REVIEW: Privileged Species DVD by FishFlix.com

I had the opportunity to review the Privileged Species DVD by FishFlix.com

 

WHAT IS IT?:

FishFlix.com offers a variety of DVD films and documentaries meant to inspire and entertain Christians.

The Privileged Species DVD is a 33-minute documentary film by the Discovery Institute about the presence of human life and its existence in the universe.  It reasons out and helps to answer the question of whether or not we exist merely by chance…a happy accident of sorts…or if all of the universe exists to support human life and its unique capabilities…a product of a thoughtful creation.

This wonderful DVD is available for just $9.99 and is suitable for both children and adults.

You can also watch the trailer to see if it’s right for you and your family.

The special features on the DVD include a preview of the paperback edition of Darwin’s Doubt and the trailer for the sister documentary titled “Privileged Planet.”

 

  OUR EXPERIENCE:

I watched this film with my 10-year old daughter, Haylee, who is finishing up 5th grade at this time.   We found the film to be very engaging and interesting, to say the least!  The graphics were visually appealing, and the narrator had a steady, pleasant voice.  The contents of the film were fascinating!  This film absolutely supports the concept of intelligent design.  Here’s a quick rundown of what the film is about and what we learned from it.  I found myself frantically taking notes as we watched, because it was so chock full of good points and information that was worth noting.

At the opening of the film, there is a clip of Bill Nye the Science Guy talking about how humans seem to be so insignificant in the grand scheme of things…that we are mere specks living amid endless specks of living things and planets and galaxies.

Then after the opening credits, the documentary begins.  It asks the question that is the overall purpose of the film:  Are humans an accidental creation in a universe that did not have them in mind, or was the universe created to support human life?

So many features of nature are exactly right for our existence.  The slightest change in any of them would not just make life difficult, but would make it entirely impossible.  There are four main forces at work that allow life to exist:  gravitational force, electromagnetic force, strong nuclear force, and weak nuclear force.

There are three elements required to promote life:  carbon, oxygen, and water.

• It all starts with carbon.  The number and intervals of the explosions of supernovas create the carbon that is the basic building block of all life on Earth.  Any fluctuation in them would actually destroy life, so it’s a very delicate balance. 
• Carbon compounds give us natural gas, anesthetics, sugar, petroleum, clothing, and plastics.
• Water is the ideal solvent.  Water dissolves minerals so they can be used in the environment without destroying them in the process.
• Its viscosity is one of the lowest of any liquid and is perfect to support life.
• Its thermal properties help us deal with the heat of earth.
• It has a high capacity for absorbing heat and helps us maintain a stable body temperature.
• Humans evaporate more heat than any other mammal.
• Because water is less dense when frozen, ice floats, leaving life-giving liquid water insulated underneath.  Without this property, a large portion of the earth would be encapsulated in ice, because it would freeze from the bottom up rather than the other way around.
• Oxygen is required for all complex life.  Plants use photosynthesis to create their food.  The byproduct (waste) of this process just happens to be oxygen, which supports life for humans.  Light is the requirement for photosynthesis.  Our atmosphere has just the right composition to allow us to receive the sun’s light, but blocks out harmful radiation.
• 20% atmospheric oxygen is needed to support our energy levels.  Diatomic oxygen in our lower atmosphere is at just the right level to support life without causing spontaneous combustion of that oxygen.  And the diatomic oxygen does not absorb heat, so it does not affect our temperature. 

All of these “coincidences” take place exactly right and perfectly support human life, which supports the idea of intelligent design. 

Human have unique qualities over other mammals that make us significant in the hierarchy of life.

• Our brains have intellectual reasoning that surpasses other animals.
• Our larynx accommodates speech and complex communication with a broader range of verbal sounds that includes more vowels and consonants than other species.
• Our hand is better adapted for intelligent manipulation of things in our environment than any other appendage. 
• Our brains and hands together are able to create fire, which advances our technology.
• We are equipped for self-reflection and scientific reasoning, and nature supports our ability to practice that.

So taking all of these factors into account, it becomes clear that humans are not insignificant specks on an insignificant planet.  Instead, we’re a privileged species, and we are actually quite significant!

We really enjoyed this film and found it to be both educational and affirming in our Christian beliefs that God intentionally created us and that all the rest of creation supports our existence on this planet.  I would definitely recommend that you take a look at this compelling documentary!

Find out what other Crew members had to say about this and a variety of other films from FishFlix.com by clicking the banner below.