Good Heavens! The Human Side of Astronomy

If God does not exist, then why does the universe exist? Why is there something rather than nothing?  Any naturalistic theory about the existence of our universe inevitably finds itself addressing the concepts of infinity and eternity. It's unavoidable. You cannot explain the existence of the cosmos without invoking eternality.  This is precisely the meaning of Romans 1:18-20. Through what God has...

In the late 1970s and early 80s, mathematicians and computer engineers made a remarkable discovery.  An entirely new universe of pure mathematics.  Not a computer glitch. Not human design. Not a fluke of nature. Not anything that could be explained by chance. But an infinite series of stunning fractal patterns and designs that came from computer calculations of a very simple equation.   Z squared...

This is a special extended broadcast of Good Heavens! featuring our very own Wayne Spencer (a BLAST from the past!). This is an excerpt from a message by Wayne about meteors from 1991.  Wayne discusses the Arizona meteor crater and the Tunguska meteor explosion over Russia in 1908.  A little something special for you, an extended bonus episode about our meteor series!  Enjoy! Podbean enables our p...

Barringer Meteor Crater in Arizona, just over 30 miles outside of Flagstaff.  What slammed into what is now part of the Arizona desert to make this giant three-quarter-mile-wide and some 600-feet-deep hole in the ground? Scientists believe the meteor was between 150 and 200 feet wide.  Earth is impacted routinely by meteors and micrometeors, tens of thousands of tons per year in fact, but thankful...

Shooting stars. Meteors. Bright flashing streaks of light zipping through the heavens!  They are a wonder and delight to all of us. If you've ever stood under the canopy of a pristine dark sky filled with stars and have seen even one meteor take you by surprise, you know the childlike delight that stirs the soul.  But what exactly are meteors? From where do they come? What exactly are we seeing? W...

This episode of Good Heavens! is part two of our conversation with physicist and author James Sinclair about God and cosmology. James has worked with Dr. William Lane Craig on a number of publications about cosmology and was integral in helping Dr. Craig and "team theism" prepare for this debate!   It was a delightful and wide-ranging conversation centered around the 2014 debate between cosmologis...

On this episode of Good Heavens! Dan sits down with physicist and author James Sinclair to discuss God and cosmology. James has worked with Dr. William Lane Craig on a number of publications about cosmology and was integral in helping Dr. Craig and "team theism" prepare for this debate!  It was a delightful and wide-ranging conversation centered around the 2014 debate between cosmologist and athei...

Mars has inspired more than just astronomers and scientists. Mars has had and continues to have a profound impact on our collective imaginations, influencing a musical composer, countless artists and writers!  What was God thinking when He made Mars? Why make such a world? How does Mars declare the glory of God?  Dan and Wayne explore Mars from the comfort and safety of their armchair rocket ships...

As long as we have been observing the heavens, we have known of the immortal wandering stars of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. What is it about these "planets" that fascinate us so? Why do we spend billions of dollars sending robotic probes and satellites to the surface of a distant, lifeless, and desert wilderness?  From the safety of our armchairs, Dan and Wayne discuss our fascinati...

This is part five in our five-part series on the Genesis flood found in Genesis chapters six through nine. On this episode, we discuss the significance of the prevalence of these flood narratives for us today. They are more than just mythical tales. It cannot finally be mere coincidence that all of these stories share common elements found in the book of Genesis.  On our first episode we featured...

This is part four in our five-part series on the Genesis flood found in Genesis chapters six through nine. On our first episode we featured a Young-Earth perspective on the flood with Dr. Tim Clarey of the Institute for Creation Research here in Dallas, Texas. On parts two and three, we featured an interview with Old-Earth creationist and astrophysicist Dr. Hugh Ross about his perspective on Noah'...

On this episode, we continue our conversation with astrophysicist Dr. Hugh Ross from Reasons to Believe, who holds to an "old-earth" view (4.5 billion years). Dr. Ross presents his understanding of the text of Scripture, the science, and how he sees Noah's flood mentioned in Genesis 6-9.   But most importantly, Dr. Ross models charity and grace towards those who hold to a young-earth view (6-10,00...

The Bible tells us that in the last days, there will be mockers who will scoff at the idea of a biblical flood.  if you've ever talked to a skeptic or an unbeliever, you probably have experienced this mockery first-hand. You've been told there's no evidence for a flood, or that the Bible is just a mythical tale, and that while the story of Noah and the animals on the ark might be a cute Sunday sch...

When the Apostle Paul preached his sermon on Mars Hill to the Greek philosophers, he quoted from two Greek poets writing about Zeus, but he used the poem as a bridge to show the Athenians the truth about the risen Lord Jesus Christ. In speaking of the Gospel in Romans 10, Paul references Psalm 19. The proclamation of God's glory begins with the good news of creation.  And as we learned in part one...

What would you say to someone who says Jesus was a myth?  Is the Bible's message like myths and legends?  What if it is like them?  What are people looking for in myths? Come listen as Dan and Dr. Markos discuss how the gospel is the fulfillment of the best myths.  Dr. Louis Markos says that Christianity is the fulfillment of all the great myths of the past.  Viewed this way, "myth" does not mean...

The Bible gives us a record of God's judging the evil and violence of man with a flood. Skeptics say modern geology proves the flood didn't happen. Christians affirm the reality of the flood but often become entangled in debate over whether or not the flood covered the entire world or just a local area in and around the ancient Near East.  Many Christians are also divided on the issue of how old t...

In Psalm 19 we read that the heavens are telling of the glory of God. But what exactly does that mean? Is the glory of God just pretty lights in the sky or is it something much more than that?  Nations and people throughout human history have built monuments to the sun, moon and stars. Modern science and industry spends billions of dollars annually to uncover the secrets of the cosmos. The late pl...

Charles Darwin published his influential book, The Origin of the Species in 1859. Today, evolution and natural selection remain the dominant scientific paradigms of our time regarding the development of biological life. Many atheists and skeptics regard Darwin's ideas as having finally done away with the idea that life is the special creation of the God of the Bible. Our guest this week, Dr. Steph...

Charles Darwin published his influential book, The Origin of the Species in 1859. Today, evolution and natural selection remain the dominant scientific paradigms of our time regarding the development of biological life. Many atheists and skeptics regard Darwin's ideas as having finally done away with the idea that life is the special creation of the God of the Bible. Our guest this week, Dr. Steph...

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."  Genesis 1:1  "Great are the works of the Lord. They are studied by all who delight in them." Psalm 111:2 Today there exists a confidence in the minds of many skeptics and unbelievers that science has somehow disproved God's existence.  According to our guest, Dr. Stephen C. Meyer of Discovery Institute in Seattle, Washington, nothing coul...

Thanks to Podbean listeners, Good Heavens was recently nominated by Welp Magazine to be in a list of the Top 20 Podcasts in Astronomy for 2021!  To see the article go to https://welpmagazine.com/20-best-astronomy-podcasts-of-2021/ "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."  Genesis 1:1  "Great are the works of the Lord. They are studied by all who delight in them." Psalm 111:2 Toda...

There are moral implications and assumptions about climate change. And it is thus vitally important we have a proper understanding not only of the history of Earth, but of current scientific paradigms about the environment that smuggle in a moral imperative about what we ought to do about the environment.  If the heavens and earth are not created, if the Genesis Flood did not occur, and God did no...

Climate science is making headlines today. It is one of the hot topics of our time. But what is the science that underlies current scientific assumptions about the environment? Is it sound? Is the planet headed for a catastrophe of our making?   How do we best interpret the history of Earth? Is the past a key to the present? How many ice ages have there been? Come and see climate science as you pr...

Matthew, Mark, and Luke see the Last Supper as a Passover meal. But John seems to say the Passover meal had not yet occurred. Can this discrepancy be reconciled? On this special Easter edition of Good Heavens! Wayne and Dan examine a solution proposed by Dr. Colin J. Humphreys in his book, The Mystery of the Last Supper.  We do not argue this is the only possible or conceivable solution, but we do...

If you have not yet listened to part one in our series, we encourage you to check it out before diving into Part 2.  In Part 2, Wayne and I discuss the ways in which ancient Jewish people kept time, we talk about the beauty and regularity of the sun and moon that give us the ability to know times and seasons and we also discuss the wondrous regularity of nature.  Why is it that the sun, moon, and...