The cultural battles now raging between conservatives and secular progressives has extended even into the scientific disciplines. And this stunning new volume captures the titanic clash of worldviews among those who have thought most deeply about the nature of science and of the universe itself. Unmatched in its breadth and scope, "The Nature of Nature" brings together some of the most influential scientists, scholars, and public intellectuals - including three Nobel laureates - across a wide spectrum of disciplines and schools of thought. Here they grapple with a perennial question that has been made all the more pressing by recent advances in the natural sciences: Is the fundamental explanatory principle of the universe, life, and self-conscious awareness to be found in inanimate matter or immaterial mind? The answers found in this book have profound implications for what it means to do science, what it means to be human, and what the future holds for all of us.

Author Biography

Bruce L. Gordon is a historian and philosopher of physics who holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University, along with degrees in applied mathematics and analytic philosophy. A former research professor and director of the program in science and religion at Baylor University, he is currently research director of the Center for Science and Culture at the Discovery Institute in Seattle, Washington. William A. Dembski holds Ph.D.s in mathematics and philosophy and has done postdoctoral work in mathematics, physics, and computer science. The author or editor of more than a dozen books, he has appeared on ABC's Nightline, Jon Stewart's The Daily Show, and many other television and radio programs. Dr. Dembski has taught at Northwestern University and Notre Dame, among other universities. He is now a senior researcher with the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture and a research professor of philosophy at Southwestern Seminary in Texas.