John G. West
What Is Irreducible Complexity?
Charles Darwin observed that “If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down.” Biochemist Michael Behe took Darwin up on his challenge by highlighting biochemical systems that exhibit what he called “irreducible complexity.” According to Behe, a biological system exhibits irreducible complexity when it is “composed of several well-matched, interacting parts that contribute to the basic function, wherein the removal of any one of the parts causes the system to effectively cease functioning.” [Darwin’s Black Box, p. 39] Find out more about irreducible complexity through the links below.
The Mouse Trap
Michael Behe highlighted the idea of irreducible complexity by using the example of a common mouse trap. Read what Behe thinks we can learn from this example and why he thinks critics of the example are misguided.
Michael Behe’s Example of the Mouse Trap
Michael Behe, “A Mouse Trap Defended”
PBS on Trial
In 2007, PBS released a lavish documentary on the Dover case titled Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial. Critics said the PBS documentary was in many cases more fiction than fact. Learn about the facts changed or left out by PBS and decide for yourself.
What Is Intelligent Design?
Intelligent design is the idea embraced by a growing number of scientists that certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause rather than an undirected process such as natural selection. Intelligent design has roots going back to antiquity, but in recent decades it has gained the support of new scientific discoveries in physics, cosmology, chemistry, biology, mathematics, information theory, and related fields. Get an introduction to intelligent design through the links below.
Stephen Meyer, “Not By Chance”
“What Is Intelligent Design?” from IntelligentDesign.org
Encyclopedia Article on Intelligent Design
Evidence for Intelligent Design
Contrary to what many people suppose, the debate over intelligent design is much broader than the debate over Darwin’s theory of evolution. That’s because much of the scientific evidence for intelligent design comes from areas that Darwin’s theory doesn’t even address. In fact, the evidence for intelligent design comes from three main areas: Physics and Cosmology, the Origin of Life, and the Development of Biological Complexity. Find out more about the evidence for intelligent design in each of these areas.
History of Intelligent Design
Intelligent design is a new idea drawing on the latest scientific discoveries, but it is also a very old idea discussed by humans at the dawn of civilization. Find out more about the history of intelligent design, especially its modern formulation within the sciences, through the links below.
Jonathan Witt, “A Brief History of the Scientific Theory of Intelligent Design”
Stephen Meyer, “A Scientific History and Philosophical Defense of the Theory of Intelligent Design”
Responses to Critics
Have arguments for intelligent design in nature been refuted? Is evidence for modern Darwinian theory so overwhelming that no reasonable person can question it? Explore whether intelligent design holds up to scrutiny by reading the responses of intelligent design proponents to their critics.
Peer-Reviewed Science Articles
Explore an an annotated bibliography of peer-reviewed and peer-edited scientific articles supporting, applying, or arising from the theory of intelligent design.
Founding Father of Intelligent Design?
Alfred Russel Wallace shares credit with Charles Darwin for developing the theory of evolution by natural selection. Yet one part of Wallace’s remarkable life and career has been completely ignored: His embrace of intelligent design. Explore Wallace’s fascinating intellectual journey and how it sheds light on current debates.
Privileged Species
Are humans the accidental products of a blind and uncaring universe? Or are they the beneficiaries of a cosmic order that was planned beforehand to help them flourish? Privileged Species is a documentary that explores growing evidence from physics, chemistry, biology, and related fields that our universe was designed for large multi-cellular beings like ourselves. Featuring geneticist and author Michael Denton, the documentary investigates the special properties of carbon, water, and oxygen that make human life and the life of other organisms possible, and it explores some of the unique features of humans that make us a truly privileged species.