

Important Information: You will have 365 days from enrolling in the course to complete it. After 365 days, your course access will expire. Also, if you have trouble in creating a new user account, please turn off your ad or pop-up blockers. Sometimes those features interfere with the registration process.

Instructor

Stephen Meyer

Senior Fellow, Discovery Institute

Stephen C. Meyer received his PhD from the University of Cambridge in the philosophy of science. A former geophysicist and college professor, he now directs the Center for Science and Culture at Discovery Institute in Seattle. He is author of the New York Timesbestseller Darwin’s Doubt (2013) as well as the book Signature in the Cell (2009) and The Return of the God Hypothesis (forthcoming in 2021). In 2004, Meyer ignited a firestorm of media and scientific controversy when a biology journal at the Smithsonian Institution published his peer-reviewed scientific article advancing intelligent design. Meyer has been featured on national television and radio programs, including The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, CBS's Sunday Morning, NBC's Nightly News, ABC's World News, Good Morning America, Nightline, FOX News Live, and the Tavis Smiley show on PBS. He has also been featured in two New York Times front-page stories and has garnered attention in other top-national media.

Curriculum

    1. Course Outline

      FREE PREVIEW

    2. Lecture 1: Introduction to Course

      FREE PREVIEW

    3. Quiz1

      FREE PREVIEW

    4. Lecture 2: Darwin’s Challenge to Intelligent Design

    5. Quiz 2

    6. Lecture 3: Theories of the Origin of Life in the Nineteenth Century

    7. Quiz3

    8. Lecture 4: Oparin’s Theory of the Origin of Life

    9. Quiz 4

    10. Lecture 5: The Amazing Complexity of Proteins

    11. Quiz 5

    12. Lecture 6: The Role of DNA

    13. Quiz 6

    14. Lecture 7: The DNA Enigma

    15. Quiz 7

    16. Lecture 8: What Kind of Information Does DNA Contain?

    17. Quiz 8

    18. Lecture 9: Explanations for the Origin of Life—Chance

    19. Quiz 9

    20. Lecture 10: Explanations for the Origin of Life—Self-Organization

    21. Quiz 10

    22. Lecture 11: Explanations for the Origin of Life—Pre-Biotic Natural Selection

    23. Quiz 11

    24. Lecture 12: Introduction to Intelligent Design

    25. Quiz 12

    26. Lecture 13: Objections to Intelligent Design—Is Intelligent Design Science?

    27. Quiz 13

    28. Lecture 14: Objections to Intelligent Design—Argument from Ignorance?

    29. Quiz 14

    30. Lecture 15: Objections to Intelligent Design—RNA World, pt. 1

    31. Quiz 15

    32. Lecture 16: Objections to Intelligent Design—RNA World, pt. 2

    33. Quiz 16

    34. Lecture 17: Objections to Intelligent Design—RNA World, pt. 3

    35. Quiz 17

    36. Lecture 18: Objections to Intelligent Design—Junk DNA

    37. Quiz 18

    1. Lecture 19: Another Information Problem in the History of Life

    2. Quiz 19

    3. Lecture 20: The Cambrian Explosion

    4. Quiz 20

    5. Lecture 21: The Mystery of the Missing Fossils—The Burgess Shale

    6. Quiz 21

    7. Lecture 22: The Mystery of the Missing Fossils—The Chenjiang Fauna

    8. Quiz 22

    9. Lecture 23: What Does It Take to Build an Animal?

    10. Quiz 23

    11. Lecture 24: Challenges to the Neo-Darwinian Mechanism—Combinatorial Searches, pt. 1

    12. Quiz 24

    13. Lecture 25: Challenges to the Neo-Darwinian Mechanism—Combinatorial Searches, pt. 2

    14. Quiz 25

    15. Lecture 26: Challenges to the Neo-Darwinian Mechanism—Developmental Mutations and Gene Regulatory Networks

    16. Quiz 26

    17. Lecture 27: Challenges to the Neo-Darwinian Mechanism—Information beyond DNA

    18. Quiz 27

    19. Lecture 28: The Positive Case for Intelligent Design, pt. 1

    20. Quiz 28

    21. Lecture 29: The Positive Case for Intelligent Design, pt. 2

    22. Quiz 29

    23. Lecture 30: The Positive Case for Intelligent Design, pt. 3

    24. Quiz 30

    25. Lecture 31: Responding to Critics—Charles Marshall

    26. Quiz 31

    27. Lecture 32: Responding to Critics—Dennis Venema and Deborah Haarsma

    28. Quiz 32

    29. Lecture 33: Responding to Critics—Lawrence Krauss and Richard Dawkins

    30. Quiz 33

    31. Lecture 34: Who Is the Designer?

    32. Quiz 34

    1. Lecture 35: One Man’s Journey

    2. Quiz 35

    3. Lecture 36: What Is Fine-Tuning?

    4. Quiz 36

    5. Lecture 37: How Do We Recognize Design?

    6. Quiz 37

    7. Lecture 38: Weak Anthropic Principle and Natural Law

    8. Quiz 38

    9. Lecture 39: The Multiverse, pt. 1

    10. Quiz 39

    11. Lecture 40: The Multiverse, pt. 2

    12. Quiz 40

    13. Lecture 41: The Multiverse, pt. 3

    14. Quiz 41

    15. Lecture 42: Who Is the Designer—Final Thoughts

    16. Quiz 42

About this course

  • $147.00
  • 85 lessons
  • 7 hours of video content