Kerby Anderson

Science is headed into uncharted territory. That’s why we need a reliable science guide to navigate our journey. Dr. Michael Guillen provides that guidance in his book, The End of Life as We Know It. For years he was the Emmy award-winning science correspondent for ABC News. He was on my radio program to talk about the book and his truth tour. He addresses four areas of concern: the web, the robot, the spy, and the Frankenstein. He talks about the incredible benefits we all receive from the World Wide Web. The information superhighway has lots of lanes to important information. But it also has many dark back alleys. He cites one headline that reminds us that sometimes “the Internet Makes Us Monsters.” In his section on robots and artificial intelligence, he once again explains how we have been the beneficiaries of machines that do routine manual labor and free us up from dangerous activities. But he also reminds us that robots are able to do more than merely put bolts on an assembly line, and will take away many of our jobs. The section on “spy” reminds us how our privacy is going away. We are living in a fishbowl. As one commentator put it, “You have zero privacy. Get over it.” Before you merely brush that off, consider what it is like to live in China where cameras and facial recognition keep track of you every single day. His last section reminds us of all the significant benefits we enjoy from science and genetic engineering. Treating and curing genetic disease is admirable. But scientists can now “play God” by mixing and matching genetic material. Good intentions can quickly morph into dangerous outcomes. I think his book is a good reminder that we need more Christians in the science fields in order to bring ethics and wisdom as science heads into uncharted territory.