Tuesday, August 8, 2023

Fortuitous Accident or Intentional Design?

When Charles Darwin first propounded his theory of evolution by natural selection in 1859 he had no idea that biological cells were so astoundingly complex. He thought they were just tiny globs of undifferentiated protoplasm, and with that understanding Darwin didn't foresee any difficulty in cells arising mechanistically in "some warm little pond."

Throughout the 20th century, however, great strides were made in understanding the structure and function of the enormous diversity of cellular components, among which are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of tiny molecular machines made of proteins. As biologists elucidated one cellular subsystem after another it became increasingly difficult to believe that life was the product of blind, purposeless chance, even though many scientists, clinging to their faith in metaphysical naturalism, insisted that it was.

That this is an act of faith is clear from the fact that no one today has any idea how the first cells from which all other living things are believed to have evolved ever originated.

An example of the sheer difficulty in explaining how cells could've formed essentially by chemical accident is given to us by the motor protein called kinesin.

As you watch this video keep in mind that no one knows how such a remarkable system on such a miniscule scale could have ever come about through purely natural, unintelligent processes. It would be like trying to imagine how a functional computer could be assembled by the random mixing of its component parts.

Among the many questions this video raises is, how does the kinesin "know" to carry the vacuole and "know" to carry it in only one direction?

Watch the clip and be amazed at this incredible machine: