Includes bibliographical references (pages 326-331) and index

pt. 1. Basic distinctions. Intelligent design -- Creation -- Scientific creationism -- Disguised theology -- Religious motivation -- Optimal design -- The design argument -- pt. 2. Detecting design. The design inference -- Chance and necessity -- Specified complexity -- The explanatory filter -- Reliability of the criterion -- Objectivity and subjectivity -- Assertibility -- The chance of the gaps -- pt. 3. Information and matter -- Information theory -- Biology's information problem -- Information ex Nihilo --Nature's receptivity -- The law of conservation of information -- pt. 4. Issues arising from naturalism. Varieties of naturalism -- Interventionism -- Miracles and counterfactual substitution -- The supernatural -- Embodies and unembodied designers -- The designer regress -- Selective skepticism -- The progress of science

pt. 5. Theoretical challenges to intelligent design. Argument from ignorance -- Eliminative induction -- Hume, Reid and signs of intelligence -- Design by elimination versus design by comparison -- The demand for details : Darwinism's Tu quoque -- Displacement and the no free lunch principle -- The only games in town -- pt. 6. A new kind of science. Aspirations -- Mechanism -- Testability -- The significance of Michael Behe -- Peer review -- The "wedge" -- Research times -- Making intelligent design a disciplined science

"Scientists, mathematicians and philosophers in the intelligent design movement are challenging a certain view of science - one that limits its investigations and procedures to purely lawlike and mechanical explanations. They charge that there is no scientific reason to exclude the consideration of intelligence, agency and purpose from truly scientific research. In fact, the practice of science often already includes these factors!"

"As the intelligent design movement has gained momentum, questions have naturally arisen to challenge its provocative claims. In this book William Dembski rises to the occasion - clearly and concisely answering the most vexing questions posed to the intelligent design program. Writing with nonexperts in mind, Dembski responds to more than forty questions asked by experts and nonexperts alike who have attended his many public lectures or raised objections in written reviews."--Jacket

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