How do we really know anything — and can an AI "know" at all?

In the third annual Dallas A. Willard Lecture, MIT physicist Ian Hutchinson takes on scientism, the belief that natural science is the only route to real knowledge, and asks what it means for Christian faith in an age of artificial intelligence. Drawing on three kinds of knowing (knowing that, knowing how, and knowing someone), Hutchinson argues that scientism is an intellectual mistake, that the "science vs. religion" conflict story is a myth, and that large language models simulate thought rather than possess it. His conclusion: the image of God lies not in raw intelligence but in our calling to know and love God, and love is more than neural networks.

Following the lecture, philosopher and epistemologist Tony Bolos, Director of New College Madison, offers a response on justification, Plato's Meno and Euthyphro, and why we can know things (like love) that we cannot fully define.

Ian Hutchinson is Professor Emeritus of Nuclear Science and Engineering at MIT, an internationally recognized plasma and fusion physicist, and author of "Can a Scientist Believe in Miracles?" He has spoken widely on science and Christianity with the Veritas Forum, InterVarsity, BioLogos, and the American Scientific Affiliation.

In this lecture:

• Three kinds of knowing: propositions, skills, and acquaintance
• What makes natural science reliable, and where its methods stop
• Scientism and positivism, from Comte to Russell, Monod, and Dawkins
• Why the "conflict" between science and Christianity is a historical myth
• Reading Genesis and the "two books" of Scripture and nature
• Can AI know facts? Can it know how to do things?
• How large language models work, and why agentic AI calls for regulation
• Artificial intelligence and the image of God
• Love as the highest form of knowing

Recorded October 16, 2026, in Madison, Wisconsin, as part of the Wisconsin Science Festival. The Dallas A. Willard Lecture is presented by the Lumen Center, a ministry of the Stephen & Laurel Brown Foundation, and is generously supported by Fieldstead and Co.

Learn more: https://slbf.org
Event page: https://subspla.sh/jbfyxxd

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Upper House Commons gathers the university community for spiritual, intellectual, and vocational formation.

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If facts alone can't change minds, what can? Closing his three-part Friday Night Lecture series, Dr. Rick Lindroth shifts from diagnosis to action — offering a practical framework for restoring public trust in science across a fractured cultural landscape. Featuring Kurt Gray's "CIV" model (Connect, Invite, Validate) and the case for scaling norms rather than relationships alone, Lindroth gives tailored guidance for everyday citizens, working scientists, and faith leaders alike — including a challenge to churches to confront "identity idolatry" and a reading of the Good Samaritan as a model for crossing ideological lines. He closes with a benediction on truth, humility, and the responsible use of scientific power. Part three of "Can Science Be Trusted?"

Dr. Rick Lindroth is a Distinguished Fellow of The Lumen Center and a Distinguished Achievement Professor (emeritus) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he also served as Associate Dean for Research. Dr. Lindroth was a recipient of the Hilldale Award in Biological Sciences and is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Ecological Society of America, and the Entomological Society of America. He served as an editor for four science journals and on advisory panels for national and international research agencies. Dr. Lindroth and his research team published ~250 scientific articles and chapters on a wide range of ecological topics.

Currently, Dr. Lindroth speaks and writes to the public and faith-based groups about environmental stewardship, climate change, biodiversity, and science denialism/communication.

Send us Fan Mail

Upper House Commons gathers the university community for spiritual, intellectual, and vocational formation.

We explore big ideas and engage in conversations that matter within arts and humanities, justice and society, leadership and vocation, science and technology, spiritual formation, and theology. Whether you are a student or faculty member at UW–Madison or beyond, working in the marketplace, or serving in the church, we see you as part of our university community. Gather with us for one of our programs —our “commons”— each a pasture for shared spiritual, intellectual, and vocational formation.

Head over to our events page to see what's coming soon, or mark your calendar for these upcoming programs.

Find out more slbf.org/upperhousecommons

Why do smart, good-faith people reject well-established science? In this second installment of his Friday Night Lecture series at Upper House, Dr. Rick Lindroth turns from the history of American science to the psychology behind its rejection. Drawing on the "tobacco playbook," the FLICC framework of denialist tactics, and Jonathan Haidt's moral foundations theory, Lindroth shows how distrust in science is rarely about the data itself — it's about identity, tribal belonging, and perceived threat. He traces how 300,000 years of human evolution wired our brains to prioritize belonging over truth, and why denialism shows up on both ends of the political spectrum, just aimed at different targets. Part two of "Can Science Be Trusted?"

Dr. Rick Lindroth is a Distinguished Fellow of The Lumen Center and a Distinguished Achievement Professor (emeritus) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he also served as Associate Dean for Research. Dr. Lindroth was a recipient of the Hilldale Award in Biological Sciences and is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Ecological Society of America, and the Entomological Society of America. He served as an editor for four science journals and on advisory panels for national and international research agencies. Dr. Lindroth and his research team published ~250 scientific articles and chapters on a wide range of ecological topics.

Currently, Dr. Lindroth speaks and writes to the public and faith-based groups about environmental stewardship, climate change, biodiversity, and science denialism/communication.

Send us Fan Mail

Upper House Commons gathers the university community for spiritual, intellectual, and vocational formation.

We explore big ideas and engage in conversations that matter within arts and humanities, justice and society, leadership and vocation, science and technology, spiritual formation, and theology. Whether you are a student or faculty member at UW–Madison or beyond, working in the marketplace, or serving in the church, we see you as part of our university community. Gather with us for one of our programs —our “commons”— each a pasture for shared spiritual, intellectual, and vocational formation.

Head over to our events page to see what's coming soon, or mark your calendar for these upcoming programs.

Find out more slbf.org/upperhousecommons