In an extraordinary lecture in Cambridge in August 2024, Stephen Meyer presented how recent scientific discoveries have reopened the debate about the existence of God within science. Drawing on his book Return of the God Hypothesis, Meyer highlighted three fundamental discoveries: the origin of the universe, fine tuning, and digital information in DNA. According to Meyer, these findings challenge the prevailing materialist paradigm and support the idea of an intelligent designer.
The Origin of the Universe: A Beginning That Made Many Uneasy
Meyer began by exploring the origin of the universe, focusing on Edwin Hubble’s discovery in the 1920s about the expansion of the cosmos. Observing that galaxies are moving away from each other, Hubble concluded that the universe is expanding. Therefore, by going back in time, this process pointed to a definite starting point: the Big Bang. An idea that many scientists resisted.
Albert Einstein, for example, initially introduced a “cosmological constant” into his equations to avoid accepting a dynamic universe. However, after visiting the Hubble Observatory and reviewing the data, Einstein admitted, “I was wrong” and called his initial resistance “the biggest mistake of my life.”
At Cambridge, other physicists, such as Sir Arthur Eddington, also expressed discomfort. Eddington went so far as to say, “Philosophically, the notion of a beginning to the present order is repugnant to me.” Despite his reservations, evidence accumulated by Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose in the 1960s confirmed that the universe had a specific origin, similar to what Meyer called “creation ex nihilo” (creation from nothing, in Latin).
Meyer argued that this discovery is consistent with theological perspective, in particular with the opening sentence of Genesis: “In the beginning.” This is not the kind of universe we would expect if materialism – the belief that matter and energy are eternal and self-sustaining – were true. Instead, the evidence points to a cause beyond the physical universe.
Fine tuning of the universe: a signature of intelligent design
The discovery of fine tuning of the universe is one of the most compelling pillars in the hypothesis of intelligent design. This concept refers to how the initial constants and conditions of the cosmos are so precisely tuned that even a small deviation would make the existence of life impossible. Physicists such as Fred Hoyle and Sir John Polkinghorne, both with deep connections to Cambridge, explored this phenomenon and recognized that there was astonishing precision.
Fred Hoyle, initially a vehement opponent of any theistic explanation, was shocked to discover that the formation of carbon, essential for life, depended on an extremely precise sequence of conditions. If the strong nuclear force or the gravitational constant were even slightly different, atoms could not have joined together to form the chemical elements that support life. This led Hoyle to declare: “A common-sense interpretation suggests that a superintelligence has worked in physics, chemistry and biology to make life possible.”
Sir John Polkinghorne used a visual metaphor to describe fine tuning: the “universe-creating machine.” He imagined a control panel on which every physical constant—the gravitational force, the cosmological constant, the mass of elementary particles—is set to exacting precision. If any of these constants were slightly changed up or down, the universe would collapse in on itself or expand too rapidly to form galaxies, stars or planets. “The fine-tuning is so precise,” Polkinghorne said, “that it does not seem to be the result of chance, but of intentional configuration.”
This phenomenon is known as the anthropic principle, which suggests that the universe seems specifically designed to allow human life. For Meyer, fine tuning is not something we would expect in a universe governed solely by random, blind processes. Instead, it points to an intelligent designer who established these fundamental conditions from the beginning of the cosmos.
The Mystery of DNA: Digital Information at the Basis of Life
DNA is undoubtedly one of the most astonishing scientific discoveries of the 20th century, and its complexity continues to challenge materialistic explanations of the origin of life. In 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick, working at Cambridge, revealed the double helix structure of DNA. However, what was most revolutionary was not just its form, but its content: DNA is a carrier of digital information. As Francis Crick explained in 1958 through his sequence hypothesis, DNA nucleotides, arranged like letters in an alphabet, function as a code that dictates the precise construction of proteins essential for life.
This discovery marked a turning point in molecular biology, but in the 1990s new milestones were reached that further expanded our understanding of the informational nature of DNA. During that decade, the Human Genome Project revealed that the genome is a vast repository of coded instructions. The astonishing thing was the discovery that this information is not simply linear, but hierarchical and modular, similar to a complex software system in which certain sections activate or deactivate others. Meyer explained in his lecture: “DNA is not just an ordered sequence of nucleotides, but a perfectly organized information storage and processing system. It behaves like a sophisticated software that regulates life itself.”
In that same decade, DNA repair mechanisms were discovered, which protect and correct genetic information when errors occur. Meyer noted: “The DNA repair system is a clear example of how information is not just encoded, but protected. It is an intrinsic defense mechanism that acts as if it had been designed to ensure long-term genetic stability.” This finding suggests a highly sophisticated control system, beyond what might be expected from random processes.
Another fundamental discovery was that of the critical functions of “non-coding DNA,” previously labeled “junk DNA.” Studies in the 1990s revealed that this DNA plays a key role in regulating genetic expression, challenging the idea that evolution had left behind functional residues without purpose. “What was once considered useless,” Meyer explained, “turned out to be essential for the survival and development of living organisms. This is another indication of intentional design.”
Meyer also noted that Bill Gates had compared DNA to the most advanced software, stating that “it is far more complex than any program we have ever created.” For Meyer, this informational complexity cannot be explained simply by random chemical processes. “We have never observed,” he noted, “complex digital information arising from unguided processes. In our experience, it is always the result of a mind. DNA clearly points to an intelligent designer who encoded the very basis of life.”
Darwin’s method and Meyer’s inference
Stephen Meyer stressed that his scientific approach to investigating the origin of life is inspired by Charles Darwin’s method of reasoning. Darwin proposed that scientists, when studying past events, should apply what he called inference to the best explanation; that is, choose the known cause most capable of producing the observed phenomenon. Darwin applied this reasoning in his theory of evolution, but Meyer adapts it to explore the origin of digital information in DNA. As Meyer stated, “If we want to explain something in the present, we must look for a cause that we know has the power to produce that kind of effect.”
Meyer explained that when we analyze the digital information contained in DNA, we must ask ourselves: what known cause is capable of producing complex codes and information systems? “The answer is clear,” he stated, “in our experience, complex information always comes from a mind.” This principle is evident in contexts such as computer programming, text writing, or the creation of communication languages. “We do not see complex codes arising from chance; they are always the result of an intelligence.”
For Meyer, this approach can be applied to studying DNA: “If in our experience the only type of cause that generates digital information is an intelligence, then it is reasonable to infer that DNA has its origin in a mind.”
According to Meyer, this inference is not a leap of faith, but a logical conclusion based on evidence. “Just as a hieroglyph carved in stone is evidence of an ancient civilization, DNA is evidence of an intelligent designer,” he concluded. Thus, Meyer argues that Darwin’s method, when applied rigorously, inevitably leads us to consider the possibility of a designer behind life.
The return of the God hypothesis
In conclusion, Meyer argued that the convergence of evidence—the origin of the universe, fine tuning, and digital information in DNA—supports the return of the God hypothesis. While materialists like Richard Dawkins see the universe as a product of “blind and ruthless indifference,” the evidence suggests otherwise. Meyer argued that the God hypothesis provides a more coherent and satisfying explanation for the origin and design of the universe.
The conference also highlighted Cambridge’s role as an epicenter of scientific discovery and theological reflection. From Newton to Watson to Crick, this university has been the scene of advances that challenge materialism and point towards design.
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Stephen Meyer is a philosopher of science, director of the Center for Science and Culture at the Discovery Institute, and author of influential books such as Return of the God Hypothesis and Signature in the Cell. His work focuses on the origin of life, biological information, and intelligent design, challenging the materialist paradigm. He is recognized for his interdisciplinary approach, combining biology, cosmology, and philosophy.
