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Author Topic:   Animals with bad design.
Aaron
Member (Idle past 3981 days)
Posts: 65
From: Kent, WA
Joined: 12-14-2010


Message 1 of 2 (600542)
01-15-2011 4:22 AM


I'm going to post a snip from a different topic and a snip from a book and offer a few counter thoughts.
Granny Magda said:
"Why don't we see eagle-like eyes in humans? Or a dog-like sense of smell? These are both good designs, so why are they kept strictly to separate lineages? Why do only birds of prey have those eyes? Why no other species? Why not give chimps the same smell capabilities as dogs? They sure could use it."
In his book Why Evolution is True, Jerry Coyne makes a similar point:
"Female sea turtles dig their nests on the beach with their flippers - a painful, slow, and clumsy process that exposes their eggs to predators... A conscientious designer might have given the turtles an extra pair of limbs, with retractable shovel-like appendages..."
This line of thinking seems to me like a very narrow idea of what constitutes good design.
First, its amusing how evolutionists like Coyne and Dawkins look at organisms and marvel at how well adapted they are - and how they appear to be designed. Oh, but before getting too carried away in awe - they bring in some aspect that seems to them like bad design.
It's like sitting in a car and saying it wasn't made by a designer because the seats aren't heated, the mirrors have blind spots, and the brake pads are prone to wearing out early.
You might retort "But cars are designed by humans. God's designs should be perfect in every way."
What does it mean to be perfect? Let's push Jerry Coyne's suppositions further. Why didn't God create sea turtles with another set of limbs with sharp claws to fend off predators. Wings would have been nice too just in case it needs a quick getaway.
Why can't mice run 60 mph to escape the swooping owl? Why aren't all plant species poisonous to fend off hungry herbivores?
Ahh yes, that's more like it - a world where every species has the maximum level of offensive and defensive capabilities.
But wait - how long do you think a world like that would last? If every plant and animals is perfectly equipped to fend off every potential snack seeker - nothing would get eaten, nutrients wouldn't be exchanged, the complex circle of life would come to a grinding halt.
When it comes to creating a complex interdependent ecosystem, vulnerability is necessary to keep the whole thing going.

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Message 2 of 2 (600554)
01-15-2011 8:04 AM


Thread Copied to Intelligent Design Forum
Thread copied to the Animals with bad design. thread in the Intelligent Design forum, this copy of the thread has been closed.

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