George Noory was joined by Michael Meacher, who is a Labour Member of the Parliament in England, for a discussion on whether human existence is the result of random interactions, or part of an overarching plan generated by some cosmic force. While Meacher said that "science is a marvelous instrument," he was critical of the belief that it will ultimately allow us to solve all of the enigmas of the universe. To that end, he lamented that, in contemporary times, ideas that cannot be verified by science, such as the concept of a creator crafting the universe, are discarded as ridiculous. However, having investigated the theory, Meacher declared that "it is very difficult, if not virtually impossible, to believe that the universe is not in some way designed."
As he made the case for some kind of underlying intent behind the creation of the universe, Meacher observed that "I use this word 'design' because I don't know what other word to use." One factor that he cited as evidence for a designer is that, contrary to the concept of "natural selection," studies now show that the earliest organisms on Earth actually thrived due to "symbiotic and cooperative networking." Additionally, Meacher pointed out recent research which shows that, at certain points, "matter and energy spontaneously transpose into newer, higher organizational states at certain thresholds of complexity." This, he surmised, suggests some kind of larger blueprint is at work.
Meacher also discussed a pair of issues that he has looked at as a member of Parliament. Addressing the ongoing Gary McKinnon saga, he noted that McKinnon has admitted his guilt and, as such, "he must be held to account. There's no question about that." However, he said that McKinnon, facing stiff penalties for his crimes, is currently in a "very fragile state," which has spawned the debate over whether extraditing him to America is a human rights issue. On the topic of genetically modified foods, of which he is a fierce critic, Meacher expressed concern that there has not been proper testing done to assess the health and environmental impacts of GM foods. Unfortunately, he said his outspoken stance against such foods is unique in Parliament, where he is "a pretty lonely voice."
Gulf War Syndrome Update
During the first hour, Joyce Riley provided an update on her investigations into Gulf War Syndrome. She speculated that the most accurate number of veterans afflicted by the disease is around 500,000, which is 2/3 of the troops that served in the first Gulf War. She theorized that the government has been covering up the disease because it does not want to cover the costs of treating the disease and hurt military morale or enrollment of new troops, since those returning from Gulf War II have also been showing signs of ailment. "Who would want to fight in a soup of radiation, which is what Iraq and Afghanistan is," Riley mused, pointing to the vast amounts of depleted uranium on the battlefield which many believe to be one of the causes of GWS.
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The first Sunday of every month, George Noory is featuring emerging artists for some of the Bumper Music selections. On the 3/7/10 edition of the program, we heard from Thomas Sparks, Randy Wallace, Subha, Lily Sparks, John Cobb, Susan Bailey Smith, and Lair Morgan. For more info on how to submit your original music, visit this page.