The key question addressed in the video Origin: Design, Chance, and the First Life on Earth is, “What are the odds of life emerging on our planet?”
Gorgeous film footage of nature and the universe is interspersed with colorful, graphic animations and brief interviews.
Early in the video, the video raises the question of how the very first life on earth came about. It challenges scientific materialism which limits the discussion by ruling out any mind or intelligence begin involved in the process.
A major point in the debate is the incredible complexity of even the most basic cells. The interdependence of components within each cell makes it mathematically impossible to create a living cell in a step-by-step process. The essential components of a cell--a membrane, DNA, ribosomes, amino acids, and proteins--are immensely complex and interdependent.
Scientists interviewed in the video point out that amino acids and other components have no innate intelligence to foresee what they might need to do for self-organization. While self-organization happens through natural infinity as in the formation of crystals, the formation of a protein from amino acids is highly irregular and-non-repeating, and there’s no natural affinity between the amino acids. Even if chance were able to produce one protein from amino acids, the reality is that the simplest cell has more than 300 different proteins. So the huge odds against the creation of a single protein without “instructions” becomes more impossible at a rate multiplied geometrically…and proteins are only one type of cellular component.
The arguments presented in Origin point to the need for an intelligent designer. Scientists in the video challenge the limits of scientific materialism, suggesting that intelligence is necessary for the creation of life and that scientists need to broaden their thinking to consider all possible explanations rather than stick within narrow boundaries which preclude consideration of the most obvious explanation.
While Illustra Media has produced a number of videos advancing the theory of intelligent design, Origin is more direct in its challenge against scientific materialism than videos such as Flight or Metamorphosis. The arguments are presented in a manner that is simple enough for teens to comprehend.
Top-notch production values make it a delight to watch. With a run time of 46:20 minutes, it might easily be used in a class session for homeschoolers, Sunday school classes, or other gatherings.
