Stars, Cells, and God

​ Dark Photons? | AI and Emotional Intelligence

Join astrophysicists Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries with theological and philosophical implications that point to the reality of God’s existence.
The early universe may produce dark photon dark matter via inflation fluctuations, parametric resonances, or the decay of cosmic strings. The Sun’s vast plasma, extending out to Earth’s orbit, yields the best environment for detecting dark photons converting into photons. The Parker Solar Probe’s orbit (0.046–1.000 AU) and receiver (70 kHz–20 MHz) provide the most sensitive test for dark photons. Initial observations establish a dark photon constraint 20,000 times superior to the previous best from maps of the cosmic microwave background radiation.
AI that recognizes and responds properly to emotions would play a valuable role in helping us take care of others. However, this skill also comes with the danger that some people might replace important human relationships with the emotional mimicry of AI. Knowing how AI works and the limitations it faces (training data, biases in algorithms, being black boxes, etc.) can help us think properly about developing AI technology so that we can enjoy the benefits without falling prey to the perils. 
LINKS AND RESOURCES:
In Situ Measurements of Dark Photon Dark Matter Using Parker Solar Probe: Going Beyond the Radio Window
Dark Photon Limits from Patchy Dark Screening of the Cosmic Microwave Background
Could AI Understand Emotions Better Than We Do?
Large Language Models are Proficient in Solving and Creating Emotional Intelligence Tests

Bioinspired Skin | Understanding Water on Mars

Join astrophysicists Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries with theological and philosophical implications that point to the reality of God’s existence.
Human skin contains several amazing features that explain our long lifespans and ability for rapid global technological advance: high resilience, high toughness, self-adhesion, self-healing, high ionic conductivity, dynamic functionality, mechanical robustness, and stability. Scientists have designed and manufactured a water/glycerol binary solvent containing bismuth ions that yields an artificial skin that comes close to matching several of the functions and capabilities of human skin. This close match shows how well-designed the “real thing” is.
A growing body of evidence indicates that Mars had water on its surface nearly 4 billion years ago, which raises the obvious question of whether this Martian water ever hosted life. A recent study of the Martian water cycle—specifically how it differs from Earth’s—reveals that surface water on the red planet was likely even more transient than originally thought. Studies like these also reveal how remarkably designed Earth is, as it hosts an abundant array of life today.
LINKS AND RESOURCES: 
A Skin-Mimicking Multifunctional Hydrogel Via Hierarchical, Reversible Noncovalent Interactions
Thinking About Evolution
Missing Link in Early Martian Water Cycle Discovered
Infiltration Dynamics on Early Mars: Geomorphic, Climatic, and Water Storage Implication

​Reading Science into the Bible

When considering how science and the Bible integrate, we face the risk of reading scientific concepts into the text. Biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Christian apologist Steve Anonsen discuss how critics who read ancient, incorrect scientific views into the Bible are actually reading bad science into the Bible. This episode discusses the fun exercise of how to interpret the Bible well.

Human Eyes: Designed or Evolved?

Join astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink and ophthalmologist Andy Moyes as they discuss discoveries with theological and philosophical implications that point to the reality of God’s existence.
For decades, the human eye has been at the center of the creation/evolution debate. Even Charles Darwin recognized its apparent design despite arguing that evolution produced this vital sensory organ. Ophthalmologist Andrew Moyes brings his expertise in eye diseases to bear on this debate, making a case that the latest research shows the elegant and near-perfect design of the human eye.
LINKS AND RESOURCES:
Evolution of the Eye
A Pessimistic Estimate of the Time Required for an Eye to Evolve
Is Our Retina Really Upside Down?
 

​ Dinosaurs in Ancient Art | Deadly Magnetic Excursion

Join biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana and astrophysicist Hugh Ross as they discuss new discoveries with theological and philosophical implications that point to the reality of God’s existence.
Young-earth creationists claim that humans and dinosaurs coexisted. One key line of evidence they cite in support of this claim concerns the depictions of “dinosaurs” in art made by humans before paleontologists discovered dinosaur remains. In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana demonstrates why the appearance of dinosaurs in ancient art fails to support a young-earth view.
A 3D reconstruction of Earth’s magnetosphere during the Laschamps event (a geomagnetic excursion 41,000 years ago) shows that for 300 years, Earth’s magnetic field strength weakened to less than 10% of its present level and the aurora oval (ring-shaped zone around Earth’s magnetic poles) expanded and moved to lower latitudes. Hugh Ross tells us how this event was catastrophic for Neanderthals and Denisovans, but not for humans because they had sunscreen and made clothing.
Note: Stars, Cells, and God will be on hiatus for the month of June, but don’t worry—we’ll be back with new episodes in July!
LINKS AND RESOURCES:
A Remarkable Assemblage of Petroglyphs and Dinosaur Footprints in Northeast Brazil
A Possible Later Stone Age Painting of a Dicynodont (Synapsida) from the South African Karoo
Wandering of the Aurora Oval 41,000 Years Ago
Life and Magnetic Field Variations

Cave Art and God's Image | Life on Titan? How Much?

Join biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana and astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries with theological and philosophical implications that point to the reality of God’s existence.
Many anthropologists believe that the earliest modern humans’ production and interaction with cave art was a deeply spiritual experience. Interestingly, anthropologists often find children’s footprints and handprints associated with ancient cave art. But why? Archaeologists from the University of Tel Aviv argue that the earliest modern humans regarded children as liminal (transitional) agents between the physical and spiritual realms. In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana explains how this insight can be marshaled to make a scientific case that human beings bear the image of God.
Life’s abundance on Earth raises the question of whether other bodies in our solar system might host life. Besides Mars, proposed candidates include the moons Europa, Enceladus, and Titan because they have a large ocean underneath a surface layer of ice. Recently, scientists applied a model for life that considers metabolic pathways, moon conditions, and available chemical compounds to assess how much life Titan might host. Given reasonable values for these parameters, astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink explains how this model demonstrates that Titan might host a few kilograms of life in its ocean and what it means.
LINKS & RESOURCES:
Child in Time: Children as Liminal Agents in Upper Paleolithic Decorated Caves
Saturn’s Moon Titan Could Harbor Life, but Only a Tiny Amount, Study Finds
The Viability of Glycine Fermentation in Titan’s Subsurface Ocean

Bioinspired Robotic Hand | Is Dark Energy Fine-Tuned?

Join astrophysicists Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries with theological and philosophical implications that point to the reality of God’s existence.
Engineers have designed two types of robotic hands: rigid ones that move precisely and can be carefully controlled, and soft ones that are flexible and resilient. Hugh Ross describes how these robotics, modeled after the human hand’s musculoskeletal system, can play a piano and pick up and twirl an egg without breaking it.
The teleological argument, often expressed through fine-tuning, serves as a powerful way to point to the God of the Bible. However, Christians need to be diligent about keeping the specific examples up to date with the best scientific understanding. In this episode, Jeff Zweerink notes how we should use the cosmological constant to demonstrate both the power of the fine-tuning and the pitfalls to avoid when making the argument.
LINKS AND RESOURCES:
Biomimetic Rigid-Soft Finger Design for Highly Dexterous and Adaptive Robotic Hands
Thinking About Evolution
The Cosmological Constant

An Ordered Case for Design | Life on K2-18b Revisited

Join biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana and astrophysicist Hugh Ross as they discuss new discoveries with theological and philosophical implications that point to the reality of God’s existence.
A team of German researchers discovered that genes located in bacterial chromosomes assume a precise order based on their function. Biochemist Fuz Rana explains why this discovery evinces a Creator’s role in the origin and design of life.
Astrophysicist Hugh Ross comments on how the internet has blown up with blogs announcing astronomers have discovered signs of life on a distant planet called K2-18b. The reason for the excitement stems from a 99.7% probable detection of a molecule, dimethyl sulfide, in the planet’s atmosphere that might have been generated by living things. As an example, all of Earth’s dimethyl sulfide comes from marine microbes. However, several factors have been overlooked amidst the optimism: (1) Astronomers have found dimethyl sulfide in a comet and in the interstellar medium that’s indisputably nonbiological, (2) Astronomers question the detection, and (3) This distant planet and its host star’s physical characteristics rule out any possibility of physical life.
Links and Resources:
Most Bacterial Gene Families Are Biased Toward Specific Chromosomal Positions
New Constraints on DMS and DMDS in the Atmosphere of K2-18b from JWST MIRI
Signs of Life on a Distant Planet? Not So Fast, Say These Astronomers
On the Abiotic Origin of Dimethyl Sulfide: Discovery of Dimethyl Sulfide in the Interstellar Medium
Evidence for Abiotic Dimethyl Sulfide in Cometary Matter
A Comprehensive Reanalysis of K2-18b’s JWST NIRISS+NIRSpec Transmission Spectrum
Designed to the Core (chapters 9–11)

Mice Created to Have Two Dads | What If We Are Alone?

Join biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana and astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries with theological and philosophical implications that point to the reality of God’s existence.
Scientists used CRISPR gene editing and modified in vitro fertilization techniques to create mice with two dads and no mother. How should Christians respond to these types of studies? Biochemist Fuz Rana discusses how this research team accomplished this feat and why scientists would do this work. 
As scientists design new telescopes to search for habitable, or even inhabited, exoplanets, they also recognize that our searches may not find any signs of life. As they try to quantify what a lack of life measurements means, it benefits Christians to think about how we use the scientific data to argue for the truth of Christianity. Astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink examines what the science shows and how to use the current scientific data to argue for God’s robust design of Earth. 
Links and Resources:
Adult Bi-Paternal Offspring Generated Through Direct Modification of Imprinted Genes in Mammals 
 
What If We Find Nothing in Our Search for Life Beyond Earth?
 
What If We Find Nothing? Bayesian Analysis of the Statistical Information of Null Results in Future Exoplanet Habitability and Biosignature Surveys

Human Language and God’s Image | Space Solar Power

Join biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana and astrophysicist Hugh Ross as they discuss discoveries with theological and philosophical implications that point to the reality of God’s existence.
Is it possible to mount a scientific defense showing that humans uniquely bear God’s image as Scripture teaches? In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana discusses recent research from MIT that estimates the timing of the origin of human language and demonstrates that these results support the biblical account of humanity’s beginning.
Astrophysicist Hugh Ross discusses the feasibility of obtaining solar power from space. Researchers have devised a system where large satellites collect and convert solar power to electricity and transmit the electricity to Earth wirelessly. Previously, the system costs were prohibitive. Technological advances—lightweight collectors that can be folded and unraveled robotically and dynamically controlled for high precision and stability—now make space solar power an economically viable, fossil-fuel-free, continuously available solution for humanity’s energy needs.
Links and Resources:
Linguistic Capacity Was Present in the Homo sapiens Population 135 Thousand Years Ago
Rigid-Flexible Coupling Dynamics Modeling and Fractional-Order Sliding Mode Control for Large Space Solar Power Stations
Wireless Power Transfer in Space Using Flexible, Lightweight, Coherent Arrays
A Comprehensive Review on Space Solar Power Satellite: An Idiosyncratic Approach
Weathering Climate Change: A Fresh Approach