Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Dr. Joe Bergeron as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.

A Medical Analysis of the Hallucination Hypothesis

Jesus’s disciples experienced something that made them believe Jesus bodily resurrected from the dead after a grisly death by crucifixion. As a naturalistic explanation to explain away the biblical narrative, critical scholars have proposed that Jesus’s disciples were hallucinating when they saw the resurrected Jesus. This has been referred to as the hallucination hypothesis. Dr. Bergeron provides a medical analysis of hallucination hypotheses and explains why they are unsupportable and inconsistent with current medical understanding.

Links and Resources:

• The Crucifixion of Jesus: A Medical Doctor Examines the Death and Resurrection of Christ

The brain is the most complex structure in the universe, but we know more about distant objects in space than the human brain. In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana and Dr. Uditha Jayatunga discuss the amazing complexity of human and animal brains and the problem it poses for the evolutionary paradigm. 

Links and Resources:

• What Is the Memory Capacity of a Human Brain?
• The Human Brain’s Memory Could Store the Entire Internet
• The Human Brain vs. Supercomputers . . . Which One Wins?
• Uditha Jayatunga, Intelligent Design as Proof of Creation: A Scientific Analysis

• What causes gender dysphoria?
• Does gender dysphoria have genetic causes?
• Is it due to environmental factors?
• Does it occur during fetal development?
• What is rapid onset gender dysphoria?

Biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana is joined by physician Steve Willing as they address these questions and discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.

DISCLAIMER:

Reasons to Believe is expressing our Christian beliefs on the issues of gender identity in the intersection of science and faith, as it’s an important discussion and many people have valid questions.

This research showcases the expertise of select members of the Reasons to Believe Scholar Community on matters of gender identity. RTB is not offering medical or other professional advice. People need to consult with their own physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, etc. We want to see everyone make informed, educated decisions.

Links & Resources:

• Transgenderism and the Bible
• A Scientific and Medical Evaluation of Transgenderism

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.

Metal-Free Stars

Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a team of 15 astronomers discovered a galaxy (RXJ2129-z8HeII) with a measured redshift that corresponds to a distance of 13.16 billion light-years. This measurement implies that astronomers are seeing it just 630 million years after the big bang creation event. The newly discovered galaxy’s features include two unique features: a bright ultraviolet continuum with an extremely steep spectral slope and a strong helium emission line. These newly found features, combined with a discovery made a few months earlier of an ionized gas cloud in the halo of another galaxy that contains only hydrogen and helium, affirms a fundamental prediction of the biblically predicted big bang creation model. That prediction claims that before any stars form the elemental composition of the universe will, by mass, be composed of 75.33% hydrogen, 24.67% helium, and a trace amount of lithium. These discoveries provide yet more evidence that the more we learn about the universe, the more evidence we accumulate that a God beyond space and time created the universe and exquisitely designed it so that humans could live and thrive. 

Links and Resources: 

• A Strong He II ƛ640 Emitter with Extremely Blue UV Spectral Slope at z = 8.16: Presence of Pop III Stars?
• Possible Population III Signatures at z = 10.6 in the Halo of GN-z11

Join astrophysicist Hugh Ross and one of America’s most famous cosmologists, Brian Keating, as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence

Hugh and Brian discuss research on the polarization signals in the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR)—the radiation left over from the cosmic creation event—that Brian conducted on the BICEP, BICEP2, POLARBEAR2, and Simons Array telescopes. They also discuss the significance of the polarization signals in establishing what kind of inflation event occurred at the tiniest fraction of a second after the universe’s beginning and the ongoing quest to gather more data on the polarization of the CMBR as a tool to learn more about the beginning and design of the universe. Brian also briefly describes his spiritual journey: a member of a Catholic church during his youth, becoming an atheist, and now a devout Jew in practice but an agnostic in belief.

Links and Resources

• Losing the Nobel Prize: A Story of Cosmology, Ambition, and the Perils of Science’s Highest Honor
• Into the Impossible: Think Like a Nobel Prize Winner

Join Hugh Ross in this breaking News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Hugh describes the first accurate dating of the beginning and end of the Sturtian snowball event—which covered over 80% of Earth’s surface with thick ice—and how this precise timing made advanced life possible.

• Previous attempts to date the Sturtian snowball event were based on five or less detrital zircons.
• Geologists recovered more than 2,000 detrital zircons from the Port Askaig Formation in Scotland, where advancing and retreating glaciers had not eroded away the historical record of the Sturtian. In the words of lead author Elias J. Rugen, “by some miracle the transition can be seen.”
• Uranium-lead isotope measurements of the zircons yielded radiometric dates for when the sedimentary layers in the Port Askaig Formation transitioned from warm tropical to cold glacial conditions and back again.
• The uranium-lead derived ages showed that the Sturtian snowball event lasted from 720 to 663 million years ago.
• The Sturtian event dramatically reduced carbon dioxide and dramatically increased oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere.
• If the Sturtian event had occurred any earlier, then the Sun would have been too dim to prevent Earth from being permanently covered with ice. On the other hand, if the Sturtian event had occurred any later, then the brighter Sun would have shortened the duration and limited the ice coverage, resulting in too little oxygen and too much carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere, ruling out the possibility of advanced life.

Links and Resources:

• Glacially Influenced Provenance and Sturtian Affinity Revealed by Detrital Zircon U–Pb Ages from Sandstones in the Port Askaig Formation, Dalradian Supergroup
• Hugh Ross, Designed to the Core, 218–220.

RTB president Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Dr. Steve Willing, a seasoned neuroradiologist, tackle the sensitive and pivotal topic of transgenderism through a biblical perspective. From the philosophical and scientific considerations to the profound implications for society and individuals, join us as they navigate through this complex terrain with respect, compassion, and a commitment to seeking the truth in the pursuit of a better understanding of God’s design for humanity.

Transgenderism Through a Medical and Biblical Lens

Reasons to Believe explores this topic not only to shed light on the scientific underpinnings of gender identity, but also to provide a comprehensive understanding rooted in biblical teachings. This initiative stems from a commitment to offer credible, trustworthy insights amid a landscape fraught with controversy and differing perspectives. Fuz and Steve discuss the definitions of transgenderism and the evolving medical and societal landscapes, and they address critical questions surrounding gender identity. They examine recent studies and societal shifts that help explain why gender identity has become a leading issue in contemporary discourse.

DISCLAIMER: Reasons to Believe is expressing our Christian beliefs on the issue of gender identity in the intersection of science and faith, as it’s an important discussion and many people have valid questions.

This research showcases the expertise of select members of the Reasons to Believe Scholar Community on matters of gender identity. RTB is not offering medical or other professional advice. People need to consult with their own physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, etc. We want to see everyone make informed, educated decisions.

Links and Resources: 

• A Scientific and Medical Evaluation of Transgenderism
• Transgenderism and the Bible

New Comet Belt?

Join Hugh Ross in this breaking News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Hugh describes an analysis by an international team of 44 astronomers of a survey of trans-Neptunian objects. This analysis reveals strong evidence for the existence of a sixth belt of asteroids/comets in the solar system. Here are some takeaways:

• The Kuiper Belt asteroids/comets orbit at 35–55 times Earth’s orbital distance from the Sun.
• The asteroids/comets in the newly discovered belt orbit at 70–90 times Earth’s orbital distance from the Sun.
• There appears to be a gap from 55­–70 times Earth’s orbital distance from the Sun where very few asteroids/comets exist.
• If this discovery of a new asteroid/comet is confirmed, it will enable astronomers to develop a much more detailed Grand Tack model for the early migration of solar system planets.
• A more detailed Grand Tack model will reveal even more evidence for the exquisite fine-tuning of the solar system that makes advanced life possible on Earth.

Links and Resources: 

• Candidate Distant Trans-Neptunian Objects Detected by the New Horizons Subaru TNO Survey
• Hugh Ross, Designed to the Core

Join Hugh Ross in this breaking News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Hugh describes how the latest measurements of cosmic baryon acoustic oscillations shed light on the true nature of dark energy and may resolve the tension between measurements of the cosmic expansion rate (Hubble constant) based on nearby galaxies with measurements based on the cosmic microwave background radiation and extremely distant galaxies. 

• Some of the Hubble constant tension is resolved by the fact that our galaxy resides in an under-dense part of the universe.
• The remaining tension can be resolved if (1) the curvature of the universe slightly departs from a flat geometry, (2) the dark energy equation of state slightly varies as the universe ages, and/or (3) systematic errors in expansion rate measurements based on Cepheid variable stars are greater than they are for the tip of the red giant branch stars.
• The Dark Energy Survey Collaboration (DESC) analyzed 1,829 type Ia supernovae with distances spanning 0.14–10.92 billion light-years calibrated by the most extensive survey of baryon acoustic oscillations.
• The DESC found that systematic errors in Cepheid variable star measures are a significant factor in the Hubble constant tension.
• The DESC showed that the latest survey of baryon acoustic oscillations revealed a slight variation in the dark energy equation of state.
• The Euclid telescope will soon map baryon acoustic oscillations to a far greater extent, which will provide a definitive resolution of the Hubble constant tension.

Links and Resources:

• The Dark Energy Survey Supernova Program: An Updated Measurement of the Hubble Constant Using the Inverse Distance Ladder
• The Dark Energy Survey Supernova Program: Investigating Beyond—ΛLCDM
• Resolving Hubble Constant and Creation Tension

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Dr. Christina Cirucci, a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist, for a deep dive into the critical and controversial topic of gender identity and puberty blockers from a Christian perspective.

Gender Identity and Medical Ethics

There’s still much to explore regarding the ethical implications of gender identity and medical interventions. In this insightful dialogue, biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana and medical doctor Christina Cirucci discuss what puberty blockers are, their use in gender-affirming healthcare, and their reversibility and safety. Through her work and research with RTB, Dr. Cirucci raises thought-provoking questions that challenge Christians to consider their stance on issues such as:

• What are the undisclosed risks associated with puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones in children and adolescents?
• What roles do parents and medical professionals play in decisions concerning gender identity care?
• How do Christian ethics shape our understanding of gender identity and medical interventions?

Central to our discussion is the biblical concept that every human bears God’s image, underscoring their inherent dignity and worth. We emphasize the necessity of accurate and reliable information regarding gender identity care and advocate for compassionate, informed, and respectful responses.

Disclaimer: Reasons to Believe is expressing our Christian beliefs on the issues of gender identity in the intersection of science and faith, as it’s an important discussion and many people have valid questions.

This research showcases the expertise of select members of the Reasons to Believe Scholar Community on matters of gender identity. RTB is not offering medical or other professional advice. Individuals still need to consult with their own physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, etc. Our desire is to see everyone make informed, educated decisions.

Links & Resources:

• A Scientific and Medical Evaluation of Transgenderism
• Transgenderism and the Bible

Join Hugh Ross and David Winyard as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.

Solar Probes Revolutionize Our Understanding of the Sun

Before NASA conducts research in space, much thought must go into mission planning and spacecraft design. Currently, two remarkable NASA missions demonstrate special orbits and heat management systems: the Parker Solar Probe and the James Webb Space Telescope. The former must endure intense heat as it loops between the Sun and the orbit of Venus. The latter operates far outside Earth’s orbit at low temperatures (below -370o F)—shielded from heat from the Sun, Earth, and Moon—to detect infrared light from deep space. Together, they are great vehicles to teach engineering dynamics and thermal-fluid science. Astrophysicist Hugh Ross and engineer David Winyard explain how insights gained from such missions will enhance scientists’ ability to forecast major space-weather events that impact life on Earth.

Links and Resources: 

• NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Mission Will Revolutionize Our Understanding of the Sun

•  

  Webb Image Release—Webb Space Telescope GSFC/NASA

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.

Three physicists used data collected from 165 stations in the Himalayan-Tibetan region and a regional climate model to determine the effect of black carbon aerosols (BCAs) on the climate of South Asia. Their analysis revealed warming at high elevations due to BCAs. Such atmospheric heating reduces the global mean precipitation, which impacts the summer monsoons in South Asia. Thus, all of South Asia is facing a climate change crisis with both dire economic and health consequences. In this episode, astrophysicist Hugh Ross explains that replacing coal and biofuels with natural gas as an energy source is the quickest and most economical solution to South Asia’s climate crisis.  

Continents play a critical role in Earth’s capacity to support a thriving and diverse array of life. Scientific studies show that some present-day continents formed at least 3 billion years ago. Those studies have assumed that the same process responsible for how our continents look today also ensured their stability. However, a recent paper highlights some important processes needed for large pieces of continents to stick around for billions of years. In this episode, astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink discusses how those processes reveal more fine-tuning of Earth to support life.

• Elevation-Dependence of Warming Due to Aerosol-Induced Snow Darkening over the Himalayan-Tibetan Region
• Climate-Relevant Properties of Black Carbon Aerosols Revealed by In Situ Measurements: A Review

• Subaerial Weathering Drove Stabilization of Continents

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and guest Casey Luskin as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.

One of the most exciting areas of science and engineering is biomimetics and bioinspiration. Scientists and engineers working in this field develop new technology and solve engineering problems by studying and copying biological designs. In this episode biochemist Fuz Rana and special guest Casey Luskin, associate director of the Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture, discuss recent findings in biomimetics and bioinspiration and explore the implications of this work for the design argument.

• Effect of Schooling on Flow Generated Sounds from Carangiform Swimmers
• Bioinspired Multiscale Adaptive Suction on Complex Dry Surfaces Enhanced by Regulated Water Secretion
• Geometric Design of Antireflective Leafhopper Brochosomes
• Spider Silk Inspires New Technology and the Case for a Creator

Join Jeff Zweerink and Kyle Keltz as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.

Modern scientists often dismiss Aquinas’s Five Ways as being outdated, irrelevant, or even invalid. However, when properly understood, the Five Ways show a remarkable similarity to how we think and approach science and they provide profound insight into explaining the universe. In this episode, astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink and philosopher Kyle Keltz clear up some misconceptions about the Fifth Way and design arguments while also showing how scientific advances over the last four centuries provide strong support for the premises of the Fifth Way.

Links and Resources: 

• Dr. Kyle Keltz has written two papers on Thomas Aquinas’s Five Ways, focusing on the Second Way and Fifth Way. They will be available at reasons.org in early 2025.

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Hugh Ross as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.

A team of life scientists has claimed to discover a new organelle (called a nitroplast) that fixes nitrogen. It looks like this organelle evolved from an endosymbiont that assumed permanent residence in a eukaryotic cell. If so, this discovery provides support for the endosymbiont hypothesis, challenging the notion that a Creator is responsible for life’s origin and design. In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana describes this work and its significance to life’s history, and offers a critical assessment of the study’s conclusion.

An international team of 17 scientists has proposed that a dramatic weakening of Earth’s magnetic field caused an oxygen level jump 575 million years ago. They showed that a much weaker magnetic field would cause solar particles to split apart water molecules in Earth’s atmosphere into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen would escape to interplanetary space, leaving the oxygen to accumulate in Earth’s atmosphere. They demonstrated that that the magnetic field decline is sufficient to explain most of the rapid oxygen rise (from 2% to 8%) that occurred at the time of the Avalon explosion, which marked the first appearance of macroscopic animals. In this episode, Hugh Ross explains that the transition of Earth’s core from being 100% liquid to where a solid inner core begins to form would explain the dramatic weakening of Earth’s magnetic field—and the minimum oxygen level needed for complex life—that occurred 0.6 million years ago.     

• Nitrogen-Fixing Organelle in a Marine Alga
• Mitochondrial Protein Import Advances the Case for Creation
• Near-Collapse of the Geomagnetic Field May Have Contributed to Atmospheric Oxygenation and Animal Radiation in the Ediacaran Period
• Designed to the Core, 183–197  

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana in this breaking News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Fuz reports on the work by a research team from Tianjin University in China, who, recently stole headlines when they announced that they developed a chip that used human brain tissue to control a robotics system. This remarkable breakthrough (called organoid intelligence) generates excitement and also raises some profound ethical and theological questions.

• How this technology works
• Why researchers are pursuing the development of biocomputing and organoid intelligence
• Ethical concerns associated with this work
• Christian perspective on organoid intelligence

• Lab-Grown Human Brain Tissue Used to Control Robot
• Organoid Intelligence (OI): The New Frontier in Biocomputing and Intelligence-in-a Dish
• A Christian Perspective on Living Electrodes
• Brain Organoids Cultivate the Case for Human Exceptionalism

Join Hugh Ross in this breaking News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Hugh describes the discovery of four fully-formed supermassive black holes that existed just 410–760 million years after the cosmic creation event.

• Quasar J1120+0641, seen 760 million years after the cosmic beginning, has a supermassive black hole (SMBH) weighing 1.52 billion solar masses.
• Quasar J1342+0928, seen 700 million years after the beginning, has a SMBH weighing 0.78 billion solar masses.
• Quasar J0313-1806, seen 690 million years after the beginning, has a SMBH of 1.6 billion solar masses.
• The most distantly detected SMBH belongs to GN-z11. Just 410 million after the beginning, its SMBH weighs 0.002 billion solar masses.
• There are three ways such SMBHs can form so early in a big bang universe: through 1) very aggressive early gas accretion by the BHs; 2) mergers of the BHs arising from many 500+ solar-mass first generation stars; and 3) mergers of 10,000+ solar-mass gas clouds that collapse into black holes without forming stars.
• The discovery of many more cosmic dawn SMBHs will determine which one, of more, of the three ways explains the SMBHs. 

• A Mature Quasar at Cosmic Dawn Revealed by JWST Rest-Frame Infrared Spectroscopy
• Black Holes as Evidence of God’s Care

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.

More than 58,000 dams that are built higher than 15 meters (50 feet) exist on nearly all the world’s rivers. Consequently, migratory fish stocks have declined by 76% since 1970 and populations of “megafish” have declined by 94%. Two water resource engineers combined fish migratory taxonomy data with migratory fish life cycle and dam impact models to determine the best fish rescue strategies for five flagship fish species residing in the 12 large dams on the Yangtze River in China. They identified six major misjudgments in China’s fish rescue programs and concluded that large, effective fishways are essential for maintaining robust fish stocks.

The quest for more powerful and capable AIs inevitably involves making more sophisticated training algorithms and models with a larger number of parameters. While pursuing this quest, AI developers are also investigating how to align AIs with the values and behaviors we want. Recent research demonstrated that those two goals currently stand in opposition to one another. Specifically, making larger, more sophisticated models results in AIs that effectively resist training to eliminate malicious behavior—regardless of whether the malicious behavior was intentionally programmed or an unintended consequence. Such results provide additional evidence that we humans need to build godly character in ourselves so that we can wisely and responsibly develop and use these powerful AI tools.

• Dams Trigger Exponential Population Declines of Migratory Fish 
• The Evaluation of a Definite Integral by the Method of Brackets Illustrating Its Flexibility

Join Hugh Ross in this breaking News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Hugh describes the discovery of microspherules and meltglass at three North American sites, consistent with low-altitude airbursts from a disintegrating comet, that explain the Younger Dryas cooling onset 12,800 years ago.

• During the younger Dryas (12,800–11,700 years ago), global mean temperatures plummeted by 10–15°C. This cooling event, in part, explains the unprecedented climate stability that persisted from 9,500 to 75 years ago.
• Geologists had cited the Hiawatha Impact Crater in northwestern Greenland as evidence for an asteroid impact that caused the younger Dryas cooling event.
• Recently, physicists disputed the claimed 12,800 years ago date for the Hiawatha Crater, citing argon-argon and uranium-lead dating of zircon crystals that yielded a melt date of 57.99±0.54 million years ago.
• 26 scientists report their discovery of microspherules, meltglass, nanodiamonds, and combustion aerosols, consistent with them being caused by low-altitude airbursts, at sites in New Jersey, Maryland, and South Carolina.
• The microspherules, meltglass, and nanodiamonds all have radiocarbon dates of 12,835—12,735 years ago. The implied melt temperatures range from 1,250°C to 3,053°C.
• The high-temperature, high-pressure shock waves generated by low-altitude airbursts from a disintegrating comet would explain the Younger Dryas Cooling Event and the accompanying multi-continent megafaunal extinctions but would not necessarily leave behind any discoverable impact craters.

• Platinum, Shock-Fractured Quartz, Microspherules, and Meltglass Widely Distributed in Eastern USA at the Younger Dryas Onset (12.8 ka)
• Hugh Ross, Weathering Climate Change (Covina, CA: RTB Press, 2020): 149–161, 187–191.

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana in this breaking News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Fuz discusses work by a team of anthropologists from Spain who maintain that analysis of a partial skull fossil indicates that Neanderthals provided compassionate care for a Neanderthal child with Down syndrome.

• Does this discovery mean that Neanderthals were just like us?
• In light of this find, can humans be regarded as exceptional and unique?
• If Neanderthals were like us, can the biblical claim that humans solely bear God’s image remain valid?

• The Child Who Lived: Down’s Syndrome Among Neanderthals?
• An Observation of a Severely Disabled Infant Chimpanzee in the Wild and Her Interactions with Her Mother
• Primates and Disability: Behavioral Flexibility and Implications for Resilience to Environmental Change
• Key Difference in Developing Human and Neanderthals Brains
• Should Chimpanzee Behavior Challenge Human Exceptionalism?

Join Hugh Ross in this breaking News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Hugh describes stars at our galaxy’s center showing their luminosities are augmented by the annihilation of dark matter particles in their cores. This could be the first direct discovery of dark matter particles.

• Dark matter makes up 24.5% of the universe.
• Neutrinos are the only dark matter particles detected so far and comprise <1% of dark matter.
• Three astronomers produced a mock stellar population that evolves both with and without energy from dark matter particle annihilation.
• High-mass stars that gain much of their luminosities from dark matter particle annihilation can shine brightly for >10 billion years rather than <100 million years. They shine as brightly as young stars, spectroscopically measure to be old, and have lower temperatures.
• Density of dark matter in our galaxy is extremely high within one light-year of its supermassive black hole (SMBH).
• Stars within one light-year of our galaxy’s SMBH have the distinct properties of stars whose luminosities are augmented by dark matter particle annihilation.
• Observations by 30-meter telescopes will find enough stars within a light-year of our galaxy’s SMBH to make possible an indisputable detection of dark matter particles.

• Dark Branches of Immortal Stars at the Galactic Center
• Black Holes as Evidence of God’s Care

Join Hugh Ross in this breaking News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Hugh describes a discovery that may resolve a long-standing mystery about dark matter.

• Dark matter is matter that doesn’t interact with light or interacts at an extremely weak level.
• The quantity of dark matter that exists and its locations in the universe are not mysteries.
• Dark matter’s composition is a mystery that has stymied astronomers and physicists for 5 decades.
• Leading candidates for dark matter’s composition are axions and sterile neutrinos, but neither of these particles has been detected.
• Physicists Elba Alonso-Monsalve and David Kaiser propose that primordial black holes (PBHs) could make up all or a large fraction of dark matter if they formed previous to a tenth of a quadrillionth of a second after the cosmic creation event.
• These PBHs would take two forms: atom-sized bodies with masses equal to that Deimos and Phobos; bodies a ten thousandth the diameter of a proton with masses equal to a ton, with only the first form possibly existing to the present time.
• Observable tests for these PBHs include the degree to which they would 1) shift the balance between protons and neutrons, 2) cause ripples in the cosmic spacetime fabric, and 3) affect the amount of helium produced during the universe’s first 3 minutes.

Primordial Black Holes with QCD Color Change

Quantum Gravity Constraints Affirm Cosmic Creator

Join astrophysicist Hugh Ross in this breaking News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Hugh describes the discovery of the important role interstellar space clouds played in establishing the current ice age cyclethat made our advanced civilization possible.

• How rare it is for the solar system to traverse cold, dense interstellar clouds,
• How the entry of the solar system into a cold dense interstellar cloud about 2.5 million years ago sustained the cooling effect initiated by the Eltanin collider,
• How modeling of 21-centimeter data from the HI4PI survey revealed the velocity of the solar system across the Local Ribbon of Cold Clouds (LRCC),
• How the solar system’s traverse of the LRCC drastically affected the heliosphere and cooled Earth’s climate,
• How geological evidence for iron-60 and plutonium-244 isotopes affirms Earth’s traverse across cold, dense interstellar clouds, and
• How measurements reveal the solar system will exit the local interstellar cloud in the next few thousand years.

This episode is packed with astronomical and geological revelations that explain why our current global, high-technology civilization is uniquely possible.

A Possible Direct Exposure of the Earth to the Cold Dense Interstellar Medium 2–3 Myr Ago

Hugh Ross, Weathering Climate Change, 57–227.

Join Hugh Ross in this breaking News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Hugh describes the discovery of the most distant known galaxy and what the characteristics of this galaxy imply for the cosmic dawn and the big bang creation model.

Join us as we explore:

• The astounding measurement of galaxy JADES-GS-z14-0 at a redshift of 14.32, revealing a glimpse into the universe just 280 million years after the cosmic creation event.
• Insights into the size and brightness of this newly discovered galaxy, with its light spanning over 1,600 light-years, predominantly from young stars rather than a supermassive black hole.
• The implications of JWST observations on the big bang model, sparking discussions among young-earth creationists and other astrophysicists about potential overhauls to our understanding of cosmic origins.
• The standard big bang creation model and its components—including dark energy, exotic dark matter, and ordinary matter—and how JWST’s mission aims to detail the masses and populations of the universe’s first stars.
• How JWST’s latest findings support the biblically predicted big bang cosmic model and strengthen the evidence for a universe finely tuned by a cosmic Creator.

This episode is packed with astronomical insights and cosmic revelations!

A Shining Cosmic Dawn: Spectroscopic Confirmation of Two Luminous Galaxies at z ~14

JWST/MIRI Photometric Detection at 7.7 µm of the Stellar Continuum and Nebular Emission in a Galaxy at z > 14

JWST Glowingly Affirms Big Bang Creation Event

What Does the Bible Say about the Big Bang?  

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana, Hugh Ross, and Jeff Zweerink for a conversation celebrating the 100th episode of Stars, Cells, and God. They answer questions submitted by our dedicated listeners and dive deeper into topics where science and faith intersect.

For 100 episodes, this podcast has served as a space for deep conversation with leaders in the science-faith arena to explore how the latest scientific discoveries provide evidence for God’s existence, the reliability of Scripture, and the credibility of the Christian worldview. We’re honored to have our listeners participate in this episode by posing great questions on YouTube to our three scholars.

We look forward to the next 100episodes with you! 

Timestamps:

7:32 –  Question from @EmaManfred on AI image generators replacing artists

You can listen to the full episode on this topic HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhe5OxN6k3s

22:16 – Question from @whyaskwhybuddry on plants on Earth before the Sun, insects, and birds

You can listen to the full episode on this topic HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jA0XVjNSZw

28:58 – Question from @SamytheGreek on humans having Neanderthal DNA

You can listen to the full episode on this topic HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXUmCr_Ct1E

41:14 – Question from @johnbaker2755 on animals learning tactical capabilities

You can listen to the full episode on this topic HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxyACrh2sUU

50:15 – Question from @pierreabbat6157 on vitamins in lab-grown meat

You can listen to the full episode on this topic HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Gu3WtT3vAU

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.

Biological Basis for Belief?

As human beings, our religious nature defines us. Treating it as a scientific question, many scientists wonder, how do we account for human spirituality and religiosity? Are there brain structures and processes that explain this behavior? Using lesion mapping, a research team from Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital recently determined the brain regions and neural circuits that account for religiosity and spirituality.

This study (amongst others) raises troubling questions for Christians.

Is our spirituality and response to religion based on our brain’s biology?

Is there a materialistic, mechanistic explanation for religious acceptance?

Do people really experience God?

In this episode, biochemist Fuz Rana addresses these questions and presents a model that accommodates these scientific findings, while retaining a biblical view of human nature.

Woke at the University

During the 2023–2024 academic year, Rice University offered a course called “Afrochemistry” that claimed to “apply chemical tools and analysis to understand Black life in the US.” From January 16 to May 16, 2024, AcademicJobsOnline.org advertised a job for the University of Victoria’s physics and astronomy department that was only open to an indigenous person. Both examples show how a worldview subversive to the scientific enterprise is spreading into the scientific community. This view of contemporary critical theory sees the world in terms of oppressors and oppressed. In contrast, the Judeo-Christian worldview sees all people as valuable and worthy of God’s and our love. Additionally, the Judeo-Christian worldview buttresses and supports the foundation needed for the scientific enterprise to flourish.

YOUTUBE LINKS:

Michael A. Ferguson et al., “A Neural Circuit for Spirituality and Religiosity Derived from Patients with Brain Lesions,” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34454698/

Additional Resources

Fazale Rana, “Is There a Biological Basis for Belief?,” https://reasons.org/explore/publications/articles/is-there-a-biological-basis-for-belief

Fazale Rana, “Is There a Biological Basis for Belief? A Follow Up,”

https://reasons.org/explore/publications/articles/is-there-a-biological-basis-for-belief-a-follow-up

Fazale Rana, “Does Oxytocin Cause Spiritual Experiences?,”

https://reasons.org/explore/blogs/the-cells-design/does-oxytocin-cause-spiritual-experiences

PODCAST LINKS:

University of Victoria, Department of Physics and Astronomy

New ‘Afrochemistry’ Course Widely Panned as Identity Politics Dumbing Down Hard Sciences

YOUTUBE LINKS:

AcademicJobsOnline, “University of Victoria, Department of Physics and Astronomy,” posted January 16, 2024, https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/27010

Jennifer Kabbany, “New ‘Afrochemistry’ Course Widely Panned as Identity Politics Dumbing Down Hard Sciences,” https://www.thecollegefix.com/new-afrochemistry-course-widely-panned-as-identity-politics-dumbing-down-hard-sciences/

Join Fazale Rana and Ryan Matthews as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.

Intersex Conditions and Transgenderism

Are there only two sexes? Many people argue that intersex conditions are evidence that sex exists on a spectrum. Is this a valid argument?

In this episode, medical doctor Ryan Matthews joins biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana to take on these questions and more. Along the way, Dr. Matthews makes the point that disorders of sexual development cannot be marshalled to normalize transgenderism.

Disclaimer: Reasons to Believe is expressing our Christian beliefs on the issues of gender identity in the intersection of science and faith, as it’s an important discussion and many people have valid questions.

This research showcases the expertise of select members of the Reasons to Believe Scholar Community on matters of gender identity. RTB is not offering medical or other professional advice. People need to consult with their own physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, etc. We want to see everyone make informed, educated decisions.

Links and Resources: 

• Transgenderism and the Bible
• A Scientific and Medical Evaluation of Transgenderism

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.

Before the First Stars

A team of astronomers have used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) “to boldly go where no man has gone before”: to observe and measure the composition of gas clouds before any stars formed. The JWST’s primary mission is to explore the cosmic dawn—the first billion years of cosmic history. Astronomers took a high-resolution spectrum of a giant gas cloud in the halo of GN-z11, a bright galaxy 13.38 billion light-years away, corresponding to only 410 million years after the big bang creation event. The only elements found in the gas cloud’s spectrum were hydrogen and helium. This is the first time astronomers detected an object in the universe where no elements heavier than helium exist. This discovery affirms a major prediction of the biblically predicted big bang creation model: that before stars formed, the elemental composition of the universe, by mass, will be 75.33% hydrogen, 24.67% helium, and a trace amount of lithium. The level of ionization in the gas cloud revealed that the stars in GN-z11’s core must all be in the range of 50–1,000 times the Sun’s mass. This mass range explains why astronomers observe many bright galaxies and several supermassive black holes in the cosmic dawn. All these discoveries provide yet more evidence that the more we learn about the universe, the more evidence we accumulate that a God beyond space and time created and exquisitely designed the universe so that at the just-right time and location, humans could live and thrive. 

The Universe: 28 GYr Old?

Recent images from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) found galaxies that, given their age, appeared far larger and more complex than expected. In more lay-level arenas, this discovery was used to cast doubt on the standard big bang cosmological model. However, this discovery generated quite a bit of excitement in the scientific community because it revealed a fun problem to investigate. Consequently, astronomers have invested much effort trying to understand how to explain these large, complex galaxies. An author of a recent paper attempts to understand these galaxies by modifying how light propagates through the universe and by having some fundamental constants change over time. A careful analysis of this latter approach shows how standard big bang cosmology (with dark energy and dark matter) can give a robust explanation of the universe—and provide evidence for the God of the Bible.

References:

PODCAST LINKS:

JADES NIRSpec Spectroscopy of GN-z11: Lyman-a Emission and Possible Enhanced Nitrogen Abundance in a z = 10.60 Luminous Galaxy

JWST-JADES. Possible Population III Signatures at z = 10.6 in the Halo of GN-z11

YOUTUBE LINKS:

Andrew J. Bunker et al., “JADES NIRSpec Spectroscopy of GN-z11: Lyman-a Emission and Possible Enhanced Nitrogen Abundance in a z = 10.60 Luminous Galaxy,” https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202346159

Roberto Maiolino et al., “JWST-JADES. Possible Population III Signatures at z = 10.6 in the Halo of GN-z11,” https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2306.00953

References:

 PODCAST LINK:

Testing CCC + TL Cosmology with Observed Baryon Acoustic Oscillation Features

YOUTUBE LINK:

Rajendra P. Gupta, “Testing CCC + TL Cosmology with Observed Baryon Acoustic Oscillation Features,” https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad1bc6

*Unfortunately we encountered audio problems at the time this episode was recorded*

Join Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.

Xenotransplant Success

Worldwide, millions of people need organ transplants and many die while waiting. It is impossible to scale up human organ donation rates to meet the demand. However, recent success in xenotransplantation may solve the shortfall. Surgical transplants of pig hearts, livers, and kidneys all show promise of (at least temporary) function and no signs of organ rejection. Xenotransplantation provides yet more evidence that God designed the higher animals to enhance human health and well-being.    

References:

PODCAST LINKS:

First Pig Kidney Transplant in a Person: What It Means for the Future

First Pig Liver Transplanted into a Person Lasts for 10 Days

First Pig-to-Human Heart Transplant: What Can Scientists Learn?

Monkey Survives for Two Years after Gene-Edited Pig-Kidney Transplant

YOUTUBE LINKS:

Smriti Mallapaty and Max Kozlov, “First Pig Kidney Transplant in a Person: What It Means for the Future,” https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00879-y

Smriti Mallapaty, “First Pig Liver Transplanted into a Person Lasts for 10 Days,” https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00853-8

Sara Reardon, “First Pig-to-Human Heart Transplant: What Can Scientists Learn?,” https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00111-9

Max Kozlov, “Monkey Survives for Two Years after Gene-Edited Pig-Kidney Transplant,” https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03176-2

“Big Ring” of Galaxies Found

Astronomers recently announced the discovery of a “Big Ring” of galaxy clusters. According to calculations based on scientists’ best understanding of the universe, the size of this ring exceeds the largest size structure that could possibly form, and it joins a class of about 10 structures that are “too big.” While some people might take this find as evidence that our current understanding of the universe (size, age, composition, etc.) is wrong, the discovery highlights how well we comprehend the universe and provides insight that will direct us into a deeper understanding. It also affirms the biblical prediction that we live in an orderly, reliable, and understandable creation.

References:

PODCAST LINKS:

An Impossibly Huge Ring of Galaxies Might Lead Us to New Physics. Here’s How

Giant Ring? Giant Arc? These “Structures” May Not Even Be Real

YOUTUBE LINKS:

Keith Cooper, “An Impossibly Huge Ring of Galaxies Might Lead Us to New Physics. Here’s How,” https://www.space.com/big-ring-galactic-superstructure-celestial-anomaly

Ethan Siegel, “Giant Ring? Giant Arc? These “Structures” May Not Even Be Real,” https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/giant-ring-arc-structures-not-real/