American intelligent design advocate Thomas Woodward visited Denmark and presented a refutation of Darwinian evolution. The Videnskab journalist discussed his hypothesis with Danish scientists.
On a Saturday night in May, Thomas Woodward enters the Hyunes Church in Rødovre. The audience prepares to listen to Woodward's third lecture titled "Scientific Proofs for the Existence of God?"
The invitation describes the lecturer as follows: “Dr. Thomas E. Woodward is a professor at Trinity College, Florida and the author of several books that question Darwin's teachings. Woodward will talk about scientific research that does not support pure materialism, but rather gives reason to believe in a creator God."
In other words, Woodward is a supporter of the idea of the so-called intelligent design. The meaning of the idea is that natural science and especially Darwin's theory of evolution cannot explain the origin and development of life. God is behind it all. The author of intelligent design.
Intelligent design versus evolution
Thomas Woodward himself believes that the author of the design is a Christian Lord, but emphasizes that there is no need to believe in him in order to see evidence of the existence of an intelligent design. You just have to look at nature.
“Design theory analyzes the physical world to find out what is due to nature and what is divine design. We can make sure that the theory is correct by examining samples and discovering evidence in nature."
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The most compelling evidence comes from biology, the professor says, and cites several examples that two Danish evolutionary scientists will comment on in this article, Peter Funch, a professor of biology at the University of Aarhus and Tobias Wang, professor of zoophysiology at the same institution.).
Skepticism about the basic principles of evolution
The theory of evolution is based on two basic principles - mutation and natural selection. Mutation is a change in genetic material that transforms the entire organism, and natural selection is the primary mechanism of evolution. Individuals whose genes are best suited to their environment are the most successful in survival and reproduction.
Sometimes unfavorable mutations also occur, they complicate survival and therefore are not passed on to future generations. In other cases, mutations are beneficial because they make the body stronger and give it an extra chance of survival.
Thomas Woodward says, referring to the American biochemist and fellow intelligent proponent Michael Behe:
“Mutations destroy, not create. The question is whether there is credible evidence that mutation and natural selection can create something new. In my opinion, this is the Achilles heel of neo-Darwinian theory."
What is the opinion of Danish scientists?
“Indeed, most mutations are harmful, but it is not true that they are purely destructive. Sometimes mutations occur that make the organism more resistant and give it advantages over other individuals who do not have similar mutations,”says Peter Fünch. Tobias Wang also disagrees with Woodward's statement.
“Yes, most mutations are destructive, but they are eliminated and only a few positive versions persist. This mechanism is well described."
Antibiotic resistance of bacteria can be cited as a specific example of natural selection.
A person with a bacterial infection may be treated with antibiotics that kill the bacteria. But some bacteria have genes that enable them to better resist antibiotics. If they survive, they begin to reproduce in the patient's body, and a new generation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria with the same gene appears. Further in the same spirit. The individuals whose genes are best adapted to the environment survive.
The mystery of the Cambrian explosion
Thomas Woodward finds another biological sign of intelligent design in fossils.
“The most powerful proof of design in nature is that living organisms suddenly arose in the Cambrian geological period without any sign of evolutionary action. In the Cambrian, marine animals suddenly appeared, but under the Cambrian layer there is an empty layer with only fossil microorganisms, for example, bacteria."
Thomas Woodward talks about the so-called Cambrian explosion that occurred about 540 million years ago. According to fossil finds, in the early Cambrian, marine fauna suddenly emerged. Woodward believes that this phenomenon cannot be explained through the theory of evolution.
Animals existed before the Cambrian
A reliable scientific explanation has not yet been found for the phenomenon of the Cambrian explosion, but there is nothing unnatural in it, says Peter Fünch.
“The statement that there were no animals before the Cambrian explosion is incorrect. There are also more ancient fossil animals, although they are few. I think the Cambrian explosion can be explained by changes in the environment that created better conditions for the emergence of life,”explains Peter Fünch and adds that there are other theories.
For example, many believe that the oxygen content in the atmosphere has increased, which has determined the existence of a number of life forms.
There is also a simpler explanation.
“Finding any kind of fossil today means it was stored under exceptional conditions. So the further back into the past, the less likely such finds are. Fossils from the Cambrian period have been found in a small number of places where, for example, landslides could occur and buried fauna. The fossils survived because there was no access to oxygen,”says the scientist.
Scientists continue to argue about why, according to the findings, complex life forms arose in the early Cambrian period.
Are bats challenging the theory of evolution?
During a lecture at Rødovra, Thomas Woodward shows pictures of a fossil - a bat.
“This is a bat of the Eocene epoch, that is, it is about 50 million years old. As you can see, its structure is almost identical to that of the modern red nozzle. It's incredible, right? According to evolutionary theory, early bats should be different from today's ones. We cannot observe the development step by step that Darwin talked about,”points out Thomas Woodward.
He then displays an image of a fossil fern. It is also so similar to the modern one that grows in any forest around the world that it is easy to confuse them.
But, according to Tobias Wang, this cannot be called an argument against the theory of evolution.
“Bats or ferns have changed little, because even then they took on a shape that perfectly matched the environment. Evolution by natural selection does not mean that every organism will necessarily change over time. Since the bat is so well adapted to its living conditions, it is only natural that it does not change."
Intelligent Design is a Matter of Faith
Until we have undeniable explanations about the origin and development of the universe and life in it, the conflict between natural sciences and the theory of intelligent design will continue, and maybe even longer, because natural sciences, by definition, will not be able to prove that a creator did not exist, concludes Tobias Wang.
“The debate about whether the creator of everything exists will never exhaust itself. It is exclusively about faith. If one chooses to believe that the universe and life arose as a result of divine intervention, then it is a matter of religion. Of course, science has difficulties with this. Even if natural evidence is found, the adepts of intelligent design can always take a step back and point to the creator as the cause of everything.
Thomas Woodward in Denmark
Intelligent Design Professor Thomas Woodward of Trinity College Florida, US, visited Denmark in late May for a lecture series.
The performance at the Hoynes Church was one of the last on his Danish tour. He also visited Mariager, Aarhus and Copenhagen and told why he believes that life was created by the creator and developed under his supervision.