Darwin's Doubt

The Explosive Origin of Animal Life and the Case for Intelligent Design

De: Stephen C. Meyer

Narrado por: Derek Shetterly

When Charles Darwin finished The Origin of Species, he thought that he had explained every clue, but one. Though his theory could explain many facts, Darwin knew that there was a significant event in the history of life that his theory did not explain. During this event, the “Cambrian explosion,” many animals suddenly appeared in the fossil record without apparent ancestors in earlier layers of rock.

In Darwin’s Doubt, Stephen C. Meyer tells the story of the mystery surrounding this explosion of animal life—a mystery that has intensified, not only because the expected ancestors of these animals have not been found, but because scientists have learned more about what it takes to construct an animal. During the last half century, biologists have come to appreciate the central importance of biological information—stored in DNA and elsewhere in cells—to building animal forms.

Expanding on the compelling case he presented in his last book, Signature in the Cell, Meyer argues that the origin of this information, as well as other mysterious features of the Cambrian event, are best explained by intelligent design, rather than purely undirected evolutionary processes.

Astonishing

Meyer's comprehensive review of the science and continuing controversy surrounding the Cambrian fauna is fair and thoroughly researched. Then he goes on to discuss several post-Darwinian variations of the standard mutation/selection model that are sometimes used to account for these creatures. His critiques of these newer models along with the standard one are fair and well-thought out. Meyer is a thoughtful, cautious writer and his review of this controversy is profound. Even breathtaking. Notwithstanding the flaming invective and ad-hominim attacks of some of the one star reviewers, the bibliography reveals that many scientists are as openly doubtful of the Darwinian mechanism as Meyer is, though they remain committed to solving the dilemma within a materialistic framework. Meyer discusses these questions in the open and argues for non-material, intelligent causation, as do a number of recent books on fine-tuning and the evident fitness of earth for life. A stunning listen. Steve, your are a clear, careful, fair, respectful, even friendly voice in this debate. Looking forward to more from you. Kudos to the reader, who does a mostly great job with mouthfuls of somewhat technical language. I found him clear and devoid of idiosyncrasies. Just a few troubling pronunciations, but nothing too severe.

Very detailed and scientific

Worth the read but it does mire the listener in detail. It might be better to read a physical book.

Solid and compelling

I believe that when this book is read with an objective mindset, it provides a very clear and balanced and thoughtful argument. At the end of it all, I believe it does come down to a basic philosophical worldview. But I can't help but think that the scientific community and it's self righteous power today is mimicking the religious community from centuries past.

Incredible. I

read this hoping to find holes in theory. Instead compelled to change view and wonder why we don't teach this or at least preset this

Intriguing discussion of evolution

Stephen Meyer has written a tour de force.
His review of Darwin' s theory and its flaws are cogent and detailed- In particular, the inability to explain rapid speciation and beneficial mutations. It is on his inability to explain intelligent design or a plausible mechanism for intelligent design that the book fails.
Also, the fact that Darwinism and most science is materialistic and fails to explain any order to the Universe except by random chance is depressing and damning, We are forced to be existentialists, when almost no one believes in existentialism.Most of us believe there is meaning to life and a purpose for the universe we live in, even if we don't believe in god.
In fact, Darwin's doubt has been pilloried because it does posit a higher being. It turns out the Darwinists are as fanatical as the creationists. Also, ad hominem arguments have been used to demean the author and his credentials by mainstream scientists and evolutionary biologists
The flaw in this book is the failure to propose any plausible explanations for how intelligent design might work or be tested. For instance, any change in speciation must be a change in a germ cell, either the ovum or the Sperm. The sperm might be easier to change because it is haploid and has a Y chromosome, Also every change in speciation has been associated with a change in the Karyotype and the chromosomal number. It is not a leap then to suppose that there are programmed packages in the sex chromosomes designed under certain circumstances to make major programmed alterations in the X or Y chromosomes which could rearrange DNA into different configurations or chromosome numbers to cause rapid speciation. Greg Bear has proposed just such a circumstance in Darwin's radio and Darwin's children. An endogenous HERV virus in the sperm cell induces changes in the impregnated egg which produces speciation. Surely, other mechanisms could be invoked by informed biologists to explain a protocol for rapid speciation.
By the way, I am trained in medical genetics. I do not believe that Darwin's theory explains ontogeny or speciation. Nor do I believe there is a single entity which planned and designed the entire Universe. There are alternatives.