In a Universe of Non-Living Matter, Communication Sets Us Apart

Intelligent Design the Future

Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture

Science, Philosophy, Astronomy, Society & Culture, Life Sciences

4 • 993 Ratings

🗓️ 20 August 2025

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Meaningful communication is found across all life forms, from the signals sent by trees through fungal networks to the deep conversations we can have with each other. It's one feature that makes life uniquely different from a vast universe of non-living matter. But where does our ability to communicate come from? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid continues his conversation with physicist and author Dr. Eric Hedin about the remarkable features that separate living systems from non-life. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. Look for Part 1 in a separate episode. Source

Transcript

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0:00.0	ID, The Future, a podcast about evolution and intelligent design.
0:10.7	Two characteristics that distinguish life from non-life in the universe are the ability to process information and effectively communicate.
0:19.8	But where did these features originate?
0:22.1	Welcome to ID the Future.
0:23.8	I'm your host, Andrew McDermid.
0:25.7	Today, I'm welcoming back physicist and author, Dr. Eric Hedin,
0:29.9	to discuss how living systems communicate
0:32.1	and why that provides evidence of intelligent design,
0:35.9	not blind, undirected processes.
0:38.7	In part one, we talked about information processing in living systems, a unique ability found
0:44.1	in all life from the simplest single-celled organisms right up to creatures like us, human
0:49.9	beings.
0:51.0	Today, we zoom into a second hallmark, or biosignature, as Dr. Hedin puts it, of
0:56.0	living systems, and that is communication. Now, in case you don't know him, Dr. Hedin is
1:01.2	Professor Emeritus of Physics and Astronomy at Ball State University in Indiana. He is
1:07.0	author of the book, Canceled Science, what some atheists don't want you to see.
1:11.9	He speaks at universities around the country and writes regularly on the evidence for intelligent design at Evolution News and Science Today, which you can find at evolutionnews.org.
1:22.4	Let's jump back into the conversation now.
1:25.5	Well, let's switch gears and discuss another related article
1:28.5	you penned recently on communication in human life and beyond. Here's another unnatural and therefore
1:35.1	extremely rare attribute in living systems, the ability to effectively communicate. Humans can do it,
1:42.5	and beyond us, communication saturates the animal kingdom in a
	...

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