Unlocking the Mystery of Life

2003
Unlocking the Mystery of Life
6.2| 1h7m| en| More Info
Released: 05 May 2003 Released
Producted By: Illustra Media
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Synopsis

Unlocking the Mystery of Life represents a unique programming opportunity for local stations. Its broadcast release coincides with the 50th anniversary of one of the greatest scientific breakthroughs in history-James Watson and Francis Crick's discovery that the DNA molecule carries hereditary information in the form of a code that many scientists have likened to computer software or a written language. This discovery (announced on April 25,1953) sparked a scientific revolution. But it also left a fundamental question unanswered. Where did the information in DNA come from? How did the software in the cell arise? Unlocking the Mystery of Life explores these questions through the stories of a growing number of scientists who no longer believe that natural selection or chemistry, alone, can explain life's origin. Instead, they think that the microscopic world of the cell provides evidence of purpose and design in nature.

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Jana Anderson Very well presented argument for Intelligent Design. Educational as well. The narration is good, the graphics and commentary are all put together well and presented without preaching. Simply presents information wrapped in an conception of an idea of how things could be. Personally I think that more could have been added to make it into a series using several break down, backward engineering, irreducible complexity examples each on a case by case basis using different biological systems such as the eye, the cell, specific mammal species, plants and other systems that are symbiotic with one another. Perhaps that is for another time or will be presented another way. Was satisfied with the information given but also left me wanting to know more...did some follow up research to confirm the facts so have found a box set of similar presentations through Illustra Media. Worth a look. I've ordered and have watch several times all three of the DVDs. Highly recommended.
KJ Moodie Nothing in this video is scientifically valid in the slightest, which is why none of the proponents of 'Intelligent Design' have ever had an article published in a peer-reviewed journal on the subject. ID just doesn't stand up to close scientific scrutiny. Much of what is said by people like Behe in this video had already been thoroughly refuted by science long before this video was made. The reason you will never hear about any of this from ID proponents is because they don't follow the progress of science. When confronted with dozens of papers that refute his work at the Dover Trial (where ID was shot down)Michael Behe admitted that he'd never seen any of it and had to adjourn the court so he could read them. They defend ID as religiously as they defended creationism back in the 80's. It's just simply pseudo-scientific garbage. This 'movie' is absolute trash.
kilesm As a genuine student of science and a high school teacher, I feel that this video is not only an abomination for even being considered to be listed in the same category as a science text - but it is also the sort of dangerous propaganda that resulted in the Scopes trial and the recent Dover, Pa. case. Nonsense like "Unlocking the Mystery of Life" is intolerable in the face of efforts to educate young people towards historical let alone scientific progress.The mis-representation of Darwin is laughable; the selection of easily-debunked theories are not only able to be countered by anyone with access to online documents on his work but also the weight of millions of texts in the sciences. Fossils, fossils, fossils! Probably the only possible use (beyond a coaster for a glass!) this glossy smarm has is to be shown as a teaching tool in legal studies classes as misrepresentation of facts! Behe was quite effectively shown as completely wrong in the documentary "The Root of All Evil" and I'd suggest that as a better text for people studying the claims of intelligent design rather than spend a cent on this product.Intelligent design is narrow-minded religious indoctrination in new packaging. It was rightfully thrown out by the government of the USA and when Illustra Media insultingly produces inaccurate trash like this "pseudo-documentary" (akin to the hilariously illogical and New Age UFO cult-produced "What the Bleep..."), they are promoting poor standards of critical thinking and potentially making a child's understanding of science a laughing-stock when they attend classes in any state.Do your sons and daughter's future a favor - encourage accurate and investigative attitudes towards the real world by showing them ACTUAL science documentaries like Sagan's "Cosmos", "Walking with Dinosaurs", "The Living Planet" and other series by David Attenborough - leave religious belief for the religious education forums, whatever you may choose that to involve.Certainly adults have NO right to mis-educate the next generation by touting this absurd farce of pseudo-science in the science classroom, as aptly demonstrated by the Snopes and Dover trials. A voice of opposition was _indeed_ heard in those cases and rightfully shot down as unconstitutional. Let this stance for justice be maintained by refusing "Unlocking the Mystery of Life" any of your precious viewing time.My only regret is that I cannot give this polished piece of excretion zero stars, as I would if I could.
amy_smiles247 As a continual student of science, I feel that this video is essential for every high school classroom and every university level biology class. As Behe points out within the film, to have grown up only learning the evidence that supports one theory is to be taught only half of the truth, and when an educated person realizes such a tragedy has occurred, it is insulting to intelligence. Not only does this film point out several different arguments to the Darwinian theory of evolution, it uses Darwin's Origin of Species to show that Darwin himself would have agreed with intelligent design had he known what scientists know now.As a questioner of evolution myself, I feel it is a shame that so many highly educated scientists accept it as truth without learning the details of any sort of opposition to it. (To level the playing field, and perhaps give more weight to what I say, I feel the same about Christianity.) This production adequately supports an argument and leaves room for a viewer's interpretation of the facts, not forcing on anyone what these scientists have come to believe, but educating them as to the basis behind the idea.