A Mathematical Challenge to Darwinian Evolution | Douglas Axe

Modern biology often presents Darwinian evolution as a settled explanation for the origin and diversity of life.

Douglas Axe is chair of molecular biology at Biola University and author of “Undeniable: How Biology Confirms Our Intuition That Life Is Designed.”

In this episode, he argues that when you look at the mathematical probabilities that undergird molecular genetics, there are hard limits that random mutation and natural selection cannot overcome.

Notably, Axe does not deny the existence of natural selection. Indeed, he argues that minor adaptations—such as virus mutations or dog breed variations—are well established. But can random mutation and selection explain the origin of complex, functional biological systems when the odds of forming a single functional protein fold are a staggering 1 in 10?

We explore various questions: If random processes cannot generate complex biological systems, what does that reveal about the origin of life? Why do children intuitively believe that the natural world was intentionally created? And why is the scientific community comfortable searching for intelligence in deep space through the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), yet resistant to detecting it in the origins of biological life?

Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.