Show Notes
Join biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana and astrophysicist Hugh Ross as they discuss discoveries with theological and philosophical implications that point to the reality of God’s existence. A new study from a US–China research team argues that the volumes of Neanderthal brain regions fall within the range seen in modern human populations. If so, does that mean Neanderthals were just as cognitively capable as modern humans—and would that challenge RTB’s human origins model? In this episode, Fuz Rana explains what the researchers measured, what their conclusions do and do not show, and why RTB’s model remains scientifically robust. New evidence suggests that Theia, the planet believed to have collided with Earth to form the Moon, may still exist deep inside our planet, near the boundary between Earth’s mantle and core. According to a new model, Theia’s metallic core may have sunk through Earth’s mantle and merged with Earth’s core, while denser mantle fragments settled deep inside Earth. These buried fragments may explain unusual structures detected there, as well as a thin, chemically distinct layer at the top of Earth’s core. The model also helps explain why Earth and the Moon have such similar compositions and how Earth maintained the long-lasting magnetic field essential for life. LINKS AND RESOURCES:
Neanderthal Brain and Cognition Reconsidered
Reconstructing the Neanderthal Brain Using Computational Anatomy
Secular Changes in Cranial Morphology and Pattern of Sexual Dimorphism in Modern Japanese: A Geometric Morphometric Analysis Using Post-Mortem Computed Tomography Data
Survival of Asteroid-Sized Debris from the Moon-Forming Impactor in Earth’s Deep Mantle with Implications for Its Solar System Provenance
Immediate Formation of Core-Mantle Boundary Heterogeneities Following a Giant Impact
Designed to the Core
More from Stars, Cells, and God
“I am a worm and not a man,” David writes in Psalm 22:6. But which worm did he have in mind? In this episode of Stars, Cells, and God, Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Hugh Ross explore a discovery from a Judean Desert. Cave researchers discovered a wool fragment about two centimeters across, dyed with kermes—the scarlet dye the ancient world produced from a scale insect known as the crimson worm. The find provides physical evidence for a dye the Old Testament connects to the tabernacle, the priests’ garments, and rites of cleansing—long before David wrote his psalm. Fuz and Hugh explain why biblical archaeology matters, how Psalm 22 foreshadows the crucifixion, why death and life are interwoven throughout creation, and how fulfilled prophecy points to the Bible’s reliability. In this episode, they also discuss:
The young Sun may have hurled 1,000 to 10 million times more energetic particles at early Earth than it does today. So how did life survive? In this episode of Stars, Cells, and God, Hugh Ross and Fazale “Fuz” Rana examine two new studies and what they reveal about the Moon’s surprising role in protecting early life. They also explore why Earth’s Moon is so unusual, how its formation and timing appear to align with the presence of the earliest life, and why proposed naturalistic workarounds still seem to require design. In this episode:
A small army of PhD scientists spent 17 years building a protein motor that limps 11 steps down a DNA strand. Your cells build billions of motors—perfectly, instantly, with no research budget. Coincidence, or design? Astronomer Hugh Ross and biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana unpack a Nature Nanotechnology study from Lund University, where a synthetic protein “walking machine” called Tumbleweed was engineered from scratch to move along DNA. They break down how it works—and why it makes a compelling case for a Creator. In this episode we discuss:
For a billion years, life on Earth survived without the one process it can no longer live without. The moment that changed might be the clearest evidence yet that we’re not here by accident. In this episode, Hugh Ross and Fazale “Fuz” Rana explore a discovery published in Science Advances that raises a fascinating question: Was the emergence of biological nitrogen fixation simply the result of natural processes, or does its timing point to something more? In this episode we discuss:
Join biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana and physician Steve Willing as they discuss discoveries with theological and philosophical implications that point to the reality of God’s existence. Why do people fight so much? In a world fractured by political polarization, misinformation, and tribal conflict, this question demands answers. Scripture identifies pride as “the first sin” and the root of human moral failure. Contemporary research now provides extensive empirical validation for this biblical insight, demonstrating how pride operates as both a moral failing and cognitive distortion—and how Christians are uniquely positioned to address the divisions plaguing contemporary society. Drawing on over 140 peer-reviewed studies from psychology, neuroscience, and social science, this presentation explores how research confirms biblical warnings about pride across multiple domains. Studies consistently show that humans systematically overestimate their abilities, inflate their moral qualities, and maintain illusions of control—thereby directly validating Proverbs 21:2: “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes.” This science-faith synergy offers Christians a framework for serving a broken world. By recognizing the distinctive hallmarks of pride, believers can model humility in apologetics, discipleship, and public witness—reflecting Christ’s light through both rigorous truth-seeking and humble acknowledgment of our own personal limitations. LINKS AND RESOURCES: Superbia: The Perils of Pride, The Power of Humility